Tbilisi, Georgia (AP) – Georgia imposed 4 opposition key digits in just a few days as a part of a repression of a month on dissent This adopted a Election contested last October In the nation of the southern Caucasus.
Almost all of the leaders of the pro-western opposition of Georgia at the moment are behind the bars, whereas the protests proceed towards the Georgian dream occasion in energy and his choice of final yr to cease the provide of Georgia to affix the European Union. The demonstrators, who collect each day within the capital, Tbilisi, additionally affirm that the vote of 26 October which delivered the Georgian dream of one other time period to energy was not free or proper.
Tuesday, the politician Giorgi Vashadze of the AGMASHENEBELI occasion was sentenced to eight months of jail for refusing to testify in an official probe that the critics of the Georgian dream name an act of political revenge.
The day earlier than, three different opposition figures have been devoted to comparable phrases after refusing to cooperate with the identical parliamentary investigation that examine alleged offenses by the federal government of Former President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Badri Japaridze and Manuka Khazaradze have been each imprisoned for eight months, whereas Zurab Japaridze acquired seven months.
Opposition politicians refused to attend the Commission’s auditions, citing their ongoing Boicottage of the Parliament following the elections of 26 October. Georgian Dream’s critics say that the vote was made up with the assistance of Russia to ship one other time period to energy.
They additionally say that the probe is a stratagem of the occasion to energy to wreck the opposition, specifically the occasion of the United National Movement of Saakashvili.
Speaking with the Associated Press earlier than being handcuffed Tuesday, Vashadze stated that the listening to auditions went “towards the Georgian Constitution” as a result of opposition legislators will not be represented and that the target of the probe is to persecute the opposition.
“They are afraid of us as a result of we’re combating for our nation and see that there’s nice assist from the Georgian society … that is why I’m now arrested,” he stated.
Other necessary authorities critics stay in preliminary detention for the refusal to look earlier than the fee investigating Saakashvili. They embody Nika Melia, former president of the United National Movement Party of Saakashvili, and Nika Gvaramia, who was the Minister of the Government of Saakashvili. Even a former protection minister, Irakli Okruashvili, is in custody.
Melia, Gvaramia and Zurab Japaridze have been among the many leaders of the grouping of the opposition, Coalition for Change, which arrived second within the October vote, in accordance with the official outcomes.
On Monday the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze denied that their arrests have been politically motivated.
In the meantime, anti -government protests proceed each day in central tbit. While the numbers are a lot decrease than final autumn, the demonstrations are giant sufficient to dam the visitors across the Parliament constructing.
Many demonstrators have worn masks for the reason that authorities has imposed exhausting sanctions to dam the roads.
Elene Khoshrila, one other necessary opposition politician, on Tuesday he slammed the Georgian dream for having used “violence, repressions, political persecution” for snuff and “European future” of Georgia.
He praised the demonstrators for his or her persistence and invited western international locations to provide stronger assist to the critics of the Georgian dream.
“We are all solidarity with all our mates and political prisoners,” he stated, referring to these imprisoned or detained in current weeks. “As lengthy as Georgia fights, I believe our worldwide companions ought to act in a really decisive and daring method.”
