Day: December 3, 2024

Protests in Georgia hit sixth day

Hundreds of thousands of citizens across Georgia are protesting against the ruling party’s decision to halt the country’s integration into the European Union.

This marks a new wave of protests, building on the sustained demonstrations that began in October-November 2024. These earlier protests supported claims from the opposition, Georgia’s president, local and international observers, and the media, alleging that the October 26 parliamentary elections were rigged, rendering the newly elected parliament and government illegitimate.

• What triggered the protest
  

  

  On the evening of November 28, 2024, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held a briefing following a meeting with the parliamentary majority and government team, announcing the decision to suspend EU accession talks until 2028. He justified the move by accusing the European Union of using the issue to blackmail Georgia.

  Kobakhidze’s statement came in response to a European Parliament resolution that declared the October 26 parliamentary elections fraudulent, refused to recognise their results, and called for sanctions against leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

  Immediately after Kobakhidze’s briefing, spontaneous protests erupted in Tbilisi and other cities. Since then, thousands of people have taken to the streets daily, opposing Georgian Dream’s anti-European policies. Their primary demand is the scheduling of new parliamentary elections to bring about a change in power.

  Law enforcement has been using crowd control measures daily, including water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray. Hundreds of protesters have been brutally beaten, many suffering facial injuries and varying degrees of concussion. Hundreds more, including journalists, have been detained.

  The resistance extends beyond street demonstrations. A growing movement of dissent is sweeping the country, with hundreds of employees from ministries, state institutions, judicial and medical sectors, universities, schools, theatres, and museums joining in. Several Georgian diplomats have resigned in protest against the government’s policies. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili supports the resistance alongside opposition leaders.

In Kazakhstan, the search for rare earth metals, which are in high demand on the global market, is being conducted at 12 sites, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan has been honored as the guest of honor at the 21st Ankara International Book Fair held in Turkiye, Azernews reports.

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.

Azerbaijani gymnasts will participate in the Memorial Competition “Laza Krstic and Marica Dzelatovic”, Azernews reports. The tournament will take place on December 5-8 in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addressed the media at a press conference. Despite the numerous reports and footage of the police violence and inhuman and degrading treatment of the detained, he praised the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and his handling of the protests.

He claimed that the police response had met “higher standards than those seen in Europe and the USA”. While acknowledging that there had been few incidents of violence during the first two days of the protests, he said that “appropriate measures had been taken in the following days to prevent further escalation”.

The Prime Minister alleged that certain opposition figures and NGOs played a central role in organizing the violent demonstrations, which he claimed is a “failed Maidan” dragged by the United National Movement (UNM).

The Prime Minister blamed opposition leaders and “wealthy NGOs” for the violence, accusing them of exploiting young people and leading them into harmful situations. He specifically warned parents to keep their children away from “centers of liberal fascism”, a term he used repeatedly to describe SCOs which he claimed are promoting “promote radical ideologies.”

He claimed that civil society organizations were “buying pyrotechnics and other equipment” for the protest rallies and alleged some sort of conspiracy involving the “rich NGOS” and some unspecified foreign actors, adding: “Something was planned, it was also clear from the fact that no statement was made by any country recognizing the legitimacy of the elections.” He complained: “This is not a healthy approach to our country.”

Kobakhidze also alluded that” “opposition leaders and NGOs have been hiding in offices during these days, but responsibility is responsibility, and of course this must be assumed in accordance with the constitution and the law”.

Kobakhidze also raised the issue of “foreign agents” and their patrons, saying they had used their last remaining resources, including those available in civil service positions. “Foreign agents and their patrons used the last remaining resources they had, making full use of public service resources. But as you can see, in the end, even these resources did not contribute to the success of the failed Maidan,” he claimed. he claimed that the civil sector is self-cleansing, following the statements by various ministries’ representatives distancing themselves from the GD decision to stop EU accession negotiations process.

Kobakhidze also claimed that the newly elected US administration’s messages are fully in line with those of the GD government, including the two recently passed laws [Foreign Agents’ and anti-LGBT laws.] He noted that this strengthens the government’s belief that after January 20 the American administration’s attitude towards Georgia will change fundamentally. 

He claimed that this “value-based alignment” with President Trump’s administration will lead to a “complete reset” of US-Georgia relations.

“I hope that this alignment will ultimately ensure a complete reset of Georgian-American relations. Under Trump’s presidency, we believe there is great potential for this,” he said.

Also Read:

• 02/12/2024 – Kobakhidze Alludes to Purges, Says Civil Service is “Self-Cleansing”
• 28/11/2024 – GD Aborts EU Accession

“European Cars” Limited Liability Company has officially joined “Dream Auto” Limited Liability Company, marking the dissolution of the former, Azernews reports.

The ongoing protests in Georgia have once again brought the role of the Baltic states into the spotlight. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have actively criticized Georgia’s government, with their recent sanctions against ruling officials following a violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators. These actions signal a coordinated Western effort to exert pressure on Tbilisi during a politically sensitive period, aligning with the strategic interests of the European Union and the United States.

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.

Georgia’s annual inflation rate remained low at 1.3% in November 2024, the National Statistics Office (Geostat) reported on December 3. On a monthly basis, meanwhile, consumer prices increased by 0.7%.

The annual inflation rate was primarily driven by price changes in miscellaneous goods and services (6.6% increase); alcoholic beverages and tobacco (5.1% increase); food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.1% increase); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (3.7% decrease); and communication (12.9% decrease).

The monthly inflation rate was mainly driven by price changes in food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.2% increase); health (0.9% increase); and transport (1.5% decrease).

As for food and non-alcoholic beverages, prices increased this month for the following subgroups: vegetables (17.9%); sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (3.4%); oils and fats (3.3%); fish (2.6%); mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices (1.9%); milk, cheese and eggs (1.0%); and bread and cereals (0.7%). At the same time, prices decreased for the following subgroups: fruit and grapes (-3.6%); coffee, tea and cocoa (-1.2%); and meat (-0.4%).

Also Read:

• 04/11/2024 – Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 0.3% in October 2024
• 03/10/2024 – Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 0.6% in September 2024
• 03/09/2024 – Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 1% in August 2024
• 02/08/2024 – Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 1.8% in July 2024