The News in Brief
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Lazare Grigoriadis' Family Set to Appeal to President Salome Zourabichvili for Pardon
Lazare Grigoriadis, who was arrested during the March protests, mentioned that following the verdict, his family plans to appeal to President Salome Zourabichvili for a pardon. In an interview with 'Interpressnews', Grigoriadis expressed no regrets and affirmed his unwavering trust in the actions and aspirations of the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili.
"My family members are planning to appeal to Mrs. Salome for my pardon. My request is no longer needed. I believe I have a fair understanding of what kind of person our president is. So, I think there's no need to bother with reminders. If she pardons me, I'd be happy to talk to her face-to-face; we're driven by common goals, unlike the government.
I have no doubts about her actions and aspirations. I see, and the public also sees, everything she does for our integration into the European Union. It is up to her whether she will pardon me or not; the pardon factor does not change my views in any way," said Grigoriadis.
Grigoriadis stated that he was advocating for the European course during the March protests
"During the protest against the Russian law, we not only protested against the law, but also followed the European course. Also, we had to protect the freedom of assembly and expression even after they started breaking up the rally without any reason. I will repeat myself here, I don't regret anything," Grigoriadis stated.
Georgia is Avoiding 'Sharp' Attacks on Russia, Says Tskhinvali So-Called President's Adviser
Konstantin Kochiev, the advisor to the so-called President of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, stated that within the framework of the Geneva process, the Georgian side has consistently used "aggressive" rhetoric in previous meetings. However, he noted a reduction in "aggression" during the meeting held in early December.
"In general, the current government of Georgia is trying to maintain a pragmatic line, avoid escalation and avoid sharp attacks against Russia," Kochiev said.
However, he stated that there are calls from other countries, including Ukraine and the West, for Georgia to open a second front against Russia.
"There are similar statements from the side of the Georgian opposition. Fortunately, the current government of Georgia behaves much more restrainedly. However, we face several challenges. We are aware that Georgia continues to strengthen its military, with an increasing NATO presence on its territory. We have heard reports about NATO exercises involving a large number of military personnel, causing understandable concern," Kochiev said.
Lazare Grigoriadis' Family Set to Appeal to President Salome Zourabichvili for Pardon
"My family members are planning to appeal to Mrs. Salome for my pardon. My request is no longer needed. I believe I have a fair understanding of what kind of person our president is. So, I think there's no need to bother with reminders. If she pardons me, I'd be happy to talk to her face-to-face; we're driven by common goals, unlike the government.
I have no doubts about her actions and aspirations. I see, and the public also sees, everything she does for our integration into the European Union. It is up to her whether she will pardon me or not; the pardon factor does not change my views in any way," said Grigoriadis.
Grigoriadis stated that he was advocating for the European course during the March protests
"During the protest against the Russian law, we not only protested against the law, but also followed the European course. Also, we had to protect the freedom of assembly and expression even after they started breaking up the rally without any reason. I will repeat myself here, I don't regret anything," Grigoriadis stated.
Georgia is Avoiding 'Sharp' Attacks on Russia, Says Tskhinvali So-Called President's Adviser
"In general, the current government of Georgia is trying to maintain a pragmatic line, avoid escalation and avoid sharp attacks against Russia," Kochiev said.
However, he stated that there are calls from other countries, including Ukraine and the West, for Georgia to open a second front against Russia.
"There are similar statements from the side of the Georgian opposition. Fortunately, the current government of Georgia behaves much more restrainedly. However, we face several challenges. We are aware that Georgia continues to strengthen its military, with an increasing NATO presence on its territory. We have heard reports about NATO exercises involving a large number of military personnel, causing understandable concern," Kochiev said.