Moscow says Georgian gov’t, public reacted correctly to TV anchor’s insulting Russian president
The Russian Foreign Ministry says that insults hurled at the Russian president by a Georgian journalist was a provocation staged by ‘radical political forces’ in Georgia. Photo: frontnews.eu.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry has called insults against Russian President Vladimir Putin by Georgian TV anchor Giorgi Gabunia “unacceptable,” but said that the Georgian government and people have responded to the event “in the right way.”
The ministry says that the “unacceptable attack on the Russian government” was the provocation of radical forces in Georgia [earlier Russia said that the radical forces are several Georgian opposition parties, like the United National Movement], which aim to “undermine Russia-Georgia relations.”
We note that this time, unlike the attack on June 20 on Russian MPs [in Tbilisi], the Georgian authorities did not justify the radicals, but found the strength to dissociate themselves from the provocateurs and condemn their behavior. We also see the fair indignation with which the incident was perceived by Georgian society,” the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.
❗️Категорически осуждаем беспрецедентную по своей низости выходку с неприемлемыми выпадами в нецензурных выражениях в адрес российского руководства на грузинском телеканале «Рустави-2». Этот инцидент – пример того, куда заводит оголтелая русофобия.
— МИД России ???????? (@MID_RF) July 8, 2019
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Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated that the Georgian government unanimously condemned the incident, adding that “what happened is a big embarrassment for Georgians.”
Gabunia used offensive language against Putin in his live show late yesterday, receiving backlash both from the government and ordinary citizens, who believe that what the journalist did was a ‘provocation,’ which presents a threat to the state.
Russian MP Yevgen Primakov Jr. has called for a freeze on Russia-Georgia relations.
Russian MP Evgeni Primakov calls for a ‘freeze’ on Russia-Georgia relations after an anchor of TV channel Rustavi 2 Giorgi Gabunia used offensive language against Russian President Vladimir Putin. He wrote that Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili condemned the journalist’s behavior, “however, we have not yet heard an apology.”
Anchor of Georgian private broadcaster Rustavi 2 Giorgi Gabunia has insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show P.S. earlier today, using offensive language in Russian.
Russia's Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing has announced a "strengthening of control" over alcoholic drinks imported from Georgia, in a move reminiscent of a 2006 embargo on wine from the country.
Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov, whose address in the Georgian parliament sparked demonstrations in Tbilisi yesterday, says that the unrest was beforehand planned “by radical Georgian opposition forces,” who used the presence of Russian MPs in the parliament building as a reason to start anti-government rallies.
TV anchor of Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2, who cursed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show yesterday, has been suspended for two months. Rustavi 2 reports that the broadcaster’s regulation body discussed Giorgi Gabunia’s words uttered in the beginning of his TV show ‘P.S.’ and suspended him for two months.
Russian citizen of Ingush origin Vasambeg Bokov has been detained in Tbilisi for the illegal purchase and possession of fake documents. Head of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Nika Gvaramia claims that the man was plotting to murder journalist Giorgi Gabunia for insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin last year.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and President Salome Zurabishvili have thanked the State Security Service for preventing a ‘very serious crime’ allegedly against well-known Georgian journalist Giorgi Gabunia which could have sparked tension and provocations in the country.