Georgian president calls yesterday’s disrupted parliamentary session ‘damaging, unacceptable’ amid upcoming int’l conference

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has called yesterday’s disrupted parliamentary session ‘damaging and unacceptable’ amid the upcoming 17th International Conference - Georgia’s European Way, which is taking place in Batumi today. 

Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri was to deliver an address at yesterday's extraordinary session regarding the events of July 5 and the measures taken by the police. 

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Gomelauri was interrupted by opposition MPs from the beginning of his speech and was not allowed to continue. 

[Today] is the most important day for Georgia, for its European path, for joining the European Union and for the further development of the country...Ahead of this important day, the events in the Parliament of Georgia are damaging to the country and generally unacceptable. In any case, human rights violations are unjustified, and even more so in parliament, which establishes the legal basis for the protection of human rights and which should be an example for the public,” President Zurabishvili stated. 

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Georgian President Zurabishvili also made a statement regarding the decision of the ruling party to cut off communication with several critical TV channels, which ‘crossed red lines’ and got involved in a ‘political campaign,’ as the government administration stated earlier. 

As for the severance of working relations with the media, despite any critical position, we all agree that freedom of speech and expression should be protected in the country and the media should be allowed to work without restrictions,” said President Zurabishvili. 

European Council President Charles Michel will attend the Batumi international conference with the presidents of Ukraine and Moldova, Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu.

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In parallel with Charles Michel's arrival yesterday, a rally of Georgian media representatives was held at the airport in Batumi, where journalists held up the photos of the late TV Pirveli cameraman, Lekso Lashkarava. 

The European Council President Charles Michel has met with President Zurabishvili earlier today. 

Georgian President Zurabishvili has tweeted:

Today is a very important day for Georgia’s European future. Thank you to @eucopresident for taking part in this.

More EU in Georgia is a strong message for our progress and our development, a message that remains unchanged despite all challenges. pic.twitter.com/FMnDJNrFEs

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) July 19, 2021