Day: October 31, 2024

Six international press freedom watchdogs issued a joint statement expressing deep concern about election-related incidents, including intimidation, threats, and physical and verbal assaults against journalists in Georgia.

The statement, released on October 31 and signed by the International Press Institute (IPI), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ARTICLE 19 Europe, The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), and Free Press Unlimited (FPU), urges Georgian authorities “to end attacks on journalists and to thoroughly investigate all incidents of violence,” while calling on international community to “place effective pressure on Georgia to uphold press freedom and secure a safe environment for journalists.”

Citing “at least 30 election-related media freedom violations involving 34 media workers” documented by Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including election-day physical and verbal attacks against the journalists and damage of their equipment, watchdogs say that “according to available information, the overwhelming number of individuals attacking journalists were supporters or representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party.”

The statement also referred to two cases of foreign journalists being denied entry to Georgia without explanation, including Czech journalist Ray Baseley and Swiss photojournalist Stephan Goss, and called on the Georgian authorities to “immediately put an end” to this worrying practice.

“We believe that these attacks and restrictions should be seen in the context of an overall deterioration of the situation for media freedom in the country,” the watchdogs said, citing findings of the recent Council of Europe press freedom mission to Georgia. “The mission found that journalism has become a dangerous profession in Georgia.”

The watchdogs recalled earlier warnings of press freedom organizations about an “increasingly adverse environment for the media in Georgia,” including the enactment of the law on “transparency of foreign influence”, adoption of the [anti-LGBT] “family values” bill,  barring journalists’ access from parliament, growing number of violent attacks against journalists covering rallies, and extradition detention of exiled Azerbaijani journalist.

“Free and fair elections cannot be conducted without a safe environment for the press,” the statement reads. “Journalists’ work is essential to expose misconduct before and during elections and help citizens make informed decisions.”

The statement calls on the Georgian government to “ensure that all legislation applicable to the media and civil society fully complies with international and regional human rights standards.“

Also Read:

• 31/10/2024 – CoE Safety of Journalists Platform Calls to Investigate Election-Day Abuses Against Media
• 30/10/2024 – Media Ombudsman: Election Day Was Marked by Violence, Intimidation Against Journalists

Russia is meddling in politics in Georgia and Moldova – trying to do by stealth what it is doing by war in Ukraine  theconversation.com

On October 30, the European Commission published an enlargement report on Georgia. We have compiled the domestic reaction to the report from across the Georgian political spectrum.

• 30/10/2024 – EC Publishes Enlargement Reports as EU Ambassador Notes Georgia’s “Unprecedented Backsliding” in Judiciary and Fundamental Rights

Ruling Party

Shalva Papuashvili, Georgian Dream: “We see an attempt on the part of some representatives of the European Union to overly politicize this process. Everyone should realize that such a lack of foresight turns European integration from an instrument of cooperation into a political weapon, which, unfortunately, ultimately damages the European integration process and the reputation of the EU itself. I would also like to address the frequent use of certain terms in recent times, such as “suspension of European integration”, “freezing” and the like. The very fact that the European Commission worked on the enlargement report, assessed Georgia’s progress, and gave us the recommendation shows that such terms are more a political statement than an institutional condition. Just as the European Union continues to assess Georgia, we continue to work on the issues covered by the Association Agreement. This is European integration. It has not been stopped and it cannot be stopped. If our achievements have taught us anything, it’s that European integration is a work aimed at a long-term result and not at succumbing to the political conjuncture of the moment”.

Maka Botchorishvili, Chair of the parliamentary EU Integration Committee: “The report proves once again that Georgia, together with other candidate countries, is an integral part of the EU’s enlargement policy and that there is no basis for talking about the end of the EU enlargement process with regard to Georgia… Georgia will reach the highest point of rapprochement with the European Union and a solid foundation will be created for Georgia to be the most ready for EU membership in 2030 among the candidate countries. …On the basis of the confidence declared by the Georgian people on 26 October and the strong mandate received, we can say today with confidence that the Georgian Dream government will continue to fight for the development of the country and lead it to a dignified European future.”

Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee: EU Commission enlargement report on Georgia notes different levels of progress in 25 out of 35 enlargement chapters throughout the last 12 months. Thus, contrary to many allegations and speculations Georgia is progressing on the EU path and is still ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Ukraine in fundamental rights’ chapter.”

Opposition

Nika Gvaramia, Ahali/Coalition for Change: “This was expected. With such actions regarding the elections [by the GD government] it was absolutely clear that the European integration process would be stopped for us. It is very likely that visa liberalisation will also be stopped, because such serious statements usually have very serious consequences. … The way out is up to us: the political spectrum, civil society and above all the people must unite. We have only one independent constitutional institution – the President of Georgia. With this unity we should succeed”.

Tina Bokuchava, Unity-UNM: “The EU Enlargement Report was the most serious verdict, where it was openly said that under these circumstances the EU does not consider the issue of Georgia’s accession, because [Bidzina] Ivanishvili has irreversibly blocked Georgia’s European integration process with Russian laws, Russian actions, including the Russian special operation, whereby he has stolen the Georgian people’s free will and its European future. That is why the snap elections are necessary”.

Ana Natsvlishvili, Strong Georgia: “In what language should they tell the Georgian dream and the Georgian people? How many times should they tell us that under this government the chance of rapprochement [with the EU] and our European integration is zero? Today, our goal is to bring to finality the international non-recognition of these ugly elections that we have witnessed, in which the government has simply pickpocketed the will of the majority of the population; it has clearly stolen it with the definite help and support of Russian special services.”

Teona Akubardia, Gakharia – For Georgia: “First of all, no matter how much Ivanishvili’s [Georgian] Dream tries to manipulate the messages from Europe that everything is fine, in reality everything is very bad, and this was also visible in the enlargement report… as well as in Josep Borrell’s statements… the identity of the messages coming from the US and the EU… is very important for the return of confidence in the elections in this country and for the European future of this country…”.

Also Read:

• 30/10/2024 – HR/VP Borrell: Election Consolidates the Trend of Moving Country Away from EU

Israel’s military said on Thursday it shot down a drone smuggling weapons from Egyptian territory to Israel on Wednesday, Report informs via Reuters.

Accounts of Atlantic Council employees have been frozen.

For four days now, two employees of the Georgian branch of the American organization “Atlantic Council,” Sofio Gelava and Eto Buziashvili, who conduct research on Russian influence and the spread of disinformation in Georgia, have had restricted access to their bank accounts.

On October 24, two days before the parliamentary elections, financial police conducted searches at the homes of Gelava and Buziashvili. That same morning, investigators from the Ministry of Finance seized equipment from three offices and sealed the workspaces. In a subsequent statement, the financial police noted that these actions were based on operational information related to an investigation into so-called call centers.

The agency has not specified how exactly the two researchers are connected to the criminal “call center” scheme.

According to a court decision, an investigation has been launched on charges of large-scale tax evasion as part of an organized group, fraud committed by an organized group, and money laundering by an organized group. These charges carry penalties ranging from five to 12 years in prison.

Sofio Gelava and Eto Buziashvili have not yet been summoned for questioning; however, the Ministry of Finance’s Investigative Service has already imposed restrictions on them—their accounts were frozen as part of the so-called “call center” case.

“This might be an attempt to damage our reputation. They’re trying to link our names to the ‘call center’ case. I can hardly imagine how they intend to make that connection. They’ll find nothing on my bank accounts to fuel any speculation. I have a salary account and a savings deposit, which I’ve been adding to bit by bit my whole life, and that will be documented,” Eto Buziashvili told Radio Liberty.

The Helsinki Commission commented on the cases of Buziashvili and Gelava. In a statement, the commission’s chairman, Joe Wilson, noted that “the authorities of the ‘Georgian Dream’ are rapidly moving toward Russian-style authoritarianism.”

The Atlantic Council is demanding greater clarity from the Georgian government regarding the case and expects assurances of the safety of its employees and the return of seized equipment.

Currently, personal electronic devices, mobile phones, and personal computers have been seized from the homes of Eto Buziashvili and Sofio Gelava. The researchers are being considered as witnesses in the investigation.

The processing of the COP29 Special Visa is expected to take 3 working days after submission of the application, Ismayil Rasulzada, head of the Asan Visa department at the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerb

Following the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) request under Article 164 (interference with the work of election or referendum commissions), the Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the alleged rigging of the parliamentary elections. The Prosecutor’s Office also reported that President Salome Zurabishvili was summoned for questioning based on the CEC’s statement and online information indicating that she had evidence of fraud.

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Later, President Zurabishvili held a press briefing, saying she would urge the Prosecutor’s Office to do its job and stop holding the President “politically” accountable, suggesting that she would not comply with the Prosecutor’s summons. The President also said that her summoning strangely coincided with a statement by Dimitry Medvedev calling for her removal from office and arrest.

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Sopo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili, two Atlantic Council researchers whose houses were searched by the financial police two days before the election, say they now have no access to their bank accounts, with banks citing no legal justification or court order for freezing their accounts. The U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Joe Wilson has already reacted to the controversial news by condemning the unofficial freezing of the accounts of U.S. institution employees.

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The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) reported that it had filed complaints with the district election commission, demanding the annulment of the results of all precincts in the districts where electronic technology was used – 2263 precincts in total. According to Nino Kurdovanidze, the chair of the watchdog, the annulment of these results would require the holding of new elections, as it will have a significant impact on the overall results of the elections. GYLA believes that the Central Election Commission failed to ensure the secrecy of the ballot in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

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“Media Ombudsman,” the media watchdog says that the election day environment for journalists and cameramen from critical media was marked by violence, pressure, intimidation, and obstruction of their professional work. “For the representatives of critical media, obtaining and disseminating information about the vote was extremely difficult and dangerous,” reads the assessment of Media  Ombudsman.

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Unlike international and local observers, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze believes that the elections were “conducted cleanly, democratically and fairly” and promised that “absolutely everything will be open. Everyone can look into everything.” He thanked the Central Election Commission for its “openness” and the Prosecutor’s Office for promptly reacting to CEC’s appeal, further claiming that “all this indicates that neither CEC nor anybody else has anything to hide.”

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The European Commission has published its reports on the alignment of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova with the EU acquis – its body of common rights and applications. The report notes Georgia’s rate of alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy remains considerably low at 49% (though up from 44% during the previous cycle) and that “Georgia has not participated in EU crisis management missions and operations under the common security and defense policy since June 2023.”

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On October 30, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, held a press conference on the EU’s 2024 Enlargement Report. HR/VP Borrell spoke extensively about the Georgian parliamentary elections, calling for an investigation into the irregularities and noting that the Georgian authorities have “moved away from the EU” with recent actions and legislative decisions. The Enlargement Report, he says, offers the path for “re-engagement.”

Food will be charged for at the COP29 portal and sales points, restaurants, and cafes, Anar Zeynalov, the head of the Catering, Cleaning, and Waste Management Department of the COP29 Operating Company, said in his statement to journalists, Report informs.

Farid Mehralizada, an economist and journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, marked five months in prison on October 30. He was arrested after making public statements criticizing the policies of the Azerbaijani government. State authorities have charged him with smuggling, tax evasion, and forgery, but observers have called the case politically motivated and without merit. RFE/RL President Stephen Capus has called for Mehralizada’s release from imprisonment on “false charges.”

The working visit of the Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov to Morocco continues, Report informs, citing MoD.