Day: December 23, 2023

On the evening of 22 December, the leaders of the pro-Russian “Conservative Movement”, Zurab Makharadze and Irakli Martinenko, removed the flag of the European Union from the Tbilisi City Hall building and burnt it on the spot. A video of event was published on the website of the propaganda media “Alt-Info”, the mouth piece of the Conservative Movement, showing footage of the flag being taken down and set on fire. The video does not show any obstruction by the City Hall security. 

On 23 December, Irakli Martinenko, was fined 1000 GEL [under the first part of Article 174-18 Prima of the Code of Administrative Offences] for burning the European Union flag in front of Tbilisi City Hall.

As for Zurab Makharadze, who committed the same offence earlier this year, an administrative case has been opened against him [under the second part of Article 174-18 Prima, which implies the repeated commission of the same act].

The perpetrators expressed solidarity with Lasha Sharukhia, who was sentenced to pre-trial detention for removing and burning the EU flag from the Mtskheta City Hall building in an earlier incident on December 21. Sharukhia was charged with damaging property by arson or other generally dangerous means (Article 187 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of 3 to 6 years).

After a video of his actions went viral, his arrest was protested by a number of Georgian priests, who also burned the EU flag. The pro-Russian Altl-info channel featured more of the footage on December 23 showing the “burning of EU flag by the citizens” in support to Sharukhia accompanied by derogatory statements regarding the EU, in what seems to be an organized campaign.

In March this year, following the largely pro-European rallies on 7-8 March against the law on Russian agents, Conservative Movement (sometimes also referred as Alt-Info) leader Zurab Makharadze and several of his associates pulled down the EU flag from the parliament building in the center of Tbilisi and burned it. They were charged with an administrative offence and fined 1000 GEL (about 370 USD) each.

Also Read:

• 01/11/2023 – Explainer | What is the “Anti-Maidan Movement”?
• 26/04/2022 – Alt-Right, Pro-Russia Party Chair Talks Resignation

Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for four years of regular Chinese military patrols and drills near the island.

Campaigning is underway for Taiwan’s January 13 presidential and parliamentary polls. Relations with China are a major point of contention.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said that since 1:30 p.m. Saturday it had detected J-10, J-11 and J-16 fighters as well as early warning aircraft operating in the airspace to the north, middle and southwest of Taiwan.

Ten aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, or areas close by, working with Chinese warships to carry out “joint combat readiness patrols,” the ministry said.

The median line once served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but Chinese planes now regularly fly over it.

Taiwan sent its own forces to monitor, the ministry said.

China has not commented on its recent spate of military activities near Taiwan. It has previously described them as being aimed at preventing “collusion” between Taiwan separatists and the United States — and protecting China’s territorial integrity.

Taiwan’s government, which has repeatedly offered talks with China, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has denounced as a separatist, is the front-runner to be Taiwan’s next president, according to opinion polls.

Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, traditionally supports close ties with Beijing and has pledged to reopen dialogue with China if it wins the election. But it, too, says Taiwan’s people are the only ones who can decide their future.