The News in Brief
Friday, April 27
Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office Charges Ex-police Official for Unlawful Raid on Imedi TV
The Prosecutors’ Office charged the former director of the Special Operational Department (SOD) of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia Erekle Kodua for dispersion of TV Imedi on November 7, 2007.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, 13 people were affected by the raid and the damage inflicted to the media amounted to more than $1.2 million.
One of the most influential figures of the United National Movement government Erekle Kodua was also charged for the attack on MP Valeri Gelashvili, for which he was sentenced to 9-years imprisonment, and sentenced to 2-years imprisonment for so called “vehicle case”.
Kodua is now not in Georgia and wanted by Interpol too.
Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, former Prime Minister Ivane Merabishvili and other former officials were also charged for organizing the raid on Imedi TV.
Kodua made a statement on the issue on social media, noting that the case is politically motivated.
“This absurd and falsified case was not a surprise to me. I am very proud that in 2007 I contributed to the fact that the country did not fall into the hands of one Russian oligarch,” said Kodua, referring to the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Embassy of Saudi Arabia to Be Opened in Georgia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia reported that the Embassy of Saudi Arabia will be opened in Tbilisi this may.
After the meeting, held between the representatives of Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry and the Georgian Ambassador Giorgi Janjgava, the sides reached the agreement on opening the embassy in the capital of Georgia.
"Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to open an Embassy in Tbilisi in May, 2018 in order to promote mutual relationship between the two countries," an official note of the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry reads.
60,000 travelers from Saudi Arabia visited Georgia in 2017, moreover, the amount of direct investments from Saudi Arabia in Georgia exceeded $100 million.
Georgian Embassy was officially opened in the capital of Saudi Arabia Riyadh in January 2015.
(Prepared by Mariam Chanishvili)
The Prosecutors’ Office charged the former director of the Special Operational Department (SOD) of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia Erekle Kodua for dispersion of TV Imedi on November 7, 2007.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, 13 people were affected by the raid and the damage inflicted to the media amounted to more than $1.2 million.
One of the most influential figures of the United National Movement government Erekle Kodua was also charged for the attack on MP Valeri Gelashvili, for which he was sentenced to 9-years imprisonment, and sentenced to 2-years imprisonment for so called “vehicle case”.
Kodua is now not in Georgia and wanted by Interpol too.
Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, former Prime Minister Ivane Merabishvili and other former officials were also charged for organizing the raid on Imedi TV.
Kodua made a statement on the issue on social media, noting that the case is politically motivated.
“This absurd and falsified case was not a surprise to me. I am very proud that in 2007 I contributed to the fact that the country did not fall into the hands of one Russian oligarch,” said Kodua, referring to the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Embassy of Saudi Arabia to Be Opened in Georgia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia reported that the Embassy of Saudi Arabia will be opened in Tbilisi this may.
After the meeting, held between the representatives of Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry and the Georgian Ambassador Giorgi Janjgava, the sides reached the agreement on opening the embassy in the capital of Georgia.
"Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to open an Embassy in Tbilisi in May, 2018 in order to promote mutual relationship between the two countries," an official note of the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry reads.
60,000 travelers from Saudi Arabia visited Georgia in 2017, moreover, the amount of direct investments from Saudi Arabia in Georgia exceeded $100 million.
Georgian Embassy was officially opened in the capital of Saudi Arabia Riyadh in January 2015.
(Prepared by Mariam Chanishvili)