Police arrest 16 for administrative offences during protest in Georgia's east
According to the organisers of the rally, the opposition United National Movement party, “more than ten” people, including members of the party and civil activists, were detained during the rally, which saw physical confrontations between law enforcement and protesters. Photo via IPN
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Georgian Police arrested 16 individuals for administrative offences during a protest outside Kvareli Lake Resort in Georgia's east, the local media outlet Interpressnews said on Saturday.
The demonstrations followed the information spread by the Georgian-based Mtavari Arkhi channel and Droa opposition party’s leader Elene Khoshtaria on Friday, who alleged that the sanctioned daughter of Russian official Lavrov and her husband were staying in Kvareli Lake Resort and the hotel would be hosting the wedding party of Lavrov’s family members.
According to the organisers of the rally, the opposition United National Movement party, “more than ten” people, including members of the party and civil activists, were detained during the rally, which saw physical confrontations between law enforcement and protesters.
The Kvareli Lake Resort issued a statement later on Friday regarding the alleged accusations, rejecting it as “misinformation” and explaining no guests were staying in the hotel under the name of Lavrov.
Irakli Karkashadze, the Director of the United Airports of Georgia, on Saturday said “none of" Russia's airlines or aircraft, sanctioned for its invasion of Ukraine, would be served at Georgian airports after the resumption of direct flights between the countries this week.
Tbilisi City Hall has started the procedure of terminating the contract with Metrowagonmash, the Russian engineering company, sanctioned by the international community following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the City Hall announced on Friday.
Georgian Police have arrested six individuals protesting the landing of the first jet of a Russian airline at Tbilisi International Airport on Friday since the Kremlin’s move last week to resume direct flights and lift visa restrictions with Georgia.
The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency on Monday issued a permit for the Russian airline Azimuth to operate daily flights between Russia and Georgia starting on Friday, following last week’s controversial lifting of air connections between the countries by the Kremlin.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Saturday said the wedding of Russian citizens would not take place in Georgia, noting the family had already left the country.
Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani on Sunday said the leader of the Droa opposition party, Elene Khoshtaria, who had been detained for administrative offences on Saturday, refused to meet with the representative of the Public Defender’s office.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said imposing sanctions on family members of politicians was inconsistent with human rights standards, citing that as a legal state, Georgia could only sanction individuals who had “directly” committed criminal acts.
Gia Volski, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP and the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the Government imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine would lead to “counter-sanctions” that would bring “serious consequences” for the country.
Sixteen individuals who were arrested on Saturday for disobedience of police and petty hooliganism in eastern Georgia while protesting the presence of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s relatives for marriage celebrations were released late on Sunday.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Saturday said it was investigating a clash between students of Tbilisi State University that took place during a lecture led by the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Saturday, as well as a subsequent incident at a hospital in Tbilisi.