A decree on pulling Maria Jesus Alonso Jimenez from Argentina as Spanish ambassador has been published in the official government gazette of the kingdom.
Day: May 29, 2024
The parliamentary majority is expected to overturn the presidential veto of the controversial offshore law, a day after doing the same for the foreign agent law.
Read more:
- Georgian Dream overturns veto of foreign agent law
- Georgian Dream eliminates taxes on offshore assets brought to Georgia
- Podcast | Georgia’s foreign agent law passes — what’s next?
- Government critics attacked outside their homes in Georgia
- Ivanishvili touts conspiracy theories at massive pro-government rally in Tbilisi
- Explainer | Why is Georgian Dream reviving the foreign agent law?
The post Georgia’s Foreign Agent Law Live | Offshore law veto to be overturned appeared first on OC Media.
On May 28, Georgian civil society organizations issued a statement announcing their disobedience to the Foreign Agents Law, which was adopted yesterday, after overriding the President’s veto. In the statement, the organizations pledge to defend the rights of demonstrators against the Agents Law and to protect each citizen’s vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The statement reads: “55 days ago, the government broke its promise to the Georgian people and reintroduced the Russian law. It wanted to break the civil sector by passing this law, but it received unprecedented unity and tireless opposition. The Georgian people firmly defend and will defend their European future and will never get used to living under the Russian boot. The Russian law will not work in our country! It will remain a piece of paper that no one will obey!”
The civil society organizations emphasize that the Government knowingly created threats to Georgia’s economy, international reputation, civil order and peace in order to create obstacles for people to help each other and stand together against the law, but in the past 55 days the people have proven that “people never get tired of loving their country”. They also add that despite intimidation by special forces, beatings and curses, arrests and illegal fines, the government has not been able to stop the civil sector from helping Georgians, and that help won’t stop until the law is not abolished.
The NGOs announce that they will not stop protecting Georgians, whether it’s through legal assistance and representation in domestic and international courts, or raising money to pay the fines of arrested protesters. They also promise to protect the vote of each and every Georgian citizen in the upcoming elections, saying: “We will be with you at every polling station and we will observe to protect free and fair elections!”
The statement concludes with NGOs reiterating: “This is Georgia! We will not turn into Russians! Georgian people will once again inspire the whole world with their fight for freedom. We declare disobedience – not to the Russian law! yes to Europe!”
Also Read:
- 29/05/2024 – U.S. Condemns Override of Presidential Veto, Final Adoption of Foreign Agents Law
- 28/05/2024 – International Reactions to Presidential Veto Override, Final Adoption of Foreign Agents Law
- 28/05/2024 – Charles Michel: Adoption of Transparency Law Takes Georgia Away from EU
- 28/05/2024 – CoE Secretary General on Final Adoption of Agents Law: Free and Fair Election Environment Could Be Jeopardized
- 28/05/2024 – HR/VP Borrell on Final Adoption of Agents Law: EU and Member States are Considering all Options
Besarion Alavidze, the former Supreme Court judge, says he was threatened with having his brain “smashed” if he did not rule in the Rustavi 2 case as Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream government wanted.
“During the Rustavi 2 trial, a message was delivered to me that if I did not make the desired decision, they would smash my brain,” Alavidze told Formula TV, adding that he received this message from one of the Chairs of the Supreme Court, although he added that someone else, whom he did not name, was behind the threat. He said when time comes he will speak about this issue in details.
The Rustavi 2 ownership case was one of the highly controversial cases in which Rustavi 2 TV channel claimed that its former owner, Kibar Khalvashi’s lawsuit to regain the broadcaster, was orchestrated by the Georgian Dream government to seize it. Rustavi 2 lost the battle in all three national courts. According to Rustavi 2 TV and many opposition parties, the court case was an attempt by then-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to silence the station, which was critical of government policies. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Georgia, the country’s highest appeals court, ruled in favor of Kibar Khalvashi and granted him property rights. The case was appealed to the ECHR, which ruled in 2019 that there had been no violation of fair trial guarantees in the Rustavi 2 property dispute.
However, the former Georgian Supreme Court judge now came forward claiming that he was threatened with his life for not delivering the desired verdict in the interests of Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream. “The decision in this case was not made under free conditions,” Alavidze said, adding that the judge’s impartiality and independence were violated.
Alavidze said that when the GD came to power in 2012, many of the judges who are now praised by the GD for being free and honest were in fact called executioners by the party officials. He noted that many of these judges, who later solidified into a “clan” of judges, had had cases opened against them by the Prosecutor’s office, and these cases (including criminal ones) and missteps were forgiven by the new authorities in exchange for loyalty to the ruling party and for the rulings desired by the GD.
The case of Rustavi 2 TV was one of such cases of interest to the GD and its patron Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former judge said.
On May 28, Georgian civil society organizations issued a statement announcing their disobedience to the Foreign Agents Law, which was adopted yesterday, after overriding the President’s veto. In the statement, the organizations pledge to defend the rights of demonstrators against the Agents Law and to protect each citizen’s vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The statement reads: “55 days ago, the government broke its promise to the Georgian people and reintroduced the Russian law. It wanted to break the civil sector by passing this law, but it received unprecedented unity and tireless opposition. The Georgian people firmly defend and will defend their European future and will never get used to living under the Russian boot. The Russian law will not work in our country! It will remain a piece of paper that no one will obey!”
The civil society organizations emphasize that the Government knowingly created threats to Georgia’s economy, international reputation, civil order and peace in order to create obstacles for people to help each other and stand together against the law, but in the past 55 days the people have proven that “people never get tired of loving their country”. They also add that despite intimidation by special forces, beatings and curses, arrests and illegal fines, the government has not been able to stop the civil sector from helping Georgians, and that help won’t stop until the law is not abolished.
The NGOs announce that they will not stop protecting Georgians, whether it’s through legal assistance and representation in domestic and international courts, or raising money to pay the fines of arrested protesters. They also promise to protect the vote of each and every Georgian citizen in the upcoming elections, saying: “We will be with you at every polling station and we will observe to protect free and fair elections!”
The statement concludes with NGOs reiterating: “This is Georgia! We will not turn into Russians! Georgian people will once again inspire the whole world with their fight for freedom. We declare disobedience – not to the Russian law! yes to Europe!”
Also Read:
- 29/05/2024 – U.S. Condemns Override of Presidential Veto, Final Adoption of Foreign Agents Law
- 28/05/2024 – International Reactions to Presidential Veto Override, Final Adoption of Foreign Agents Law
- 28/05/2024 – Charles Michel: Adoption of Transparency Law Takes Georgia Away from EU
- 28/05/2024 – CoE Secretary General on Final Adoption of Agents Law: Free and Fair Election Environment Could Be Jeopardized
- 28/05/2024 – HR/VP Borrell on Final Adoption of Agents Law: EU and Member States are Considering all Options
Besarion Alavidze, the former Supreme Court judge, says he was threatened with having his brain “smashed” if he did not rule in the Rustavi 2 case as Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream government wanted.
“During the Rustavi 2 trial, a message was delivered to me that if I did not make the desired decision, they would smash my brain,” Alavidze told Formula TV, adding that he received this message from one of the Chairs of the Supreme Court, although he added that someone else, whom he did not name, was behind the threat. He said when time comes he will speak about this issue in details.
The Rustavi 2 ownership case was one of the highly controversial cases in which Rustavi 2 TV channel claimed that its former owner, Kibar Khalvashi’s lawsuit to regain the broadcaster, was orchestrated by the Georgian Dream government to seize it. Rustavi 2 lost the battle in all three national courts. According to Rustavi 2 TV and many opposition parties, the court case was an attempt by then-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to silence the station, which was critical of government policies. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Georgia, the country’s highest appeals court, ruled in favor of Kibar Khalvashi and granted him property rights. The case was appealed to the ECHR, which ruled in 2019 that there had been no violation of fair trial guarantees in the Rustavi 2 property dispute.
However, the former Georgian Supreme Court judge now came forward claiming that he was threatened with his life for not delivering the desired verdict in the interests of Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream. “The decision in this case was not made under free conditions,” Alavidze said, adding that the judge’s impartiality and independence were violated.
Alavidze said that when the GD came to power in 2012, many of the judges who are now praised by the GD for being free and honest were in fact called executioners by the party officials. He noted that many of these judges, who later solidified into a “clan” of judges, had had cases opened against them by the Prosecutor’s office, and these cases (including criminal ones) and missteps were forgiven by the new authorities in exchange for loyalty to the ruling party and for the rulings desired by the GD.
The case of Rustavi 2 TV was one of such cases of interest to the GD and its patron Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former judge said.