The Ramadan holiday prayer in Azerbaijani mosques will be held on April 10 at 08:00 in the Ajdarbey mosque and at 09:00 in the Tazapir mosque, Azernews reports, citing the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB).
Day: April 8, 2024
On April 8, Georgian civil society organizations (CSOs) issued a joint statement “categorically opposing” the ruling party bill on foreign agents. More than 400 CSOs call on the Government to withdraw the law from the parliamentary discussions.
The CSOs stress that the Georgian Dream has “broken its promise” to withdraw the bill given to every Georgia citizen last year, which was crucial to Georgia’s European future. The organizations emphasize that curbing their work “will leave children and women victims of violence, people with disabilities, scientists, workers and youth vulnerable; it will stop the help provided to socially vulnerable families, farmers, displaced, homeless and brave people fighting for their rights.”
“The government does not want the voices of people in the regions who inform the public about their plight through local, independent media to be heard,” – reads the statement, adding that this and other “hostile” laws initiated in recent weeks serve the purpose of “dividing the population, damaging the country’s European future and canceling freedom of speech.” The NGOs note that this is the government’s response to organizations that expose the ruling team for corruption, violence, illegality, and selective application of law.
The CSOs remind the public that last year the draft law was condemned by the EU, OSCE, the US, and other international partners, who congratulated Georgians when the law was dropped. They reiterate that this bill is a “Russian authoritarian tool” to destroy freedom of speech, which will make it impossible for Georgia to start accession negotiations with the EU by the end of the year. “Instead of pursuing the nine steps defined by the European Union, the government with this law separates us from the European Union and immeasurably harms the democratic and secure future of Georgia.”
The statement concludes: “adoption of Russian law would be an attack on the main Georgian values —sense of dignity, independence, and civil solidarity. This law should be withdrawn from the Parliament in accordance with the will of the Georgian people. Russian law is not Georgia’s choice.”
Also Read:
- 04/04/2024 – Key CSO Network Halts Cooperation with Parliament over Draft Law
- 04/04/2024 – EU: “Seriously Concerned” over Reintroduction of Foreign Agents Law
- 04/04/2024 – Risch, Shaheen Statement on Reintroduction of Foreign Agents’ Law
- 03/04/2024 – President: GD Sabotages Georgia’s European Future
- 03/04/2024 – International Reactions to Reintroduction of Draft Law on Foreign Agents
On April 8, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze declared at the Government session that all natural persons, including individual entrepreneurs, will have their recognized unpaid tax debts incurred before January 1, 2021, including penalty taxes, fully written off.
According to the Prime Minister, after the adoption of the relevant bill, 145 thousand individuals will be released from tax debts totaling GEL 590 million [over USD 220 million].
“Quite a large number of individuals in Georgia have tax arrears, and because of this, they lack the opportunity to conduct economic activities. Therefore, we decided to write off the respective debts,” the Prime Minister said.
The decision comes in the context of the parliamentary elections slated for October 2024. It is not the first time the Georgian Dream government has used debt relief in the campaign context. Ahead of the second round of the hotly contested presidential elections in 2018, the Georgian Dream government negotiated a deal with banks and non-banking lenders to write off of small debts of more than 600,000 individuals and to remove them from the lenders’ “blacklists.”
Ammunition has been found and seized in Khankendi, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend, referring to the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry.
Additionally, it was noted that, as a result of measures taken by police officers on April 6 and 7, 10 automatic weapons of different brands, a pistol, a rifle, 18 grenades, 19 igniters, 3 TNT, 57 ammunition magazines, 4467 cartridges of different calibers, and other ammunition were found and seized in the territory of Khankendi city.
Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan began operations in November 2020 to clean its lands of mines, booby traps, and other weaponry left behind by illegal Armenian forces.
The post Another consignment of weapons found and seized in Azerbaijan’s Khankendi appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree appointing Ramin Mammadov as chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Work with Religious Organizations, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
The post Azerbaijan appoints new chairman of State Committee for work with religious organizations appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.
Debts of Karabakh Armenians to be forgiven
The Armenian government has decided to waive the loans taken by refugees from the former unrecognised NKR (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) before resettlement to Armenia and return their pledged gold items. This concerns 1,800 permanent residents of Nagorno-Karabakh whose loans do not exceed 2.5 million drams (about $6,250).
There are also 20 individuals whose debts exceed this amount, stated finance minister Vahe Hovhannisyan. At the recommendation of prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, decisions regarding their loans will be made after examining their financial situation.
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The finance minister reminded that the financial obligations of “entities of Nagorno-Karabakh” (the government of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, its established funds, as well as enterprises and individuals) have been transferred to the Armenian government. This total includes the credit obligations of individuals pledged with gold items.
As of the end of December 2023, the total credit debt of Nagorno-Karabakh entities was around 315 billion drams (approximately $783 million). The government decided to assume 70% of these debts, while banks agreed to write off the remaining 30% from their balance sheets. However, they did not forgive these debts but transferred the right to demand repayment to the government.
“We propose forgiving the credit obligations of individuals for consumer loans, provided against pledged gold items, up to five million drams (about $13,000), and create the opportunity for the return of pledged gold items,” said Vahe Hovhannisyan, presenting the project to government members.
However, prime minister Nikol Pashinyan proposed reducing the upper limit to 2.5 million drams, and discussing the remaining issues later, upon completion of financial checks.
7,800 gold jewelry items will be returned to their owners
According to the Ministry of Finance, around six thousand individuals from Karabakh had credit obligations secured by gold items.
“During the forced resettlement from Nagorno-Karabakh, banks have already returned [gold] to some borrowers. And some items were transported to Armenia. We’re talking about approximately 1,800 loans,” explained the minister.
Vahe Hovhannisyan stated that financial institutions currently hold 7,800 gold items pledged by Karabakh Armenians. Their total weight is around 30 kilograms.
Georgia’s Russian law and EU
According to Nona Kurdovanidze, the chairperson of the “Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia,” if the law on foreign agents (popularly dubbed the “Russian law”) is adopted, Georgia will not become a member of the European Union.
Kurdovanidze argues that the proposed law diverges significantly from EU legislation. She adds that such laws exist only in non-democratic countries, including Russia.
● On April 3, it became known that the ruling party “Georgian Dream” initiated the consideration of the draft law “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence” for the second time.
● The government’s main argument is that the transparency of non-governmental organizations operating in Georgia is in question, posing a threat to the country’s security. However, neither independent experts, nor the opposition, nor civil society believe this argument and consider that “Georgian Dream” is attempting to prolong its stay in power and laying the groundwork for the parliamentary elections in October 2024 to suppress alternative views in the country.
● The draft law on “foreign agents” was first initiated by the ruling party a year ago, in March 2023. At that time, it was passed by parliament in the first reading but was later withdrawn due to mass protests by citizens.
Nona Kurdovanidze: “If this law is adopted, not only our organization will be endangered, but every citizen living in this country will be endangered.
First and foremost, this will prevent Georgia from becoming a member of the European Union. This draft law contradicts EU legislation significantly. Such laws exist only in non-democratic countries, such as Russia.
- “Why should US citizens see their money flowing abroad?” – Georgian Parliament Speaker against Western organizations
- “Georgian Dream” sabotages the country’s European path – President of Georgia
- “Here comes a fight ahead!” – Georgia’s opposition reacts to reintroduction of “foreign agents” law
When we say it’s a Russian law, we’re basing it on the very goals this law serves.
This law doesn’t serve transparency; there’s no transparency issue in the non-governmental sector.
In reality, the aim of this law is to shut down and dismantle democratic institutions that still exist in Georgia, to silence democratic voices that are still heard, and to abolish independent media.”
Nona Kurdovanidze