Day: March 13, 2024

On March 11, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced new appointments to the Government Administration. According to the changes Giorgi Kajaia, the former head of the Georgian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Russia, has been appointed as the PM’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili confirmed during the press conference that Mamuka Merkviladze is to succeed Kajaia as the Head of the Georgian Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in the Russian Federation.

The journalist, in particular, inquired about Merkviladze’s alarming ties to Russia and what it would mean for Georgia to have “a member of Putin’s inner circle” representing Georgian interests. FM Darchiashvili replied: “Mr. Merkviladze is a very experienced person, and we are sure that he will fulfill the tasks assigned to him, and I am sure that his experience will help him… I don’t know what facts you are talking about. These are your assessments [to the journalist], interpretations”.

Merkviladze, a Georgian businessman with links to Russia, has kept a fairly low profile. Still, he is currently a shareholder in almost 30 different companies in Georgia. He shares his business with family members, friends, and the families of his friends. He is also the President of the National Shooting Federation, elected in January 2022.

In Russia, Merkviladze is best known for his wife, Tamriko Dudunia. Dudunia is a Russian singer of Georgian origin. Her family left Georgia when she was just two years old and moved to Russia’s western town of Smolensk, close to the Belarus border. She trained as a pediatrician but also sang professionally.

In 2019 she won the all-Russian singing contest sponsored by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, “New Star-2019”, which airs on the Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda (Star) TV channel. Dudunia was awarded the prize by Shoigu himself. Judging by her social media presence, where she is a medium-scale influencer with some 30,000 Instagram followers, Dudunia is residing in Russia. She is doing her advanced medical internship at the “Central State Medical Academy” subordinated to President Putin’s Administration.

Mamuka Merkviladze: Man of Useful Connections

Vice-President of the Georgian Diaspora in Russia

The information on Mamuka Merkviladze available from open sources is sketchy. It is known that since 2021 he has been the Vice-President of the Moscow-based diaspora organization Federal Georgian National-Cultural Autonomy.

He was one of the people who took part in the meeting of the diaspora leaders in October 2021, initiated by David Tsetskhladze, the President of this organization. At the meeting, it was decided to appeal the “the relevant government agencies” of Georgia and Russia with a request to resume direct flights and introduce a visa-free regime between Russia and Georgia. This indeed happened half a year later, which leads one to believe that the organization provided an official and public relations cover and a pretext to the Kremlin.

The appointment of Merkviladze as the Head of the Georgian Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland was also initially announced on the diaspora organization’s Telegram channel and welcomed by its President.

“Merkviladze promised that he would do everything possible to ensure that the Georgian government continues to hear the voice of the Georgian diaspora [in Russia]. He is intimately familiar with the life of Georgians in Russia. He was the vice president of the Federal Georgian National-Cultural Autonomy for several years. This step on the part of the Georgian government is very positive,” – posted Tsetskhladze on March 12.

Apart from having good connections in Russia, Merkviladze is also well-connected in Tbilisi, apparently through his erstwhile affiliation with Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man and the honorary Chair of the ruling party. He is formally associated with at least three larger-scale infrastructural and one natural resources management initiative, all of which have been controversial.

Director of GR Logistics & Terminals

In 2017-2018, Merkviladze served first as the Deputy Director and later as the Director of GR Logistics & Terminals, a subsidiary of Georgian Railways He was appointed by his close friend and business partner, Davit Peradze, who serves as the Director of the Georgian Railway. Local anti-corruption watchdogs and media representatives have been calling on the government to investigate this nepotism case for years, to no avail.

Notably, Peradze is closely connected with the former Prime Minister of Georgia and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili. In 2007-2011 he worked in various positions in Ivanishvili’s Cartu Group, and in 2014-2017 he was the director of Mtkvari HES Ltd., a hydro-energy project established by Ivanishvili’s Co-Investment Fund. Ivanishvili appointed Peradze as the Director of the Georgian Railway at the end of 2017 to replace Mamuka Bakhtadze, who became the Prime Minister of Georgia and served from 2018 to 2019.

During Merkviladze’s time at GR Logistics, the media reported that the company leased 799 wagons worth USD 64 million to Russia. As a former employee of GR Logistics & Terminals, Nino Lomidze told Rustavi 2 in 2019 that the Georgian Railways had conspired to skip the public auction of these wagons, which were transferred to GR Logistics & Terminals by Peradze’s personal decision.

According to Lomidze, GR Logistics & Terminals later leased the wagons to the Russian Railway Invest Group at a higher-than-market price, but only 58% was paid into the company’s account. She also noted that Georgia took responsibility for paying for the repair of the wagons damaged in Russia and Kazakhstan. The Georgian Railways has denied these allegations.

Merkviladze’s Involvement in Building Multimodal Terminal in Poti

Merkviladze has been involved in strategically important transport infrastructure projects in Georgia. In 2023, Kazakhstan’s PTC Holding LLP signed a contract with Georgian partners, represented by Merkviladze, for the construction of a multimodal terminal in Poti, which was to ensure the transportation of 450,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of cargo per year.

For the implementation of the project, a joint venture Poti Transterminal in which the Georgian side and PTC Holding had equal shares of 50%. The investment value of the Georgian side is USD 10 million. The construction of the terminal was to be completed in 2023, but the works are still in progress.

The construction of the terminal is met with protests from the locals. On March 11 this year, residents of Poti blocked the road leading to the terminal, demanding an immediate halt to the project since they believed that the terminal would process hazardous waste and pose a threat to their health.

Owner of the Company Working on the Balda Canyon Project

In November 2022, the Georgian Agency for Protected Areas announced an auction of the 24,130 square meters of land surrounding the Balda Canyon in the municipality of Martvili (western Georgia region of Samegrelo). LLC Kanioni 350, registered three days before the announcement, was the only company that participated in the controversial auction and subsequently won the tender to build tourist infrastructure, including a visitor center, at least 350 meters of footpath and sidewalk, bridges, overlooks, and a 350-meter-long roller coaster, worth GEL 2.8 million (approx. USD 1.05 million).

Mamuka Merkviladze and his brother, Giorgi Merkviladze are the shareholders of the company LLC Kanioni 350 (Giorgi Merkviladze is also the director of the LLC). The locals of Martvili, who have had unimpeded access to the Balda Canyon all their lives, weren’t informed of the project until three months after the auction. They have been protesting against the project since October 2023, but many of the protesters have faced arbitrary administrative charges and a lack of response from the local government.

Social Justice Center (SJC), a watchdog, has called upon the state authorities to stop the work on the Balda Canyon, citing the illegal auction and the fact that “the company is carrying out the work carelessly, cutting down trees and plants, damaging the natural environment.”

“It is important that the state authorities strengthen the supervision of the ongoing work and assess the current situation in the canyon in order to prevent even greater environmental damage. In addition, since the decision to lease the canyon to a private company was made in violation of the law, it is necessary for the Ministry of Environmental Protection to stop the ongoing work in the Balda Canyon – until an agreement is reached with the local population and the issue is resolved legally,” – said SJC.

The former deputy head of the then Constitutional Security Department in Adjara and a member of the Special Forces were found guilty by of intentional unlawful detention of Sergeant Roin Shavadze, participation in the group killing of a helpless person, and abuse of power through the use of force. Both men were sentenced to 16 years in prison. The sentence was reduced under the amnesty law and the defendants will have to serve 12 years in prison.

Sergeant Roin Shavadze was a brigade sergeant in the Georgian Ministry of Defense. He participated in a peacekeeping mission in Iraq as part of coalition forces in 2005-2006, during which he received a medal for exemplary service. He also fought in the August War of 2008. On August 16, 2008, Georgian security forces arrested Roin Shavadze in the streets of Batumi, Adjara. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the security officers beating him and calling him “a traitor of this country”, before they put him in a police van. Six hours later, a police officer informed Shavadze’s wife of her husband’s death. According to the official version at the time, Shavadze had been arrested for a drug offence and was fatally injured while trying to escape.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office (POG), to conceal the illegal arrest and murder of Roin Shavadze, the perpetrators devised a false narrative and created a fabricated arrest protocol claiming Shavadze was carrying drugs.

The Prosecutor’s Office also said that the drugs were planted by those involved in the illegal arrest. The perpetrators staged a scenario in which Shavadze allegedly tried to escape from the police van on the way to Tbilisi, thus justifying the use of force against him. The perpetrators then made the killing of Shavadze appear to be in self-defense. According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation has exposed this false narrative.

On July 28, 2023, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia reported that eight people were arrested, and two search warrants were issued on charges of unlawful detention and intentional homicide of Sgt. Roin Shavadze, and abuse of authority related to this case.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, criminal proceedings have been initiated against a total of 12 people in this case. Investigations are continuing with the aim of identifying and exposing any other persons involved in the crime.

Earlier on November 19, 2020 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decided on “Shavadze vs. Georgia”. The Court found a violation of the substantive and procedural aspects of Article 2 of the European Convention, which guarantees the right to life. ECtHR further spoke of “the lack of independence and impartiality of the initial investigation” and added that “the criminal investigation into the death of the applicant’s husband has been ineffective and in breach of the respondent State’s procedural obligations under Article 2 of the Convention.”

Wilders has been in talks with potential allies since the November 22 election – more than 100 days – but they have borne no fruit. A negotiator appointed to assist in the process is scheduled to report his findings to parliament on Thursday. 

“I can only become the prime minister if ALL the parties in the coalition supported it. That was not the case,” Wilders said on social media platform X. 

“I really want a right-[wing] cabinet. Less asylum and immigration. … Love for my country and the voters is big and more important than my own position.” 

Dutch national broadcaster NOS had earlier reported that Wilders was prepared to give up his hope of becoming prime minister as he struggled to form a viable government. 

Citing political sources in The Hague, NOS said Wilders’ Freedom Party and three other conservative parties attempting to form a right-wing coalition were weighing a scenario in which the party leaders would remain in parliament and not join the new government. 

In that scenario, known as an extraparliamentary cabinet, politicians and experts not considered closely allied to any of the parties would be appointed to top government posts and work closely with parliament. 

Wilders said February 14 that he was willing to consider “all options” to form a government, a minority government or an extraparliamentary government, rather than call new elections. 

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One of the greatest coaches in basketball history, Brian Goorjian, is returning to his old stomping grounds for one last dance.

Basketball is swiftly growing as one of the most followed sports in Australia. For hoops connoisseurs “Down Under,” the last name Goorjian is associated with success. The Glendale, California native is considered one of the greatest basketball coaches in Oceania. That is in part due to his successful stint with the Sydney Kings in the early 2000s, the same team Coach Goorjian will lead starting in the 2024-25 National Basketball League season.

The 70-year-old Goorjian agreed to a three-year contract with the purple and gold on March 5, less than a week after former head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah was sacked. The Armenian was announced as head coach during a press conference at Qudos Bank Arena. Some are dubbing Goorjian’s signing as a “fairytale” return.

“Honestly, I never thought I’d leave Sydney the first time after we built everything from the ground up and were winning consistently – it felt like home to me, and I thought I’d finish my coaching career there, as we’d built something really special,” Goorjian said during a press conference. 

Coach Goorj, as he is known, has coached more games than anyone in NBL history with 803 games under his belt and boasts a 68.87 winning percentage. The six-time NBL champion started his basketball career as a player for the Melbourne Tigers between 1977-1985. 

He then went on to begin a legendary coaching career starting with the Eastside Spectres, South East Melbourne Magic, Victoria Titans, Sydney Kings, South Dragons, Dongguan Leopards, Guangdong Southern Tigers (assistant coach), Xinjiang Flying Tigers (assistant coach), Illawarra Hawks, Bay Area Dragons and ultimately returning to Sydney.

“I’ve had a lot of great opportunities come to me in my career, so to be able to come full circle and come back where I’ve made so many special memories and my photo is hanging from the rafters, is going to be incredible,” Goorjian said.

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Goorjian also served as head coach of the Australia men’s national basketball team from 2001 to 2008. He became the first foreign-born coach for Australia in its history. Coach Goorj returned to the Boomers in 2020 and famously led the national team to its first Olympic medal with a 107-93 win over a Luka Dončić-led Slovenia for bronze.

“I’m excited to have a leader of his magnitude in charge of our basketball department, one that resonates with players and fans alike – not to mention having his energy around the club on a daily basis,” Hoops Capital co-owner and special advisor Luc Longley said of Goorjian. Longley is a three-time NBA champion, starting at center alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.

“For us, there is obviously the historical connection between Brian and our club, but it goes further than that, with his deep knowledge of Australian basketball, this competition and the talent in it,” Longley said.

The Sydney Kings won the last two NBL championships, but are set to miss out on a three-peat as the 2023-24 season nears its end.

“While this season didn’t live up to the club’s expectations of achieving a three-peat, I took on the job as I feel I can offer something to the club with my strengths and abilities and can assist with winning more championships for the program,” Goorjian said.

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This tenure with the Kings is almost certain to be Goorjian’s final coaching gig, but coach is ready to get the ball rolling.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be five years, or ten years, or three years, or whatever. I’ll know when it’s done, and right now I have huge energy and I want to finish my coaching as a King,” Goorjian said.

Author information

Jason Takhtadjian

Jason Takhtadjian is a reporter, producer and weekend anchor at KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa. Takhtadjian began college pursuing Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Aerospace until deciding to pursue a sports broadcast career after one semester at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. While at UNLV, Takhtadjian worked on his own weekly radio show/podcast covering soccer and basketball, produced his own sports debate show, was part of the university’s weekly sports show “The Rebel Report” and was the play-by-play commentator for UNLV men’s and women’s soccer and basketball, to name a few. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Jason was graduating college and had to pivot to the world of general news to land a job. Three years after accepting a job in the middle of the United States with no Armenian community, Takhtadjian accepted a reporter position at KSEE in Fresno, California. The 26-year-old also worked as a contributor for Armenian Sports News, helping grow the page by thousands of followers in less than a year of work.

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In this series of brief glimpses into the ARF photo archives, I have tried to share with you thought-provoking, fun or other kinds of take-aways from the collection. This article is about a more specific episode of Armenian history – the Armenian Legion of 1916-1920 and its heroic volunteers, or gamavors.

Originally formed as the Légion d’Orient under French command, the units evolved into the Légion Arménienne serving alongside French and British forces as they fought Ottoman troops at the end of the First World War, moving up the Levant or eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The Western powers took over the Holy Land, Lebanon, Syria and Cilicia thanks to the efforts of the Armenian Legion among their ranks.

Bedros below, for example, fought at the Battle of Arara on September 19, 1918 – one of many decisive engagements leading to the capture of Jerusalem. The British commander Edmund Allenby especially noted the role played by Armenian soldiers in the outcome of that battle.

ARF Photo Archives – Box 11, Photo 36

Having been wounded, Bedros unfortunately did not recover and passed away. He was originally from Evereg and ended up in the United States. It does not say how or when on the back of the photo, but he was probably among many who emigrated to work in America after the Hamidian massacres of the 1890s or in the 1900s-1910s. The path his life took across oceans and continents amid wars and a genocide is emblematic of the era.

ARF Photo Archives – Box 6, Photo 334

Here we have a unit of natives of Arapgir specifically. Likewise, they too must have given up some comfort in the United States or elsewhere in the West in order to take up arms and fight for an independent Armenia.

The photo below could be characterized as a result of the courage of Bedros, the gamavors from Arapgir and their comrades.

ARF Photo Archives – Box 10, Photo 136

Presumably, the picture mainly depicts members of the Armenian community in Jerusalem. It is certainly an Armenian priest at center-left.

This image below – a postcard, back and front – was one of my favorites to explore in the collection.

ARF Photo Archives – Box 11, Photo 32 – Back
ARF Photo Archives – Box 11, Photo 32

Deciphering Armenian handwriting can be a challenge – hence many “unknowns” on the website. This one was mostly legible, except for the location mentioned at the very bottom. It took some hunting around to figure it out. The work of a scholar of Armenian-Cypriot life and times, Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra, confirmed that it says “Monarga,” where the unit was training. This is what research is all about – solving little and big mysteries, always building on the efforts of colleagues.

Finally, the picture below has writing on the back, which says that these men were registered as volunteers from the ARF in Watertown.

ARF Photo Archives – Box 11, Photo 23

It does not specify that they were going to fight with the Armenian Legion, so one cannot be too sure about that detail. It is curious to think that, in any case, many readers in the Boston area might walk on exactly the same streets as these volunteers above once did, or even that they may be their grandchild or great-grandchild.

(Please contact the ARF Archives if you can identify anyone in this picture.)

The story of the Armenian Legion – shared by Varak Ketsemanian in the pages of The Armenian Weekly in the past – does not have the kind of happy ending one would have hoped. Even though an independent Armenia did not survive that tumultuous time and the Armenian Legion did not evolve into its armed forces, the people who took up arms and made immense sacrifices showcased a spirit that echoes today. Arguably, those gamavor soldiers do not receive as much attention as they deserve in our communities.

Click around arfarchives.org/photograph and explore a resource to discover many interesting moments captured from recent Armenian history, including immortalized moments from the Armenian Legion.

Author information

Nareg Seferian

Nareg Seferian has lived, studied and worked in New Delhi, Yerevan, Santa Fe, Boston, Vienna, Istanbul and Washington, DC. His writings can be read at naregseferian.com.

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