PM Garibashvili: ‘radical opposition’ used ‘unacceptable form of protest’ against Russian journalist Pozner
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the protest in Tbilisi against Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner was uncivilised. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the form of protest against a well-known Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner, who arrived in Tbilisi yesterday, was ‘unacceptable and uncivilised’ and that the ‘radical United National Movement opposition party’ stood behind the process.
Pozner, who had stated that Abkhazia (Georgia’s Russian-occupied region) will never be Georgia’, left Tbilisi with his guests earlier today with a charter flight due to the protests of civic activists and the opposition.
Pozner, who arrived in Tbilisi late yesterday with 40 other individuals to celebrate his 87th birthday, was also fined for violation of isolation and quarantine rules.
UNM leader Salome Samadashvili has tweeted:
Vladimir Posner is a chief propagandist of Kremlin, as such, he is a weapon of information warfare against Georgia. Protest rally against his visit to Tbilisi is an act of self-defense of the Georgian people.
— Salome Samadashvili (@SalomeSamadashv) March 31, 2021
Garibashvili said that Pozner frequently visits Georgia with his US passport and that his recent visit was ‘in line with law and pandemic requirements.’
A group of individuals decided to protest the arrival and the destructive United National Movement opposition party used the protest for its own interests,” Garibashvili said.
leader of opposition party Droa Elene Khoshtaria has tweeted:
Putin’s crony #Pozner has now left Tbilisi. The government let him in, the people let him out ✌️????????
— Helen Khoshtaria (@Helenkhosh) April 1, 2021
Garibashvili stated that the UNM’s actions serve the goal to ‘damage the state interests and the country’s international image’ and hemper the tourists inflow amid the pandemic.
The UNM has transferred into the most destructive and degraded force,” Garibashvili said.
Demonstrators initially gathered at Vinotel hotel late yesterday which hosted Pozner and his guests in Tbilisi.
Pozner and his guests later moved to Rooms Hotel Tbilisi where demonstrators threw eggs at the building, saying that ‘Pozner, who is a Russian propagandist and supports the occupation of Georgian and Ukrainian territories, should not have been allowed to enter the country.’
The demonstrators also protested the violation of curfew by Pozner and his guests.
Garibashvili said that Georgian law enforcers and proper agencies ‘have immediately reacted’ to the violation of curfew and quarantine rules.
Well-known Russian Journalist Vladimir Pozner, who had stated that Abkhazia (Georgia’s Russian-occupied region) will never be Georgia’, has left Tbilisi with his guests earlier today due to protests. Pozner, who arrived in Tbilisi late yesterday with 40 other individuals to celebrate his 87th birthday, was also fined for violation of isolation and quarantine rules. 31 of 40 of his guests also faced the same fine.
Georgian civil activists are holding a demonstration close to Vinotel Boutique Hotel where Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner and his friends have gathered on the eve of his birthday.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that the visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state, responding to the recent turmoil over the CoE ministerial scheduled in Tbilisi for May.
Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov, whose taking the seat of the Georgian parliamentary speaker in June 2019 sparked large protests in the Georgian capital, has called Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s recent statement ‘a serious signal’ for improvements in Russia-Georgia relations.
Russian president’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Speaker of the Russian state legislature Viacheslav Volodin have stated that ‘visiting Georgia is dangerous for Russian citizens.’
Twenty individuals have been detained at the central office of the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier today in Tbilisi where civic activists were protesting the arrival of Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner on March 31.