International pressure continues on government to lift state of emergency
By Alexander Ward
Tuesday, November 13
The international community has continued to press the Georgian government to immediately lift the state of emergency and media restrictions.
In a parallel development, Georgia is accusing Russia of reinforcing its military presence in the breakaway region of Abkhazia, an allegation the Russian army denied Monday evening.
Matthew Bryza, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, emphasized the need for a resumption of democratic development in Georgia in comments made in Tbilisi on November 12.
He was commenting after meeting with opposition leaders and Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli.
“Our concern is that this momentum of democratic development be restored as quickly as possible and we are talking about practical steps to bring that about,” he said.
Bryza also underlined the need for free and fair presidential elections in January and reiterated the US demand that the state of emergency be lifted and private television companies be allowed to resume broadcasting, “right away.”
His comments come a day after EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby described the state of emergency as “quite far reaching” in a speech in Tbilisi.
Semneby also held consultations with government and opposition figures on November 11.
“The focus of these discussions has been how to make sure that the situation returns to normal, that includes in particular lifting the state of emergency,” he said, adding that this should also mean “the restoration of all media freedom.”
Meanwhile it emerged that Levan Mikeladze, Georgian Ambassador to Switzerland, asked Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili to submit his resignation to the president and parliament of Georgia on November 7.
“The decision to forcefully suppress peaceful demonstrators was a tremendous disappointment to me since I believe that Georgians have chosen building democracy and a free country as a primary objective,” Mikeladze’s resignation letter read, according to the news agency Black Sea Press.
And on Monday the three Russian diplomats who were announced personae non grata after being accused of espionage returned home.
The diplomats were alleged to have conspired with opposition leaders in trying to effect a coup in Georgia on November 7 after the government released audio and video tape it claimed showed the diplomats meeting with three opposition figures and Tsotne Gamsakhurdia, brother of Freedom leader Konstantine Gamsakhurdia.
One of the expelled diplomats admitted knowing the Gamsakhurdia family, but declared they had “ordinary friendly relations,” in an interview with the state-run broadcast service shortly before he returned to Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently denied Moscow had any hand in the recent civil unrest in Georgia, according to a report by Mteli Kvira.
“Ask any of the [Georgian] opposition leaders, any of the ordinary citizens and they will laugh at the idea that the current situation in Georgia was orchestrated by Russia,” Lavrov said.
He added the Russian government is only concerned about Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“We will do our best to ensure provocations do not occur in the conflict zones. Many Russian citizens live there and we are responsible for their security,” Lavrov stated.
However, yesterday Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Davit Bakradze declared that Russia has deployed additional troops and military equipment in Abkhazia, in what he described as “a step directly aimed at aggravating the situation in Abkhazia and provoking conflict there.”
Bakradze claimed five tanks, five rocket launchers, five military vehicles and seven howitzers have been deployed, as well as at least 200 troops, according to the news agency RIA Novosti.
In a statement aired on the state-owned broadcaster, Bakradze said Russia should not perceive Georgia to have been weakened by the current political situation.
“I want to categorically warn everyone: an increase in Russian troop levels in Abkhazia is absolutely illegal and it will be met with a severe response and grave consequences,” Bakradze declared.
However, Deputy Commander of Russian Ground Troops Lieutenant-General Valriy Yevnevich dismissed Bakradze’s statements as “plain lies,” that “cannot be viewed as anything but an act of provocation against Russian peacekeepers,” according to the ITAR–TASS news agency.
Sergey Chaban, the Commander of the Russian Peacekeeping force, also denied Bakradze’s allegations.
“The Collective Peacekeeping Force has not received any additional arms. I am not aware of such forces having been brought into Abkhazia either," he said, according to the news agency RIA Novosti.
In a parallel development, Georgia is accusing Russia of reinforcing its military presence in the breakaway region of Abkhazia, an allegation the Russian army denied Monday evening.
Matthew Bryza, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, emphasized the need for a resumption of democratic development in Georgia in comments made in Tbilisi on November 12.
He was commenting after meeting with opposition leaders and Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli.
“Our concern is that this momentum of democratic development be restored as quickly as possible and we are talking about practical steps to bring that about,” he said.
Bryza also underlined the need for free and fair presidential elections in January and reiterated the US demand that the state of emergency be lifted and private television companies be allowed to resume broadcasting, “right away.”
His comments come a day after EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby described the state of emergency as “quite far reaching” in a speech in Tbilisi.
Semneby also held consultations with government and opposition figures on November 11.
“The focus of these discussions has been how to make sure that the situation returns to normal, that includes in particular lifting the state of emergency,” he said, adding that this should also mean “the restoration of all media freedom.”
Meanwhile it emerged that Levan Mikeladze, Georgian Ambassador to Switzerland, asked Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili to submit his resignation to the president and parliament of Georgia on November 7.
“The decision to forcefully suppress peaceful demonstrators was a tremendous disappointment to me since I believe that Georgians have chosen building democracy and a free country as a primary objective,” Mikeladze’s resignation letter read, according to the news agency Black Sea Press.
And on Monday the three Russian diplomats who were announced personae non grata after being accused of espionage returned home.
The diplomats were alleged to have conspired with opposition leaders in trying to effect a coup in Georgia on November 7 after the government released audio and video tape it claimed showed the diplomats meeting with three opposition figures and Tsotne Gamsakhurdia, brother of Freedom leader Konstantine Gamsakhurdia.
One of the expelled diplomats admitted knowing the Gamsakhurdia family, but declared they had “ordinary friendly relations,” in an interview with the state-run broadcast service shortly before he returned to Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently denied Moscow had any hand in the recent civil unrest in Georgia, according to a report by Mteli Kvira.
“Ask any of the [Georgian] opposition leaders, any of the ordinary citizens and they will laugh at the idea that the current situation in Georgia was orchestrated by Russia,” Lavrov said.
He added the Russian government is only concerned about Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“We will do our best to ensure provocations do not occur in the conflict zones. Many Russian citizens live there and we are responsible for their security,” Lavrov stated.
However, yesterday Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Davit Bakradze declared that Russia has deployed additional troops and military equipment in Abkhazia, in what he described as “a step directly aimed at aggravating the situation in Abkhazia and provoking conflict there.”
Bakradze claimed five tanks, five rocket launchers, five military vehicles and seven howitzers have been deployed, as well as at least 200 troops, according to the news agency RIA Novosti.
In a statement aired on the state-owned broadcaster, Bakradze said Russia should not perceive Georgia to have been weakened by the current political situation.
“I want to categorically warn everyone: an increase in Russian troop levels in Abkhazia is absolutely illegal and it will be met with a severe response and grave consequences,” Bakradze declared.
However, Deputy Commander of Russian Ground Troops Lieutenant-General Valriy Yevnevich dismissed Bakradze’s statements as “plain lies,” that “cannot be viewed as anything but an act of provocation against Russian peacekeepers,” according to the ITAR–TASS news agency.
Sergey Chaban, the Commander of the Russian Peacekeeping force, also denied Bakradze’s allegations.
“The Collective Peacekeeping Force has not received any additional arms. I am not aware of such forces having been brought into Abkhazia either," he said, according to the news agency RIA Novosti.