Georgian MP 2008-2020. Soviet Past Research Laboratory (Sovlab) - Designated by the Russian MFA as Georgia's No1 organization in "faking history and disinfo"
Prevalent view amongst
#Georgia
’s supporters is that Georgia is still doing its best to progress towards
#NATO
membership. This is no longer true. Georgia has de facto abandoned efforts to advance on membership. Friends ought to reflect, until too late
The very low morale of the Russian Army can be amplified by western offer of monetary reward and asylum/education/new life - whatever in the west for all Russian soldiers who surrender.
Georgia's ongoing transformation into a Russian satellite also means its Kadirovization. UNM Board member, bikers' protest organizer and opposition leaders brother and pundit beaten in an hour. Every day of not imposing costs on Ivanishvili increases costs down the road
Police have stated storming of the
@UNMGeorgia
office to arrest
@NikaMelia5
chairman of Georgia's biggest opposition party. Dramatic move that will have dramatic consequences for the country. Georgia needs help and needs it now
An icon to none other but Joseph Stalin in the of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. Russia is scoring solid success as both EU and US fail to recognize the central role of weaponization of memory in Russia's information warfare agenda and that of Stalin in particular
Rail tanks carrying Russian oil today near Kutaisi, Georgia. Name of the Moscow-based company is symbolic - Russian World. Georgia is not helping Russia circumvent sanctions - yes, sure.
BREAKING:
@ZelenskyyUa
has just recalled the Ukrainian ambassador from Georgia because of Georgia's refusal to allow Georgian volunteers fight for Ukraine and its "immoral position on sanctions." For anyone still considering Ivanishvili "pro-western" this should be an eye opener
The ugly storming of
#Georgia
's biggest opposition party office&arrest of its Chair Melia is culmination of state capture by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili who made his fortune in
#Russia
. As his money is in the west he will only understand the language of personal sanctions
Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze flew to Iran to attend inauguration of its new president Masoud Pezeshkian. At the inauguration event held at the Iranian Mejlis, Kobakhidze was seen standing close to leader of Hamas terrorist group Ismail Haniyeh.
Until now, Prime Minister of Georgia has made no statement on Ukraine or indeed Russia's aggressive NATO demands which do very much include Georgia never joining the alliance. That is all you need to know about the actual Georgian foreign policy.
Huge turnout at today’s rally against Georgian Dream’s Russian law with second hearing vote planned tomorrow. Georgian people are clearly against Russian takeover pushed by Ivanishvili and his masters.
1/2 On this day in 2008 Russian Army crossed the Georgian border in significant numbers, launching Putin's first war to reverse the results of the Cold War. Yet, for many useful idiots Georgia's armed resistance rather than the invasion itself was what "started the war."
Another opposition activist David Kvatadze severely beaten outside his home in what seems to be the resumption of beatings and intimidation.
Softening of the Russian law is a trap for which the EU must not fall, however tempting for some of its bureaucrats.
Massive influx of Russians trying to avoid western sanctions is imminently expected in Georgia. By allowing them in, the Georgian government will intentionally engage in giant Russian sanctions evasion effort
I am honored to be featured in
@netflix
new documentary series Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War explaining, amongst others, the Soviet origins of the current Russian regime and its worldview.
🧵Overriding the veto of the Kremlin-inspired and backdated Foreign Influence Law is a tragedy for the Georgian people, but it is also a strategic blow to Western interests and a clear geopolitical victory for the Kremlin. (1/5)
With all respect, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are not "Russian backed separatist enclaves" but Russian-occupied parts of Georgia. The 2008 war was not "between separatists and Georgia" but between Russia and Georgia. Words matter
@TheZeinabBadawi
@BBCWorld
#bbcglobalquestions
Like now, in 2008 Russia falsely claimed Georgia was carrying out genocide of Ossetians. Giving Putin a pass for that lie and the aggression was an extremely costly mistake.
Tonight and tomorrow morning are going to be absolutely crucial for Georgia and wider region. Georgian people will live up to their task of defending their democratic future. But they need allies in key capitals, not opportunistic bureaucrats
Zelimkhan Khangoshvili whose assassin was allegedly about to be exchanged for Navalny was not a "Chechen commander," but, as this report from
@michaeldweiss
convincingly shows, a Georgian security operative who was also part of US-Georgian cooperation
Russian occupation of Georgia was removed from the top-level international agenda by Georgia's own Government that has maintained pro-western talk but on the policy level drifted towards Moscow. Remaining blind to this reality - as some friends of Georgia do - is a big mistake
In his last meeting with Putin in 2011, Biden criticized Russia's occupation of Georgian territory. I hope he does the same next week. The world seems to have forgotten that Russian soldiers remain illegally not only in
#Ukraine
but
#Georgia
too (and unwelcome in
#Moldova
too)
Foreful appearance by Lithuanian, Estonian and Icelandic FMs
@GLandsbergis
@Tsakhna
and
@thordiskolbrun
addressed the rally against the Russian law in a historic appearance
🧵Ivanishvili’s speech is a loud declaration that Georgia is already a Russian client state, but much worse is coming. Any western diplomat/bureaucrat who will claim otherwise is incompetent at best and is complicit in gradually enabling Russia’s spectacular success here (1/3)
As Medvedev's made it very clear last week, the decision to officially invade Ukraine was based on Russia's 2008 experience, the subsequent developments, & on an assumption of consistency in Western behaviour. Some western political leaders should come forward and apologise
Straight from the Kremlin and even Stalin playbook: People may end up in this "enemies of the people" lists even for Facebook likes. Every day of not imposing costs on these Kremlin proxies increases costs down the road.
“In line with the decision of Georgian Dream’s board, using party structures we are starting to set up a database where information on all individuals involved in violence, other illegal activities, threats and blackmail or those who publicly approve of such actions. This
Georgian agriculture minister says the dairy import deal into Russia "is an opportunity for Georgian producers." So the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an opportunity to make money. This is the official Georgian Dream policy.
@ulrichspeck
One should start with the apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 that actually brought Putin to power.
@DavidSatter
has written splendid books on despicable crimes
Georgian PM not attending the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius is a political statement signifying that Georgia has given up on NATO and its drift towards the Kremlin orbit is going further. This requires policy response from Washington
Another wave of massive Russian playbook hate graffiti at offices and homes of the Georgian civil society leaders echoing darkest times of Stalinism - “foreign agents” “enemies of the people” the inscriptions read.
Thousands of people in Georgia are being called from fake numbers, receiving threats and insults. This is a centralized effort to intimidate the entire society, also showing the authorities keep files on a huge number of dissenters.
Russia's MFA declares the Soviet Past Research Laboratory -
@SovLab
- most reputable group in Georgia researching and dealing with the totalitarian past - as an extremist organisation "faking history." A true badge of honour
#Georgia
's parliament speaker Talakvadze quits unepectedly. Earlier, PM Gakharia and
#Ivanishvili
resigned (saying he was leaving politics but of course he is still in charge). Main opposition party leader is in jail. If this is not deep crisis, what is it?
Brand new memorial plaque for Stalin in Tbilisi - yet another illustration of the dramatic resurgence of his image in Georgia together with 10 new statues
Around 300 protestors are being prosecuted in Georgia, while zero people have been in charged amid the cascade of brutal, violent attacks, including in broad daylight. GD leaders have endorsed these attacks - which do continue in waves - on the record at several ocasions.
What is happening in Georgia is a pro-Russian constitutional coup, signalling an open shift of its foreign policy away from the West and towards Russia. Anyone who fails to see this is a fool at best.
#Khangoshvili
was not a "Chechen fighter" but a distinguished Georgian security operative and 🇬🇪 citizen, also involved in Georgia's security cooperation with the US, killed in what Germany said was "act of 🇷🇺state sponsored terrorism." His murderer must not be exchanged
@CNN
Even now, with the likelihood of war higher than ever, the Georgian government remains deafeningly silent. This, to an extent, makes Georgia a de facto Russian satellite. Not seeing this reality would be a serious mistake.
Deliberately exposing President
@SaakashviliM
to non-stop insults of large number of convicts in gldani prison by forcefully taking him there is inhuman and degrading treatment by the Georgian Gov’t and an ugly political vendetta
The ongoing dramatic resurgence of Stalin's image in Georgia is a spectacular victory for the Russian disinformation effort while most of western attempts to counter the Russian propaganda are confined to elite discourses and five star hotel conference rooms.
Konstantine
#Morgoshia
, organizer of
#July5
assault on 53 journalists that left one of them dead has called
#GovGeo
to re-install
#Stalin
statue in Gori “removed by treasonous
#UNM
Gov’t”
10 smaller statues of Stalin have been installed across
#Georgia
since 2012
A TV pirveli cameraman Lexo Lashkarava beaten by extremists linked with Russia and backed by
#GeorgianDream
on July 5 has died. PM Garibashvili’s statement in that morning incited the violence to which
#Georgia
’s Russia-leaning Government is complicit
This is a reminder that Prime Minister of Georgia has not said a word on
#Ukraine
during this crisis. This in itself is a loud political statement proving that Georgia already has, to a considerable extent, become the Kremlin's satellite.
🧵Every day the GD thugs beat up dissenters, thousands are called up with death threats, their offices and homes vandalized. Yet, the Council of Europe has sent a whole delegation of the Special Investigation Service to London for a “study trip.” This is a serious scandal 1/4
@NeilPHauer
In that report which I remember very well the EU acknowledged that hundreds of Russian armour had crossed into the sovereign Georgian territory before August 8, but that "could not be considered a full-fledged invasion". And remember, unlike Ukraine Georgia has no strategic depth
This is a treasonous statement of Russia's client. There is literally no difference between rhetoric of Kobakhidze and Lukashenko. Top decision-makers in Washington and Brussels need to put legitimate Western leverage to work now in order to prevent Russian takeover of an ally
Spoke to
@CounselorDOS
and expressed my sincere disappointment with the two revolution attempts of 2020-2023 supported by the former US Ambassador and those carried out through NGOs financed from external sources. Had these attempts been successful, the second front line would
That the propaganda outlet of Russia's genocidal defence ministry is freely operating in Georgia and is welcome into the country by Ivanishvili's Russian vassal regime speaks of itself.
From now on Georgian Dream Government must be described as pro-Russian for a simple reason: It actually is pro-Russian. If there can be a moment to apply the EU/US leverage on Ivanishvili personally to prevent the loss of Georgia to the Kremlin, it is now, not later.
Police using water cannon against peaceful demonstrator waving EU flag outside the Georgian Parliament protesting the adoption of the Russian-style anti-NGO law.
Police brutality at 7:15 outside Georgian Parliament as GD prepares to vote for the foreign agents bill in third reading in the Legal Affairs Committee
My op-ed on the growth of the Russian influence in Georgia and what the West should do about it was published by the
@AtlanticCouncil
's Ukraine Alert.
Russia is losing in Ukraine but winning in Georgia
Decorated Georgian special operations colonel Bakhva Chikobava, integrated with Azov battalion since 2014 died today while defending Mariupol. True patriot and an officer with dignity and honour. RIP.
🧵5 years ago, on this day, I had the honor, together with my colleagues, to break up a meeting of a Russian Front platform in the plenary hall of the Georgian Parliament and to remove the Russian Communist deputy Sergei Gavrilov from the speaker's chair (1/4)
Georgian PM has just said at
@GLOBSEC
Ukraine's wish to join
@NATO
was one of the reasons for the war. This is not only parrots the Kremlin propaganda, but clearly shows that Georgia has given up on joining the alliance. Continuously pretending otherwise is a serious mistake.
This man - Sergei Bokarev - is a Russian businessman and was an official donor to Alwxei Navalny’s efforts and critic of Putin’ foreign policy. Georgian Gov’t wants to extradite him to Russia. Appeals court will issue ruling today.
#PACE
has not reacted in any way to more than 1,000 detentions at yesterday's pro-democracy rally
#Moscow
demanding right to run in
#elections
. It is a completely bankrupt organisation only doing damage and wasting our money
In an unprecedented statement, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service - the SVR - backs Georgian Dream, alludes to its 'resistance to Washington' and cautions western support for Georgia's opposition. It gambles on western fear that pressing Ivanishvili may undermine Georgia.
This disaster was enabled by years of bureaucratization of the Georgian file in key Western capitals, with bureaucrats of ever-lower caliber running the file with mostly no meaningful political oversight. The battle is lost, but not the war. (2/5)
Georgia's complete silence on the
#Khangoshvili
case, the landmark German court ruling and the refusal to investigate the 2015 armed attempt on his life in Tbilisi shows that de facto and to an extent Georgia is already a Russian satellite.
Twice former Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland not only surrendered the whole organization to 🇷🇺, but led an ugly, coordinated push to bring Russia back in 2019.
@PSTnorge
should look into his contacts with Russia in that period and beyond🧵
On this day 100 years ago, Soviet
#Russia
, upon insistence of Joseph
#Stalin
invaded democratic, independent and internationally recognized Georgia in breach of the May 7, 1920 Moscow treaty. The war lasted one month. Georgia's 20th century must have been different
Flagship Kremlin propaganda talk show known for its anti
#Ukraine
and anti American hysteria jubilant about arrest and treatment of
@SaakashviliM
with anchors stepping on the Georgian flag. It cannot be louder than that
Some of Georgia's friends worry that restraining
#Ivanishvili
may undermine
#Georgia
with Putin next door. Exact opposite is true - not restraining the oligarch undermines Georgia and benefits Putin. We heard the same argument about Yanukovich
Georgian Gov't is consistently banning Russian opposition politicians like
@SobolLubov
and now journalists from 🇬🇪 while expected to imminently embrace hordes of Russians fleeing sanctions. Some western diplomats continue to remain blind to this, misleading their governments.
Journalist of
@tvrain
, Russia’s embattled independent TV station was not allowed to enter Georgia,
@RFERL
has reported without specifying the journalist’s name. TV Rain has been shut down under pressure of the Kremlin and part of its journalists have been leaving Russia.
Both US and EU bureaucracies pushed pouring millions into law enforcement assistance to build this? Ivanishvili's Russian regime used this and other aid to legitimate itself and boost Russian influence.
This is how the citizen of Georgia was beaten by the 🇬🇪Special forces tonight. His wife is also beaten and detained, as as eyewitnesses say.
What is the difference between Russian OMON and these?
#TbilisiProtests
📹Tsira Zhvania
@IlvesToomas
It is sad, alarming but also telling that Georgia’s voice is completely missing from the chorus of international solidarity to Ukraine. Zero statements, nothing at all.
100 years ago today Georgia was de-jure recognized by Supreme Allied Council 🇫🇷🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇮🇹🇯🇵 This entirely forgotten fact made Georgia full member of the family of nations weeks before
#Stalin
pushed
#Russian
invasion& the subsequent bloodbath. 20th century must have been different
If you're wondering what's going on in
#Georgia
, why does it actually matter and what its friends ought to do, read this oped from today's
@washingtonpost
by
@achkhikvadze
|
#Democracy
in Georgia is heading for a crunch. Is the West paying attention?
Dear friends of Georgia, calling Georgian Foreign Minister is a completely futile exercise because his political weight is zero. He does not even have access to
#Ivanishvili
. If you want to help
#Georgia
you should go public. Without moralizing there is no better pragmatic way