The Daily Beat: 1 April

On April 1, the Georgian Dream parliament rubber-stamped restrictive laws and amendments on the third and final reading, including the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and amendments to the Broadcasting Law. The GD parliament has also removed the terms “gender” and “gender equality” from all Georgian laws.

The Economy Ministry reported that the Minister of Economy, Levan Davitashvili, met with the U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan. According to the Economy Ministry, the sides discussed the prospects of economic cooperation. The US ambassador appears to be trying to reach out to Georgian Dream officials after months of extremely tense relations that led to sanctions being imposed on dozens of Georgian Dream officials, including Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The Prosecutor’s Office has officially charged Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Lelo party, for failure to comply “with a request of the Provisional Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia.” The offense is punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, with deprivation of the right to hold an official position or to carry out a particular activity for up to three years.

The Personal Data Protection Service has found the Vivamedi clinic and its general director, Nino Nadiradze, in violation of personal data regulations for sharing politician Aleko Elisashvili’s medical information on Facebook on January 10. While the law allows for fines of up to 3,000 GEL, the Vivamedi clinic received only a warning from the personal Data Protection Service.

Detained Temur Katamadze, a Turkish citizen of Georgian origin, has resumed his hunger strike. Katamadze previously ended a 48-day hunger strike on March 5. A day earlier, on March 4, he was transferred to the Vivamedi clinic for medical attention. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association reported that during his previous hunger strike, Katamadze had lost more than 20 kilograms.

While many protesters feel frustrated that the movement has lost momentum, the ruling Georgian Dream party is trying to demonize the entire spectrum of the opposition, blaming them for the 2008 war with Russia. Since last week, the Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative commission, led by Tea Tsulukiani, has been methodically reopening an old wound – the August 2008 war. Civil.ge correspondent Gigi Kobakhidze delves into the work of the “inquisitorial commission,” which many believe only complements Russian propaganda.