We continue our live coverage of the fallout and widespread protests over Georgia’s EU accession U-turn.

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Demonstration moves to Tbilisi City Hall

A joint protest march of representatives of the arts and IT sectors has moved from the Public Broadcasting building to Tbilisi City Hall, local media reported.

The demonstrators are demanding the release of citizens detained during the ongoing protests, as well as calling for new elections.

The final location of the joint march will be the area adjacent to the Parliament of Georgia.

Rondeli Foundation researcher reportedly detained

According to activist Natia Chikovani, Vato Bzhalava, a researcher at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS), commonly referred to as the Rondeli Foundation, has been ‘kidnapped’.

‘He was walking his dog and they made him tie the dog to a tree (!!!). They didn’t even let him take [the dog] home, they just kidnapped him’, she wrote on Facebook, adding that they don’t know where Bzhalava is now.

Local media reported that Bzhalava had participated in recent demonstrations and that yesterday he was questioned as a witness in the presence of a judge about a case based on organising, leading, or participating in group violence, and publicly calling for violent action.

Gharibashvili compares today’s protests with 1991 civil war

Today, Gharibashvili praised the police for their handling of recent protests in Tbilisi. He went on to compare the ‘heavy scenes’ of protesters pushing back against advancing riot police units during recent street demonstrations to the 1991 civil war in Tbilisi, when the Georgian Parliament was ‘attacked with cannons and gunfire’.

‘Today, it’s practically the same. The heavy scenes I witnessed evoked the same associations for me’, Gharibashvili reminisced. 

On Sunday, authorities reported that ‘over 150 police officers’ had been injured but gave no information about anyone being held accountable for alleged excessive force by police used against the hundreds of protesters and detainees reported.

Gharibashvili dismisses injury rumours as ‘absurd’ and ‘disgusting lies’ by ‘traitors’

Making his first appearance since election night, the ruling party’s chair, Irakli Gharibashvili, has dismissed rumours that he had been physically assaulted for abandoning the party.

He reiterated his party’s earlier statement that he had sustained a ‘light injury’ during a workout session and condemned the ‘absurd’ and ‘disgusting’ lies voiced by Giorgi Bachiashvili, former chair of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili’s co-investment fund, and Giorgi Gakharia, former Prime Minister and current chair of the opposition For Georgia party. He referred to both as ‘traitors’.

‘Everyone might have the need to see a doctor. I sustained a very minor injury while working out, and yet they’ve created this huge scandal and invented these disgusting, offensive lies’, he complained. 

Georgian opposition does not recognise presidential election

After a meeting with the European Parliament delegation, one of the leaders of the opposition group Strong Georgia, Irakli Kupradze, read a joint statement from four opposition groups and parties, according to which they do not recognise the presidential elections scheduled for 14 December, local media reported.

‘The illegitimate parliament does not have the authority to elect a president’, Kupradze said. ‘Thus, Salome Zourabichvili remains the President of Georgia, Commander-in-Chief of the Georgian Defence Forces, and the country’s highest representative in foreign relations’.

Demonstrators gather in front of Tbilisi State Conservatoire

Dozens of demonstrators, including musicians and students, are gathered in front of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire to protest the government’s actions.

Dozens of GPI Holding employees reportedly on strike

According to Formula, dozens of employees from the insurance company GPI Holding went on strike in protest against the government’s recent actions.

Pro-government TV Imedi: Duta Skhirtladze has not worked at the company since 10 December

The pro-government TV company Imedi reported that ‘by the decision of the channel’s management, Duta Skhirtladze no longer works at TV Imedi as of 10 December’.

However, the statement did not specify whether TV Imedi’s management approved a request from Skhirtladze to be dismissed, or if he decided to terminate the contract himself.

In the early morning, famous actor and TV presenter Skhirtladze wrote a critical post on Facebook railing against the authorities over the detention of an 18-year-old activist and the arrest of demonstrators.

Today, his wife confirmed that Skhirtladze has left TV Imedi.

For Georgia: we don’t recognise legitimacy of presidential elections

The opposition For Georgia party stated that they do not recognise the legitimacy of the presidential elections scheduled for 14 December.

For Georgia, which overcame the 5% threshold during the parliamentary elections, is the only opposition party which has not demanded suspension of their parliamentary mandates after the election. It nonetheless joined other opposition groups to boycott the new parliament. 

‘In light of these grave violations, we reiterate that the Political Party Gakharia For Georgia will not participate in this unlawful process and refuses to recognise any decision made by the illegitimate de facto parliament, including the results of the scheduled presidential elections’, the statement read.

ALDE Party VP speaks with Georgian opposition

The Vice President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Yevheniia Kravchuk, had a Zoom call with representatives of Georgian opposition parties.

During the meeting, Kravchuk, who is Ukrainian, and other ALDE members expressed their support for the Georgian people.

Kravchuk also addressed the ALDE Party Bureau to discuss how the political group could assist at the level of EU member states and the European Parliament, calling for ‘decisive steps’ to be taken.

As @ALDEParty Vice President initiated a Zoom call with representatives of Georgian opposition parties, that belong to liberal family🇬🇪

Together with my colleagues @MalikAzmani, @SalBrinton and @LuciaPlavakova, we expressed support and discussed the disturbing events in Georgia:… pic.twitter.com/k0H7RlHbjC

— Yevheniia Kravchuk (@kravchukev) December 11, 2024

Georgia’s IT community holds a protest march in Tbilisi

Georgia’s IT community is marching in Tbilisi against the government’s EU u-turn. 

The IT/Tech community is holding a protest march in Tbilisi.

"We demand the release of illegally detained prisoners, a re-run of falsified elections, and a return to the path of European integration," said one of the rally participants, Madonna Tkhelidze. #GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/TK52bTv2lV

— PUBLIKA (@Publika_ge) December 12, 2024

Interior Minister will have right to decide who can wear face coverings during protests, local media reports

According to local media, the list of individuals who will have the right to wear face coverings in relation to professional activities while attending a gathering or demonstration will be established by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Minister will also determine the rules and conditions for issuing appropriate permits to such individuals.

Any other person will be prohibited from covering their faces with a mask or any other means during rallies according to the planned amendments to the Law of Georgia on Assemblies and Demonstrations, which is being considered by the Parliament in an expedited manner, local media reported.

Zourabichvili meets with MEPs in Tbilisi

Local media reported that the President Salome Zourabichvili is meeting the MEPs who arrived in Georgia.

According to the media, the MEPs also met with leaders of opposition groups and parties that have overcome the 5% threshold during the parliamentary elections in Georgia, namely representatives of the Unity – National Movement, Coalition for Changes, Strong Georgia and the For Georgia party.

Swedish MP: PACE should not ratify the credentials of the Georgian delegation

Swedish MP and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Gustaf Göthberg posted on X yesterday that the Assembly ‘should not ratify the credentials of the Georgian delegation as we convene for our session in Strasbourg in January’. Göthberg arrived in Tbilisi yesterday morning to ‘show support for the Georgian people, its European aspirations and the peaceful protests against the authoritarian regime’, while calling Georgian Dream’s violent crackdown ‘unacceptable’.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should not ratify the credentials of the Georgian delegation as we convene for our session in Strasbourg in January. The crackdown on peaceful protesters and democratic backsliding of Georgian must be met with firm actions. pic.twitter.com/GljJ1MMJze

— Gustaf Göthberg (@gustafgothberg) December 11, 2024

British ambassador in Georgia: We’re shocked by violence used by police and informal groups

The British Ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, released a video message in Georgian regarding the situation in the country, saying that they are ‘shocked by the violence used by the police and informal groups against protesters, journalists, and opposition representatives’.

‘As our Foreign Secretary has said, this violence is unacceptable and must stop. Accordingly, the Minister has also restricted bilateral cooperation between the UK and Georgia. This means that we are suspending programmatic support to the Georgian government, such as funding for Public Administration Reform and Reconciliation and the Civil Cooperation State Peace Fund, as well as restricting military cooperation, such as no longer assisting in the construction of the Georgian Ministry of Defence’s Cyber ​​Security Centre. We are also restricting political meetings and engagement. We cannot resume the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue in this situation’, he said in Georgian.

MP threatens Zourabichvili if she won’t leave Orbeliani Palace herself

Parliamentary majority member Guram Macharashvili has told media that if current president Salome Zourabichvili won’t leave Orbeliani Palace, the presidential seat, after the inauguration of the new president on 29 December, they will ‘organise many performances’ for her, not clarifying what he meant by his statement.

‘If [Zourabichvili] decides that from 29th December she will start throwing tantrum and not leave that building [Orbeliani Palace], we will have very funny pre-New Year’s days and we will organise many performances for ordinary citizen [Salome] Zourabichvili’, he said.

Azerbaijani opposition leader posts statement on repression in Georgia and Azerbaijan

The leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), Ali Karimli, has posted on X that the Azerbaijani opposition ‘fully support the Georgian people in their fight for EU integration, free and fair elections, and democracy’.

‘We share concerns about the Georgian government’s rollback of democratic progress and rising authoritarianism. Living under authoritarianism ourselves, we deeply understand its anti-people, anti-human nature’, Karimli wrote. 

He noted, however, the difference in reactions between Georgian and Azerbaijani oppression, stating that they had not seen ‘the same level of concern or principled statements from US and EU officials about Azerbaijan’s repression’ as compared to Georgia. 

‘We are closely watching how the world responds—or remains silent—in the face of Azerbaijan’s widespread repression. Silence is not an option. We call on you to take strong, decisive action’, Karimli wrote, arguing that Georgia could end up in the same situation as Azerbaijan if action was not taken. 

‘If Georgia’s people do not receive strong international support, their government may escalate arrests and violence, driving protesters off the streets — just as the Azerbaijani government did to us years ago. I sincerely hope Georgia avoids this fate. I do not want the Georgian people to endure the same suffering under authoritarianism that we have in Azerbaijan’, Karimli wrote.

Prominent actor and media personality leaves pro-government media

Duta Skhirtladze, a prominent Georgian actor and media personality, has left his position with pro-government TV Imedi, his wife Marina Natsvlishvili confirmed to Ambebi.ge.

Helsinki Commission highlights bipartisan support for the Georgian people

The US Helsinki Commission has shared statements from Congressional leaders, highlighting that support for the Georgian people ‘as they continue to struggle to save their democracy and Euro-Atlantic future in the face of violence and repression’ is a bipartisan issue. 

🇬🇪 Bipartisan congressional leadership stand with the Georgian people as they continue to struggle to save their democracy and Euro-Atlantic future in the face of violence and repression. pic.twitter.com/D5fAnFRO3b

— U.S. Helsinki Commission (@HelsinkiComm) December 12, 2024

MIA detains one individual for damaging seven cameras

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has detained another person on criminal charges of group damage to property, which carries up to six years in prison.

According to the Interior Ministry, the accused ‘during a demonstration on Rustaveli Avenue on 4 December, together with his companions, damaged seven video surveillance cameras registered with the [Emergency Response Centre]’.

Key events from yesterday:

• The General Director of the opposition-leaning TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, Giorgi Gabunia, claimed that one of the channel’s shareholders, Zaza Okuashvili, was trying to shut it down.
• French President Emmanuel Macron had an hour-long phone call with Georgian Dream founder and honorary chair Bidzina Ivanishvili. 
• Multiple MEPs arrived in Tbilisi to meet with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, opposition parties, civil society representatives, and journalists.
• The local human rights organisation Social Justice Centre reported that foreign citizens participating in the protests are being summoned to the Interior Ministry’s Migration Department, with one person already forcibly deported. 
• RFE/RL’s Europe Editor, Rikard Jozwiak, posted on X that the EU is considering visa liberalisation suspension of Georgian diplomatic passports.
• Former and current public officials held a march in the centre of Tbilisi.