De facto lawmakers of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia on December 3 rejected an investment deal with Russia, a document that has caused political turmoil and mass protests, highlighting the region’s fraught relationship with Moscow.
Day: December 3, 2024
On December 3, the Prosecutor General of Georgia reported on charging three people with assaulting police officers and damaging property during the rallies on November 29 and December 1 near the Parliament.
The Prosecutor’s Office reported that during the rally, one of the detainees threw a firework at an employee of the Special Task Force, who suffered a burn on his leg. The second defendant set fire to the surveillance system installed on the facade of the Parliament building, which is part of the Emergency Management Center 112. While the third is accused of setting fire to one of the rooms of the Parliament on December 1, damaging and destroying the items in the room.
All three defendants were arrested on December 1. One of them was charged under Part 1 of Article 353 (e) prima of the Criminal Code of Georgia (assaulting a police officer in connection with the official activity of a police officer), which carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years’ imprisonment, and two defendants were charged under Part 2 of Article 187 (damaging another person’s property by setting fire to it, causing substantial damage), which carries a sentence of 3 to 6 years’ imprisonment.
At the request of the Prosecutor General, all three defendants were sentenced to preventive detention. Investigations in the criminal cases are continuing, said the Prosecutor’s Office.
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OTPOR fährt alles auf um das nasse Pulver trocken und zum Zünden zu bringen…
— Hilmar Canzeler (@canzeler) December 3, 2024
Opinion: “After Georgia, Russia will target Armenia” via @JAMnewsCaucasus https://t.co/virfSZrOZM
— Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph) (@SouthCaucasus) December 3, 2024
Irakli Kobakhidze claimed, during the press briefing on December 3, that OSCE/ODIHR assessed the October 26 parliamentary elections as “competitive” and “legitimate” and that an “additional confirmation of this was the letter that the Minister of Foreign Affairs received” by the French Senator, Pascal Allizard, who signs it as the Special Coordinator and Leader of the short-term observer mission of the OSCE to Georgia’s parliamentary elections. The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Foreign Minister of Georgia Maka Botchorishvili, was published by the Foreign Ministry on the same day and is widely circulated by the pro-governmental media as proof of the international endorsement of the elections, whose validity and results are being challenged by the opposition and watchdogs.
Kobakhidze said: “The OSCE/ODIHR assessed these elections as competitive, a conclusion was drawn accordingly, it is a preliminary report, and as you know, the final report does not differ from the preliminary one.” He claimed that “this is the main reason why the OSCE/ODIHR is being attacked so fiercely both by representatives of the radical opposition and by their foreign patrons.” He also stressed that the letter did not mention the issue of the transparency of the ballot paper, which the local observers said compromised the vote secrecy.
Earlier, the observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) issued a sharply critical report, which raises “concerns about the correctness of the election results, namely whether the election results truly reflect the will of the voters.”
Pascal Allizard’s Letter
Allizard wrote in his letter dated December 1 that Georgia’s parliamentary elections had offered citizens a “wide choice” and been “well administered,” with candidates able to campaign “freely.” It mentions among concerns “issues related to voter pressure and uneven playing field due to financial imbalances, the underrepresentation of women on party lists and other challenges.” It also lists a matter of concern “the recently adopted legislation and its impact on fundamental freedoms and Georgia’s civil society.”
He concludes “I trust that the Georgian Government and Parliament will follow up with due attention to the findings and recommendations, thereby lending a substantive contribution in the advancement of the national reform agenda and increasing public confidence.”
Mr. Allizard’s letter is written on the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly letterhead. OSCE/ODIHR observation mission for the October 26 Parliamentary Elections was headed by Mr. Eoghan Murphy. Civil.ge approached OSCE/ODIHR, which has not yet published its final report, to inquire whether Mr. Allizard’s letter was expressing the joint opinion of OSCE institutions, including that of ODIHR, but received no response at the time of publication. We would amend this news if and when the response is received.
Change of tack?
The letter seems to be at odds with Allizard’s interview at the respected Radio France Internationale (RFI) on October 30, on his return from the observation mission. In this interview, Allizard stated clearly “these elections, unfortunately, were neither free, nor democratic.” He went on to list the cases of voter intimidation and ballot stuffing, that he and his team observed on October 26.
Allizard told the interviewing journalist that the “election was too imbalanced” and was “not matching the level expected from the country that desires to join the European Union.” Vice-president of the Commission of the Foreign Affairs and Defense of the French Senate, Allizard did not exclude the “Russian interference” took place.
Civil.ge contacted Mr Allizard, asking to clarify the apparent change of tack. We quote below his response in full, translated from French:
“Our OSCE ODIHR mission is to observe an electoral process and give an opinion on it, not to comment on the political outcome as other partisan organizations may do. In our report, we have expressed some positive elements and several negative ones. No more and no less. Some see and want to see only the negative, others stick to the positive. I have no other comment to make except to hope that Georgia will evolve and join the EU when the time comes. As I said at the end of the press conference in Tbilisi the day after the election, I think it’s necessary to reach out to them [Georgians] and help them to do so.”
Asked whether he was sticking to his evaluation given to RFI that the elections were “neither free nor democratic,” Allizard responded “I wish to make no further comment or elaborate on this matter.”
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During the trial of Ali Karimli, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), 12 party members were detained. Four of them – Elchin Hacivelli, Rovshan Asparov, Bakhtiyar Huseynov, and Mikayil Ismailov – were brought before the Nasimi District Court.
According to a statement from the party, these individuals were subjected to physical abuse while in police custody, with one reporting injuries such as a torn nail. Ali Karimli’s bodyguard, Ruslan Amirov, was also reportedly beaten, though his current whereabouts are unknown. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has not yet commented on the situation.
In a separate case, Ali Karimli was found guilty of defamation under Article 147.1 of the Criminal Code by the Nasimi District Court, which imposed a fine of 1,500 AZN. This decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by former AXCP member Aydin Aliyev, who had demanded a six-month prison sentence for Karimli.
Karimli has called the verdict politically motivated and has vowed to appeal. During the court proceedings, among those detained included prominent figures such as Vidadi Mirkamal and Ruslan Amirov. Some were released later, but details about the others remain unclear.
The conflict between Karimli and Aliyev dates back to 2019 when Aliyev was expelled from the party for his alleged opposition to its political course. Aliyev accused Karimli of defamation in media statements, which Karimli denied, asserting that his comments were truthful and consistent with his party’s stance.
The AXCP has described the entire legal process as a politically driven attempt to weaken the party and remove its leadership from political activity. The party’s statement claims that the government is using Aliyev, a former active member who later aligned himself with pro-government activities, as a tool to undermine Karimli and the AXCP.
The post AXCP Leader Ali Karimli Found Guilty of Defamation as Party Members Are Detained in Ongoing Political Struggle appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.
Bus drivers strike in Yerevan
In the morning, tens of thousands of Yerevan residents waited for transportation at stops but were left stranded. Without prior notice, a portion of bus drivers went on strike, leaving only half of the public transport routes operational. As of the time of publication, the issue remains unresolved, with bus drivers demanding higher wages and improved working conditions.
“I want to apologize to Yerevan residents for the current situation. At the same time, let me be clear: we will not give in to this blackmail or make compromises. The organizers will be held accountable,” stated Mayor Tigran Avinyan.
Eighteen drivers have already been dismissed. According to the city administration, they were fired under a clause citing “actions that caused or could have caused material damage to the employer.” Officials added that all concerns previously raised by drivers had been addressed in a timely and reasonable manner. As part of the transport reform, promises were made to improve working conditions and increase salaries as the informal economy is reduced and city budget revenues grow.
“Nevertheless, many drivers have once again made unreasonable demands accompanied by blackmail,” emphasized the mayor’s press secretary, Hayk Kostanyan.
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“They promised a pay raise”
“They promised a salary increase of an additional 150,000 drams [$378]. But today we found out that there won’t be any raise. In fact, our salaries will be reduced. At the terminal stops, there aren’t even toilets or a place to wash our hands. No one wants to work under these conditions,” one of the drivers told reporters.
Another driver explained that it’s not just about the pay. He said they are working 18-hour shifts instead of the standard 14 hours but are not receiving any additional compensation.
The striking drivers confirmed that they had been promised a salary increase after the ban on accepting cash payments from passengers. However, they insisted that the strike was not sparked solely by this issue.
Deputy mayor: “This is blackmail, not strike”
Meanwhile, Yerevan Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan linked the drivers’ strike directly to this issue and the city administration’s “uncompromising fight against the shadow economy.”
He noted that prior to November 1, when drivers were still allowed to collect cash fares, the city’s average daily revenue from transportation was 30-31 million drams ($75,000-80,000). After the ban, it rose to 35 million drams ($90,000):
“The increase didn’t happen because more people started using public transport. Drivers were simply a part of the shadow economy.”
According to the deputy mayor, implementing the transport reform won’t be easy:
“But we won’t stop, and we won’t give in to blackmail. This strike is an attempt to pressure the city administration. They’re trying to stir public dissatisfaction so we’ll say, ‘Fine, let’s compromise, pocket a bit more money.’ That won’t happen.”
Suren Grigoryan denied the drivers’ claim that they were promised a 150,000-dram salary increase, clarifying that only periodic salary reviews were promised. As for overtime pay, he said it has already been planned. However, the drivers didn’t wait until payday to assess whether the amount met their expectations.
Starting January 1, the city plans to switch to a unified ticketing system, although the process began earlier. During the transition period, until November 1, passengers could pay fares exclusively using 100-dram coins inserted into machines on buses or by scanning pre-purchased QR-coded tickets. From December 2, bank card payments have also been enabled.
For about a month before the cash ban took effect on November 1, passengers who didn’t have the correct coins were also allowed to pay drivers in cash. The city administration framed the ban as part of its fight against the shadow economy, acknowledging that some drivers likely pocketed a portion of the cash fares.
“Drivers will be held fully accountable”
The mayor’s press secretary, Hayk Kostanyan, emphasized that the drivers began their strike “without prior notice,” leaving tens of thousands of residents, rushing to work in the morning, stranded without transportation.
He reminded that under Armenia’s labor legislation, employees of an organization providing transport services are required to give at least 14 days’ notice before striking. Even then, they are obligated to ensure minimal conditions to “meet public needs” during the strike.
“These actions will therefore be assessed within the framework of labour law. Additionally, we will liaise with the appropriate authorities to ensure these actions are given a proper criminal-legal assessment,” the press secretary stated.
According to Kostanyan, the so-called “net salary” drivers receive for 15 days of work—meaning the take-home pay—is as follows:
- MAN bus drivers: 401,500 drams ($1,015),
- Zhong Tong bus drivers: 309,500 drams ($784),
- Gazel City bus drivers: 219,500 drams ($556).
“With the introduction of the unified ticketing system, which will be fully implemented from January 1, the shadow economy will be significantly reduced. This process will be continuous,” he assured.
What passengers are saying on social media
“Mr. Mayor, any compromise will be a direct blow to the people. Let no one dare speak to us in the language of blackmail and ultimatums. The public is no longer as naive as it once was.”
“You should understand people’s frustrations and make compromises. If you’ve decided to raise transport fares, which I believe is unjustified, then you must also improve working conditions for employees (drivers) and raise their salaries.”
“Tigran Avinyan [Mayor of Yerevan], could you work in such conditions? They don’t even have basic facilities like toilets. You have only yourselves to blame for this.”
“Look how they drive around the city and talk to people rudely! Though not all of them. I think even if these drivers earned a million, they’d still be unhappy because they’ve lost their under-the-table income.”
“Drivers are citizens just like us. Instead of wasting money on luxury, provide them with basic facilities.”
“Fire these drivers and hire decent ones. These guys are used to stealing. Just look at them.”
Bus drivers strike in Yerevan