The News in Brief
Friday, July 21, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff
MEPs Call for Sanctions Against Violent Group Alt-Info and Leader Konstantin Morgoshia Amid Safety Concerns at Tbilisi Pride
A group of MEPs is urging for the sanctioning of the violent group Alt-Info and its leader, Konstantin Morgoshia. They have addressed the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, the EU ambassador to Georgia, and the European Commissioner for Equality in a corresponding letter.
According to the European parliamentarians, the failure of the Georgian authorities and agencies to protect the safety of Tbilisi Pride participants has put the life and health of the organizers at risk.
"We strongly encourage you, as the President of the European Commission, President of the European Council, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia and the Commissioner for Equality to take all the necessary steps to condemn to the highest degree the LGBTIQ-phobic attacks on Tbilisi Pride on Saturday, 8 July. We strongly encourage targeted sanctions on the group 'Alt-Info' and the oligarch behind the group, Konstantin Morgoshia. 'Alt-Info' is known to distribute LGBTIQ-phobic hate speech on its media channels and was heavily involved in the attacks on 8 July on Tbilisi Pride. We strongly encourage the relevant authorities to combat LGBTIQ-phobic violence and rhetoric in Georgia and commit to ensuring the safety of especially LGBTIQ people. The latter is especially important since the domestic Georgian authorities demonstrated a lack of pursuing the Tbilisi Pride attacks of 2019 and 2021 involving LGBTIQ-phobic violence. We strongly believe these steps are paramount to ensuring that the fundamental human rights of LGBTIQ persons are secured in Georgia - especially in light of the country's future EU aspirations," the letter reads.
Acting President of National Bank of Georgia and EU Ambassador Discuss Economic Trends and Financial Cooperation
The Acting President of the National Bank of Georgia, Natia Turnava, held a meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, at the head office of the National Bank of Georgia.
As per the press service of the National Bank, the discussion revolved around the country's economic trends, financial stability issues, and projects implemented through cooperation with the European Union.
During the meeting, Turnava provided a detailed overview of the National Bank's consecutive steps towards enforcing and monitoring international sanctions. She emphasized that Georgia's financial institutions operate in full compliance with the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
The press release highlighted the significance of the support provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union in developing Georgia's capital market.
Additionally, Turnava addressed the issue of Georgia joining the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) with the EU ambassador. She also discussed the legislative changes aimed at aligning Georgia's legislation even closer to the EU's legislation.
MEPs Call for Sanctions Against Violent Group Alt-Info and Leader Konstantin Morgoshia Amid Safety Concerns at Tbilisi Pride
According to the European parliamentarians, the failure of the Georgian authorities and agencies to protect the safety of Tbilisi Pride participants has put the life and health of the organizers at risk.
"We strongly encourage you, as the President of the European Commission, President of the European Council, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia and the Commissioner for Equality to take all the necessary steps to condemn to the highest degree the LGBTIQ-phobic attacks on Tbilisi Pride on Saturday, 8 July. We strongly encourage targeted sanctions on the group 'Alt-Info' and the oligarch behind the group, Konstantin Morgoshia. 'Alt-Info' is known to distribute LGBTIQ-phobic hate speech on its media channels and was heavily involved in the attacks on 8 July on Tbilisi Pride. We strongly encourage the relevant authorities to combat LGBTIQ-phobic violence and rhetoric in Georgia and commit to ensuring the safety of especially LGBTIQ people. The latter is especially important since the domestic Georgian authorities demonstrated a lack of pursuing the Tbilisi Pride attacks of 2019 and 2021 involving LGBTIQ-phobic violence. We strongly believe these steps are paramount to ensuring that the fundamental human rights of LGBTIQ persons are secured in Georgia - especially in light of the country's future EU aspirations," the letter reads.
Acting President of National Bank of Georgia and EU Ambassador Discuss Economic Trends and Financial Cooperation
As per the press service of the National Bank, the discussion revolved around the country's economic trends, financial stability issues, and projects implemented through cooperation with the European Union.
During the meeting, Turnava provided a detailed overview of the National Bank's consecutive steps towards enforcing and monitoring international sanctions. She emphasized that Georgia's financial institutions operate in full compliance with the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
The press release highlighted the significance of the support provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union in developing Georgia's capital market.
Additionally, Turnava addressed the issue of Georgia joining the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) with the EU ambassador. She also discussed the legislative changes aimed at aligning Georgia's legislation even closer to the EU's legislation.