Ensuring Saakashvili’s release goal of public protests in Georgia, “irrespective of where police line is broken” - former Interior Minister
Georgia’s former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili says UNM’s “key goal” is former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s release. Photo: Vano Merabishvili’s Facebook
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Georgia’s former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili on Wednesday claimed ensuring the release of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was one of the goals of the public protests held this week in Tbilisi over the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Speaking with Yevgeny Kiselyov, a Ukrainian-based Russian journalist, the former United National Movement Minister spoke as the protests were ongoing - and before the Georgian authorities withdrew the bill on Thursday - and made a reference to Saakashvili’s ongoing treatment in detention at a civilian clinic in Tbilisi.
He told the interview - released on YouTube on Wednesday - that “no matter where the police line is broken [during protests] - whether it is outside the Parliament or outside the clinic - any such breakthrough means the release of Saakashvili”.
Merabishvili, one of the most influential figures of Saakashvili’s UNM Government who left prison in 2020 after serving almost seven years for several offences, also said the former President’s release would mean an “end” for the current Georgian Dream Government.
Speaking before the bill’s recall, he also claimed the current authorities would act “like Russian President Vladimir Putin” and make “no concessions” over the controversial legislative initiative that saw a backlash from the domestic opposition, civil sector and Georgia’s foreign partners.
The ruling party has accused the "radical opposition" of triggering violence during protests. Photo: 1TV.
The ruling party announced the withdrawal of the bill the following day, citing necessity of “tranquillity” in the country and Georgia’s European integration goals as reasons behind the move.
Claiming the UNM was in the “vanguard” of the latest protests due to its ability to “assemble crowds”, Merabishvili said it was the only party able to ensure the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration and “friendly ties” with Ukraine, amid the latter’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
A group of UNM members last year accused Merabishvili of “shadowy interference” in UNM along with the former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili, and also alleged he was working to facilitate the election of Levan Khabeishvili as the party’s new Chair in place of Nika Melia. Khabeishvili won the intra-party elections in January.
In its comments on the withdrawal of the bill, which involved registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, the ruling party said on Thursday a “machine of lies” had managed to “present the bill in a negative light and mislead a certain part of the public” by calling the legal initiative a “Russian law”.
The party also accused “radical domestic forces” of involving young demonstrators in protests against the bill this week in “illegal activities” that included protesters throwing Molotov cocktails, stones, wooden poles and other objects in the direction of law enforcers outside the Parliament and damaging state facilities, nearby shops and police vehicles.
The country’s Interior Ministry on Friday said its employees had arrested 133 individuals on Tuesday and Wednesday for “violation of public order [and] rule of law” and noted 58 law enforcement officers had received “various injuries” while ensuring safety during the rallies in central Tbilisi.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Friday said 58 law enforcement officers had received “various injuries” while ensuring safety during the rallies in central Tbilisi on Tuesday and Wednesday that protested the Parliament’s discussion of the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Thursday said it was “unconditionally” withdrawing the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence that was met by a backlash by domestic opposition, civil sector and diplomatic representations in the country, citing the interest of maintaining domestic “tranquillity”, the country’s development and its European integration aspirations as factors behind the decision.
Nika Melia, the Chair of the opposition United National Movement party, on Tuesday said “certain processes” taking place amid ongoing controversies in the party were “inspired, planned and organised from beginning to end” by Vano Merabishvili, the former UNM Government Interior Minister and David Kezerashvili, the former UNM Defence Minister and now private TV channel owner.
Former Interior and Prime Minister of Georgia, one of the most influential figures of the United National Movement (UNM) government, Vano Merabishvili left prison earlier today after serving almost seven years, stating that he is returning to politics and ‘guarantees’ the end of the current Georgian Dream leadership. Standing at Matrosovi prison Merabishvili told the media that the opposition is united around key demands. However, his close friends are now in different opposition parties.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Monday said “under no circumstances could Georgia allow itself to open a second front” of the ongoing war in Ukraine in the country.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday responded to calls by a part of the domestic opposition and some MEPs for granting the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds by saying the country’s European future “cannot be conditioned on Saakashvili’s stomach”.
Bacho Dolidze, a member of the opposition United National Movement party, on Thursday said Vano Merabishvili, a member of UNM and the former Interior Minister, was bringing “nothing but destructive” effects to domestic political processes.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Parliament Speaker of Georgia, on Monday said the latest claims of David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia in the United National Movement Government, on his alleged funding of domestic opposition groups contained “signs of political corruption”.