Russian journalist Pozner leaving Tbilisi due to protests
Russian Journalist Vladimir Pozner (R ) and his guests had to leave Georgia earlier today with a charter flight due to protests.
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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.
The Vinotel hotel which hosted Pozner and his guests late yesterday was also fined 10,000 GEL for violating curfew.
Georgian civic activists and politicians initially gathered at the hotel late yesterday.
Crowds protesting #Pozner’s backing of #Russianoccupation of #Abkhazia gathered outside restaurant where Vladimir Pozner dined with his companions in breach of curfew, accompanied by police#GeorgiaCrisis pic.twitter.com/p359WdlZWJ
— Formula NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) March 31, 2021
Former opposition European Georgia party member Elene Khoshtaria who now leads the new political party Droa stated that Pozner, ‘who has violated the law of Georgia on occupation’, should not have been allowed to enter the country.
However, the Georgian Interior Ministry said that Pozner, who holds US citizenship along with Russian, has not violated the law on occupation.
The ministry further stated that some of the people accompanying Pozner had Covid passports, while others held PCR test certificates which meant all of the visitors were maintaining coronavirus safety norms.
Pozner has left Georgia with a charter flight earlier today. Photo: IPN.
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.
Pozner, who had plans to stay in Tbilisi until April 3, had to leave the country by charter flight.