The arrest of the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, became the subject of scrutiny for several members of the European Parliament. On November 12th, MEP Anna Fotyga arrived in Georgia to visit the ex-president Saakashvili in prison, but she was denied. The Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, named the Georgian Criminal Codeas the reason behind the refusal, asserting that only specific persons envisaged by the Code could visit Saakashvili. In addition, the Minister of Justice asked Anna Fotyga to explain why she mentioned the term “political prisoners” in her letter.
Both the criticism of the MEPs and Anna Fotyga’s visit to Georgia were followed by rapid responses from the Georgian authorities and anti-Western violent groups. In some cases, the contents of the messages directed at the MEPs coincided.
- MEPs are unable to change anything; The power and influence of Europe is diminishing;
- Comments from the MEPs are the opinions of individual actors and do not represent the unified stance;
- Part of the MEPs are biased lobbies of the UNM;
- Statements of the MEPs clash with the dignity of Georgia as a sovereign state;
The messages were disseminated by the representatives of the Georgian government, pro-governmental experts and anti-Western actors:
- Georgian Government: Irakli Garibashvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Sozar Subari;
- Pro-governmental Actors: Gia Abashidze, Goga Khaindrava;
- Anti-Western Actors: Nana Devdariani (Alliance of Patriots of Georgia), Arno Khidirbegishvili (Saqinform), Shota Martinenko (Alt-Info), Zura Makharadze (Alt-Info), Giorgi Kardava (Alt-Info), Irakli Gogava, Jaba Zhvania (Georgia and World)
- MEPs are unable to change anything; The power and influence of Europe are diminishing; While the Georgian authorities stressed that the MEPs do not have a say in the Georgian internal affairs and, therefore, cannot change anything, the hosts of Alt-Info noted that this indicates that the power and influence of Europe are being undermined.
| The Government of Georgia
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Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister: “Neither Fotyga nor Kubilius, nor anyone, does not mean anything to me and my country. There are 700 members in the European Parliament, and we will not march to either Fotyga’s or Kubilius’ tune. Everyone should look after their own countries.” Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Georgian Dream: “[Saakashvili] has been sentenced to spend six years in prison. This sentence, of course, must be completed following the Georgian law. Neither Anna Fotyga nor anyone else can change this since Georgia will uphold the rule of law. Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister: “I want to explain to our people that there is constant speculation around some MEPs coming out with wise faces and giving us wise advice. Then, I will say one thing to everyone… Noting, and no one can stand in the way of ensuring the rule of law, truth and justice in our country. No matter how many MEPs come out, we have a fully transparent process, the rule of law is enforced, so it should be clear to everyone.” |
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Anti-Western Actors |
Shota Martinenko, Host at Alt-Info: “It’s not only that they were not allowed to visit [MEPs to Mikheil Saakashvili], they did not even get a proper response. That is an interesting fact. A lot is changing. This shows that the weight of Europe is decreasing. In other words, the weight of Europe is falling down, their means of influence, the levers of pressure, the means of making claims their means of responsibilizing us are becoming weak.” Zura Makharadze, Host at Alt-Info: “MEPs no longer have the chance and ability to forcefully open doors. Imagine if the Charles Michel Agreement has been ignored, If the election is rigged, the only ‘beacon of democracy’ is in prison and, according to your interpretation, your hero has been publicly shamed and humiliated… Then what is your West doing?! Where are the American bombers threatening this Putinist regime? Where is the CIA that will overthrow it with a color revolution?! Right? Where is this power that has given you the courage to brag?!” Shota Martinenko,Host at Alt-Info: “That is, we can say that if the MEPs ask for something, briefly, we can respond saying: Come on, you go on your way! This needs to be put on the agenda.” Giorgi Kardava,, Host at Alt-Info: “The West is very weak. The West no longer has the capacity to demand things or show its claws.” |
- Comments from the MEPs are the opinions of individual actors and do not represent the unified stance.
Georgian Dream MP Shalva Papuashvili, as well as pro-governmental expert Gia Abashidze, movie director Goga Khaindrava and “Georgia and World” journalist Jaba Zhvania stressed that the calls of the MEPs represent the opinions of individual politicians and not the position of the EU in general.
| The Government of Georgia
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Shalva Papuashvili, MP from the “Georgian Dream”: “We see the statements of individual politicians, even from Europe. Among them, we even saw calls towards Georgia to release Mikheil Saakashvili.” |
| Pro-Governmental
Actors
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Gia Abashidze, Analyst: “There are 705 members in the European Parliament, if five or six or eighteen MEPs write a tendentious statement about Georgia, it really does not mean anything. The MEP is free to express his/her opinion, but does not determine the official stance.” (Resonance, October 22) Goga Khaindrava, Movie director: “The way some people behave today is shameless, thank God it’s a very small part, only 5 members of the European Parliament. I have not seen anything like this. I will tell you more, the letter, which was written by Fotyga and which he could not compile more than 5 signatures, was published in Georgia earlier than in the European Union. This means that these letters are written here… They announced that a large list of MEPs has signed it, but who are these MEPs? Most of them were members of the Lithuanian and Polish Seim.” |
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Anti-Western Actors |
Jaba Zhvania,Journalist at Georgia and World: “Statements of some MEPs also say that there were violations by the government, there was pressure on journalists, members of the opposition, etc. Do you think that some influential Western forces can be found openly supporting the destructive opposition in the near future?” |
- Part of the MEPs are biased lobbies of the UNM and protect criminals. Representatives of the Georgian Dream have repeatedly stated that the critical MEPs are UNM lobbyists, patrons of crime and politically biased. A similar message was voiced by Nana Devdariani, a member of the Alliance of Patriots party, and Arno Khidirbegishvili, the editor-in-chief of Saqinform.
| The Government
of Georgia
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Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Georgian Dream: “We hear the same names since 2011 about who defended the National Movement. The same names, the same lobbyists who constantly tried to cover up criminals in Georgian politics. This is the end of it. No one will close an eye on this anymore.” Irakli Kobakhidze,Chairman of the Georgian Dream: “Either these people recognize that Georgia is a sovereign state and where the rule of law is absolute, or we will have to call them ‘patrons of criminals’… One of the main problems of the Georgian political system is the constant attempt to politicize the judiciary. Along with the politicized media or non-governmental organizations affiliated with it, unfortunately, foreign lobbyists of the radical opposition are also involved in this process, some of whom have political status … There are a small number of foreign politicians who stubbornly do not change their position and continue lobbying the United National Movement. The only goal behind every attempt is to protect criminals. … Naturally, we will not tolerate such attempts backed by the same parties, media outlets, NGOs and foreign lobbyists.” |
| Pro-Governmental
Actors
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Goga Khaindrava, Movie Director: [Kubilius, Fotyga, Bryza, Rinkevichus] are not friends of Georgia; they are lobbyists of the United National Movement. Lobbying is detrimental; lobbying means bribery in the Georgian language. There is no such word as a lobby in Georgian; it is an English word, and lobbying is bribery; they take bribes and pursue whatever interests they are being paid for.” |
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Anti-Western Actors |
Nana Devdariani, Member of the Alliance of Patriots party: “[The United National Movement] ’s friend parties in the European Parliament are part of an old and well-known story. Until today, the expenditures of the UNM’s Security Council is kept secret because the money was used not only to buy jackets and such nonsense but also to pay the lobbyists. “ Arno Khidirbegishvili, Editor-in-Chief of Saqinform: “Maybe these “heartbroken” MEPs are ordinary lobbyists and get a lot of money to support Saakashvili?!” |
- Statements of the MEPs clash with the dignity of Georgia as a sovereign state – Georgian Dream MP Sozar Subari said that the claims of some MEPs about the lack of an impartial court and political prisoners violate Georgia’s dignity. Political scientist Irakli Gogava shares this position, saying that relations with the EU should be revised.
| The Government
of Georgia
|
Sozar Subari,Georgian Dream MP: “When a person declares that the conditions of the impartial court were not met, that the country has political prisoners or something … First, take the case materials, get acquainted with the verdict, by materials I mean the testimonies, the decision of the European Court, the case of pardoning the killers of Girgvliani’s case, then make such statements. Georgia is a sovereign state, and we have a certain degree of dignity. We really can’t ignore this dignity every step of the way because someone wants it.” |
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Anti-Western Actors |
Irakli Gogava, political scientist: “I think relations with the EU should be reconsidered! The revision of relations with the EU does not mean a change of the political course, we are a European country, and we must develop with Europe, but the format of relations must be revised. We do not have to do anything with people whose respect we do not feel. “(Asaval-Dasavali, November 15-21)
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- Mikheil Saakashvili’s return to Georgia was supported by the West
Alt-Info hosts Irakli Martinenko and Giorgi Kardava argued that Saakashvili’s return to Georgia was a plan of the West and, in particular, the United States:
Irakli Martinenko, Host at Alt-Info: “It is clear now. The arrival of the MEPs proves that Misha’s arrival in Georgia was a Western plan, and now all plans have failed, so that Misha surrendered and fell into prison.”
Giorgi Kardava, Host at Alt-Info: “It comes with no surprise that the United States is overseeing Saakashvili in this case. This whole theatre we have been watching for two months now, everything was agreed with the Americans, there is no doubt about it. Even the Georgian Dream knows about it, but it cannot voice it, it cannot speak openly about it because the Georgian Dream is also a liberal force, and the whole system, on which we have been standing for 30 years, will collapse.”
- Request to declare Viola von Cramon as persona non grata
During the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on November 11th, MEP Viola von Cramon spokeabout Georgia and Ukraine, stating that these countries be given the initiative, but the EU has to make sure that these countries are working towards the implementation of the Association Agreement. Cramon stated that there is a noticeable lack of interest in the ruling elites of Georgia and Ukraine, which should not be answered by rewards.
“We should use the carrots and sticks and ensure that they understand what the sticks means. I am not really sure they understand what we mean.”- stated Cramon.
In response to the MEP’s statement, Dimitri Lortkipanidze, head of the Primakov Georgian-Russian Community Center, wrote on his Facebook page that Cramon should be “whipped” and declared a persona non grata. The same idea was expressed by Dito Bidzinashvilion his Facebook page and the Founder of “Georgian Idea,” Levan Chichua.
