The News in Brief
Friday, October 25, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
U.S. National Security Advisor Raises Concerns Over Georgia's Election Process
On October 23, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan voiced concerns about Georgia's electoral integrity during an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Addressing a question from Globalnews.ge, Sullivan highlighted ongoing issues with democratic institutions and election transparency in Georgia.
"We've made our concerns very clear about the trajectory of democratic institutions and the electoral process in Georgia, and we remain very concerned about it," Sullivan stated. He emphasized the importance of a free and fair process, adding, "I don't think anyone in Georgia wants to mortgage their country to any other country, including the PRC."
His remarks came as part of a broader discussion on President Biden's international economic strategy but spotlighted the U.S.'s stance on the state of democracy in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze quickly responded, dismissing Sullivan's concerns and defending Georgia's independence. "Georgia has a 3,000-year history in which no one has dared to mortgage Georgia, let alone use such terminology," he remarked. Kobakhidze further suggested that relations between Georgia and the U.S. will reset after the upcoming elections and the conclusion of the war in Ukraine, stating, "No one will dare to tell Georgia that it must go into the forest like a partisan and fight for global interests from there."
Kobakhidze's comment was a reference to a claim made by Georgian Dream Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili on October 22, where he alleged that a high-ranking official from an unnamed country suggested that former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili lead Georgians into war against Russia, fighting 'like partisans' in exchange for support.
Former Ministry of Internal Affairs Employee Claims Dismissal Over Criticism of Protest Crackdown
Ramin Siradze, a former employee of Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, has alleged that he was dismissed from his position due to his outspoken criticism of the police's violent actions against protestors. According to Siradze, he worked in the General Inspection of the Ministry and was let go after he and a co-worker expressed opposition to the brutal treatment of demonstrators during protests against a controversial "Russian law".
Siradze recalled a specific incident where he intervened to save an elderly protestor from being severely beaten by special forces. "During the protests, I and some colleagues barely managed to pull a 60-65-year-old man from the hands of the angered special forces near the first school," he recounted. He added that after voicing his objection to the excessive force used against protestors, he and a colleague were called in and pressured to resign.
"They told us that we condemn the police and stand on the other side, and we had to write a resignation letter and leave the job," Siradze explained, emphasizing that he was dismissed for speaking out against the excessive violence during the demonstrations.
U.S. National Security Advisor Raises Concerns Over Georgia's Election Process
"We've made our concerns very clear about the trajectory of democratic institutions and the electoral process in Georgia, and we remain very concerned about it," Sullivan stated. He emphasized the importance of a free and fair process, adding, "I don't think anyone in Georgia wants to mortgage their country to any other country, including the PRC."
His remarks came as part of a broader discussion on President Biden's international economic strategy but spotlighted the U.S.'s stance on the state of democracy in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze quickly responded, dismissing Sullivan's concerns and defending Georgia's independence. "Georgia has a 3,000-year history in which no one has dared to mortgage Georgia, let alone use such terminology," he remarked. Kobakhidze further suggested that relations between Georgia and the U.S. will reset after the upcoming elections and the conclusion of the war in Ukraine, stating, "No one will dare to tell Georgia that it must go into the forest like a partisan and fight for global interests from there."
Kobakhidze's comment was a reference to a claim made by Georgian Dream Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili on October 22, where he alleged that a high-ranking official from an unnamed country suggested that former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili lead Georgians into war against Russia, fighting 'like partisans' in exchange for support.
Former Ministry of Internal Affairs Employee Claims Dismissal Over Criticism of Protest Crackdown
Siradze recalled a specific incident where he intervened to save an elderly protestor from being severely beaten by special forces. "During the protests, I and some colleagues barely managed to pull a 60-65-year-old man from the hands of the angered special forces near the first school," he recounted. He added that after voicing his objection to the excessive force used against protestors, he and a colleague were called in and pressured to resign.
"They told us that we condemn the police and stand on the other side, and we had to write a resignation letter and leave the job," Siradze explained, emphasizing that he was dismissed for speaking out against the excessive violence during the demonstrations.