Day: October 10, 2023

The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Beka Grigoriadis, the father of Lazare Grigoriadis, a young man arrested on charges of violence against police during the March 7-8 protests, to five days in detention. Grigoriadis was handcuffed in the courtroom.

The judge recognized the brother of Beka Grigoriadis, Kakha Grigoriadis, as an administrative offender – he was fined 2500 GEL.

Beka and Kakha Grigoriadis were detained on October 5 during the rally against the adoption of the amendments to the law on Assemblies and Manifestations (“another Russian Law”) in front of the Parliament, which were rushed through Parliament by the parliamentary majority and adopted the following day. Beka Grigoriadis was detained under Article 173 of the Code of Administrative Offences, which refers to disobeying the lawful order of a police officer. His brother is charged with Article 173 and Article 166, which refers to petty hooliganism.

Also Read:

• 06/10/2023 – Parliament Adopts the Amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations
• 27/06/2023 – Lazare Grigoriadis to Remain in Custody
• 21/06/2023 – Father of Lazare Grigoriadis Sews Eye and Mouth Shut Demanding Son’s Release
• 03/06/2023 – Court Fines Father of Lazare Grigoriadis GEL 2,000

On October 9, the Council of Europe Venice Commission published its follow-up opinion to previous opinions concerning the Organic Law on Common Courts. The Commission welcomed some of the amendments to the Organic Law adopted in June 2023 as well as some of the September 2023 draft amendments, but noted that “important previous recommendations have not yet been addressed.”

• 10/10/2023 – Venice Commission Tells Authorities to Pursue Reform Strategy “without Unjustified Delay” in its Opinion on Organic Law on Common Courts

Civil.ge has compiled the reactions of the politicians to the Opinion of the Venice Commission.

Reactions of the ruling party

Giorgi Volski, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament: “No fact of there being political bias in the court, or there not being a neutral position or professionalism, is written anywhere in the Opinion, no one said it. What’s more, the Georgian court, the judiciary is in the advanced positions in the rankings… The comments have not yet been discussed within the team, but we must admit that many reforms have been implemented, many more have been initiated. What the Venice Commission means by these notes is not clear to me at this stage, but, again, if it means that the HoJ needs to have a decision-making mechanism, a formula, when one part makes a decision with 2/3, and the other part with 2/3, and these must coincide with each other (double 2/3 is needed for a decision to be taken), I personally declare that this is the formula for failure to make decisions in the HoJ, if that’s what it’s about… I believe that this formula will not work, we want an effective court, not formulations that lead to a dead end”.

Mikheil Sarjveladze, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee: “So that we don’t waste time counting whether more or less has been done, we can take the example of the fullness of a glass, and the fact that it is half full should also be noted… When we get to know the content of the conclusions of the Venice Commission, I think that the parts where the position is clear and they believe that the recommendations have been implemented and they believe that there’s an improvement in the legislation are not insignificant parts”.

Reactions of the opposition

Mikheil Daushvili, political group “For Georgia”: “The Venice Commission told us that certain issues have been fulfilled by [the Georgia] Dream, which we don’t deny either and we say it directly, but the Venice Commission said unequivocally and clearly that the main recommendations, including… the fundamental reform of the the High Council of Justice, this recommendation, this challenge is still unfulfilled and it needs an adequate response from the state. Therefore, our assessment is that, unfortunately, the most important reforms… in the judicial system as a whole… have not yet been fulfilled”.

Paata Manjgaladze, “Strategy Aghmashenebeli”: “As for the assessment of the Venice Commission, it says that the recommendations concerning the High Council of Justice have not been implemented. We have seen the propaganda of “Georgian Dream” that the opposition has planned some kind of conspiracy so that we cannot get the status. The fact that the government is not implementing the recommendations and therefore we may not get the status turns out to be planned by the opposition. It’s very simple: follow the recommendations and there will be no conspiracy”.

According to the Parliament of Georgia, Russia’s intention to open a naval base in occupied Abkhazia “has been condemned” by both sides at the meeting between Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairperson of the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee and Heidi Grau and Krystyna Marty Lang, Swiss Ambassadors to Georgia and Russia respectively.

“Difficult situation in the occupied regions of Georgia and Russia’s destructive actions were the main topics of discussion at the meeting,” the Parliament noted, adding that the sides also touched upon the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the security environment in the South Caucasus.

Samkharadze further briefed the Swiss ambassadors on Georgia’s track record of implementing the twelve EU priorities, expressing hope that Georgia will receive “the deserved status” at the end of the year.

After the 2008 Russian invasion and the subsequent occupation, Georgia cut off diplomatic relations with Russia. On March 5, 2009, the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia has opened its Russian Federation Interests Section. Simultaneously, a Georgian Interests Section was opened by the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow.

Also Read:

• 18/08/2023 – Switzerland Restricts Schengen Visas for Holders of Russian Passports in Occupied Georgian Regions
• 19/06/2023 – Foreign Minister Darchiashvili Visits Switzerland