Civil activists protest Russian journalist’s visit to Tbilisi
Russian propaganda journalist Vladimir Pozner is travelling to Tbilisi to celebrate his birthday with friends. Photo: eedialog.org
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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.
Right now, in the middle of curfew, @GovernmentGeo
— Katie Shoshiashvili (@KShoshiashvili) March 31, 2021
escorted Putin's propagandist Vladimir Posner to the restaurant who arrived in Tbilisi to celebrate his birthday.
Activist are raging at the VINOTEL where the Posner and his friends are feasting.
LIVE:https://t.co/h7C1EoMdWC
Formula media outlet cited Pozner as saying that he has not arrived in Georgia to talk about politics, but rather to celebrate his birthday like he has done the past two years.
Veteran #Putin propagandist landed in #Tbilisi today by charter flight & 30 friends to celebrate birthday, sparking discontent in #Georgia
— Formula NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) March 31, 2021
Mr #Pozner has backed #RussianOccupation of #Abkhazia & S.Ossetia as well as annexation of #Crimea & #RussianAggression in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/r9qA9qJELa
Former opposition European Georgia party member Elene Khoshtaria who now leads the new political party Droa has also stated that Pozner, who has violated the law of Georgia on occupation, should not have been allowed to enter the country.
Putin’s puppet-#Pozner-who
— Helen Khoshtaria (@Helenkhosh) March 31, 2021
said that “#Abkhazia will never be a part of ????????” is coming to celebrate his bday tomorrow. Meanwhile residents of Gali, Abkhazia who cross ???????? to pick up their pensions are held in quarantine for 5 days. No govt with some self-respect should allow this. pic.twitter.com/Twz0xeO5pD
However, the Georgian Interior Ministry said Pozner, who holds the US citizenship, has not violated the law on occupation.
The ministry further explained that some of the people accompanying him have Covid passports, while others - PCR test certificates, which means all of the visitors are maintaining the coronavirus safety norms.
Nevertheless, the protesters have called the labour inspection to fine the hotel for allowing the Russian visitors to gather during the curfew.
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.
A group of civic activists have dumped hundreds of flyers using a drone with inscriptions and the image of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin near the Stalin Museum in his hometown, Gori. The first page of the flyer is an excerpt from Joseph Stalin’s letter sent to Vadimir Lenin written in February 28, 1921.
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.
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 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.
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.