Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili during his first interrogation December 1, 2012. (Police.ge.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have detained former Interior Minister and Saakashvili faithful Vano Merabishvili.

He is charged with sabotaging the investigation of the murder of a bank employee, Sandro Girgvliani, in 2006, appropriation and embezzlement in connection with an employment program and the violent dispersal of demonstrators on May 26, 2011.

Member of the United National Movement Zurab Chiaberashvili is also detained.

This is the second time Merabishvili and Chiaberashvili are being questioned by police regarding the employment program. The first time they were questioned was February 13, 2013.

In December, 2012, Merabishvili was questioned on suspicion on having tried to board a flight with a forged passport. With the charges he was served today, he may face from 7 to 18 years in jail.

He is considered one of the most significant figures within President Saakashvili’s National Movement party, and is the current party secretary.

Merabishvili is being questioning at the regional Prosecutor’s Office of the Imereti region, in Kutaisi in western Georgia.

He told journalists before entering the office that it would have been better if the government had focused on fulfilling its employment program in parallel with his questioning.

Members of the UNM and other supporters are gathered at the proseecutor’s office to support him.

Chiaberashvili said before the questioning started that ‘due to the absurd steps of the new government’ he doesn’t exclude that he and Merabishvili may be charged and detained.

In the summer of 2012 when Vano Merabishvili was leading the National Movement party’s election campaign as prime minister, Saakashvili’s government announced a new program to register unemployed people and create a database to help them in getting job.

The government announced that 3 000 people would be hired to register all the unemployed.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the government hired an additional 21 837 persons for this process and allocated 5.24 million lari for their salaries. They did not get any type of training or instructions for their future job.

According to testimonies of about 2 000 people out of those 21 837, they didn’t carry out any job when they were taking part in the program, but were paid for various activities during the UNM’s election campaign.

The Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement saying it has carried out complex measures to investigate the actions of Merabishvili in different positions in the previous government.

The first episode is about the election campaign of the UNM in 2012, when according to the statement, Ivanishvili implemented a secret operation to bribe voters and used the employment program as a cover.

5.2 million lari was illegally transferred to 22 000 people for election campaigning instead of implementing certain activities within the frames of the employment program.

The investigation is almost finished regarding the May 26, 2011 events, when police violently dispersed a peaceful anti-government rally.

“On personal order of Vano Merabishvili and his personal control, police used exceeded and disproportionate power against fenced-in citizens, as result two citizens died and many people were injured,” the statement reads.

The third case is the controversial case of the murder of Sandro Girgvliani. The Prosecutor’s Office writes that the investigation almost restored the precise situation and condition of the incident, defined participant persons and revealed the real motive of crime, its organizers and executors.

“Evidence unequivocally prove that Vano Merabishvili together with other high officials, also his wife Tako Salakaia and close persons, wanted to distance themselves from the crime and provided falsification of material in the investigation of the case and purposefully interrupted the restoration of justice in the case.”

President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and former US President Bill Clinton meeting recently. (Photo published on Saakashvili’s Facebook page.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministry and the president’s administration in Georgia are embroiled in a quarrel over who is to blame for the bad coordination of foreign visits.

The ministry accuses the president’s administration of not coordinating visits abroad, while the president administration accuses the ministry of putting out incorrect information.

On Monday, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Zalkaliani said at a routine briefing that President Mikheil Saakashvili barred Archil Gegeshidze, Georgia’s Ambassador to the US, from attending his meetings during a visit to the US.

He also said that Gegeshidze proposed to attend the meetings, but the president said he didn’t need the embassy to participate in his meetings.

The president’s administration immediately responded by calling this statement ‘shameful.’

“It would have been better for the deputy minister to review the facts and then make strong statements,” the administration wrote.

It further claimed that Gegeshidze’s deputy, Mikheil Darchiashvili, attended the meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry, and that Archil Gegeshidze wasn’t even in the US. The president’s visit took place April 24-May 2.

“It is shameful when instead of actively supporting the president in successfully carrying out visits abroad, the foreign affairs ministry is passive and also tries to mislead society and blames its own inconsistency on the president’s administration.”

Even though the government does not agree with the statement of the president’s administration, they expressed readiness to participate in the president’s future visits.

The two main power blocs in Georgian politics, Prime Minister Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream and Saakashvili’s National Movement, have for the last seven months been sparring over who is entitled to represent the country abroad, each offering different accounts of current and historic events.

The disagreement comes against the background of a bumpy power-sharing process which will continue until the new constitution comes into power next year and shifts power almost entirely to the parliament.

Saakashvili has several times used his right to veto laws passed by Georgian Dream, but the coalition controls enough of a majority to force the laws through by overturning his vetoes, which happened last when a bill about common courts recently came into force.

The level of disagreement is still less than it was before the parliamentary election in October, 2012, when the Georgian Dream coalition was promising to not only clean up in the previous regime’s crimes but also to impeach Saakashvili.

After the coalition assumed government power and started prosecuting former officials, cooperation broke down between the two blocs. Then a model of power-sharing was introduced called ‘cohabitation’ largely due to outside pressure to adhere to a process of post Soviet transition meant to steer the country towards a more mature democracy.

The ferroalloy plant in Zestaponi produces 12 percent of Georgia’s national export. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Metal workers in Zestaponi in western Georgia are on strike and have paralyzed the functioning of a plant which is responsible for 12 percent of Georgia’s export.

The operation of the Zestaponi ferroalloy plant was suspended almost all of Monday. Workers held a warning rally last week, but management of the company didn’t react. All the workers at the plant are now on strike, demanding to have collective contracts and to increase their salaries by 50 percent.

Workers also want improved social conditions and compensation for night work. Hundreds of workers are participating in the protest.

Maka Kvaratskhelia, Head of Ferroalloy Company’s press office, told journalists that the company is ‘categorically against’ fulfilling the demands that have the form of an ultimatum, but is willing to listen to workers in the form of a dialogue. She said if the workers continue their protest, their salaries will be cut.

The workers dissolved on Monday evening for a while, but are planning to continue the strike from Tuesday morning.

They told local media that if management doesn’t want ultimatums, then it is unaccepable for them to listen to lies.

President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, is visiting Thailand. (Photo posted on the president’s Facebook page.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili again asks members of the Georgian Dream coalition to go on visits abroad together with him.

The president on Sunday left for Thailand in order to participate in the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit, as well as to hold bilateral meetings.

Before leaving, he told journalists that in the current situation, Georgia needs diplomatic actions, while Russia attempts to legalize the occupation of Georgian territories.

“This is a summit of Asian countries and this is a place where a whole number of risk group countries’ representatives will come. But the problems is that our delegation arrived and there is no Foreign Affairs Ministry with us,” he said, adding that it is important that a minister also went on visits and work on issues which are significant for the country.

The president said he is surprised that the Foreign Ministry didn’t send anyone, when was well aware of the summit months ago.

According to its webpage, the summit aims to promote dialogue among regional leaders in Asia and the Pacific about water-related policy priorities and commitments and facilitate more effective regional cooperation in water security in that region.

Saakashvili said he plans to leave for Ecuador for the inauguration of the president there.

“Ecuador supports Georgia’s territorial integrity but there will also be risk group countries, which Russia actively cooperates with.”

The president said his offer to members of the parliamentary majority still stands to come with Georgian delegations. He said this would please him as there shouldn’t be differences in positions about foreign affairs issues.

Saakashvili expressed hope that the situation will improve in Ecuador and that the Foreign Ministry will be present.

Victims and activists ask parliament to create a commission to study the crimes of the Saakashvili regime. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Former political prisoners on Sunday held people’s congress at Sport’s Palace in Tbilisi in order to demand the restoration of justice and put the Saakashvili regime on trial.

The congress decided to set up a people’s movement with the same name: ‘Justice should be restored.’

During the congress, videos were showed of events of May 26, 2011, and November 7, 2007, when the governments of President Mikheil Saakashvili used force to disperse peaceful rallies.

Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili was also invited.

“We are already studying certain cases,” he said. “Like the cases when a person has a certain status but the conviction wasn’t removed from their record. Many cases haven’t been published, many cases are top secret.”

The participants at the congress passed a resolution which asks the parliament of Georgia to set up a commission to investigate crimes committed during the previous government and give those crimes the appropriate legal, political and moral evaluation.

They also appeal to the international community to have a fair and objective position about the former government and the party of Saakashvili, the United National Movement.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili speaking at Police Day. (Photo published by Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police Day was marked in Georgia May 19. It was supposed to have been held on May 6, but the event was rescheduled due to the Easter celebration.

The Interior Ministry used the occasion to present a new uniform, a shoulder-mounted video camera, a redesigned badge, new cars and a new website.

In Tbilisi, 50 policemen were awarded extinctions for their merits, while policemen were also awarded in other regions of Georgia.

400 new Skoda patrol cars and motorcycles of the brands Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha were given to the patrol police department. The presentation ceremony was held at the glass building of the Interior Ministry, referred to by some locals as «the shark».

The ceremony attended by the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament, other members of parliament, government members and foreign diplomats.

The Interior Ministry presented new draft law on the police, the strategy for developing the interior ministry and a code of ethics for Georgian police. The draft presents a new concept for the police. It defines in detail the preventive measures and the legal basis for implementing the plan.

According to the ministry, representatives of Latvia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Romania and Qatari law enforcement body representatives came to Georgia to attend today’s ceremony.

Minister of Interinal Affairs Irakli Gharibashvili said there is a plan to build a memorial to policemen who have died in the line of duty.

Repulsed by Friday’s violence, campaigners demand a proper investigation of every incident. (DFWatch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A peaceful rally to protest Friday’s violent clashes went ahead without serious incidents outside the government office on Saturday.

In the afternoon, LGBT activists and their supporters started gathering in front of the government’s office, the Chancellery.

As they arrived, there was gathered up to ten people from the National Front holding a large poster which read: ‘Homosexuality is a spiritual and psychological defect. Propaganda for perverted sexual acts and immorality should be prohibited.”

The Interior Ministry was notified about today’s rally, and the police was mobilized throughout the area. The police made a cordon between the counter-rally and the LGBT activists and prevented activists from the National Front to cross the line and go over to the other side, where LGBT activists were gathered.

During the rally there were cases when some of the counter-demonstrators managed to sneak into the other side and yell things like “you’re against nationality, against religion and the values of Georgians”; but the police forced them over to the other side of the line.

There was no physical confrontation on Saturday, only verbal insults.

The rally was held to condemn the violence by the Orthodox Church’s clerics and followers, who yesterday attacked activists for LGBT people’s rights. 28 persons were injured in the clashes, among them two journalists and three policemen. Only two still remain in hospital.

Participants at today’s rally demanded that the guilty are punished.

Lasha Jokhadze, Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department in Tbilisi, who came to the rally, said that there has been launched several criminal investigations regarding yesterday’s violent incidents.

The rally was dissolved peacefully after one hour.

Priests removing the police barricades Friday. (Click to enlarge.) (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–After the violence yesterday, a gathering is planned today Saturday outside the government building on Ingorokva Street 7 at 15:00 to condemn what happened.

Organizers say the goal is to condemn the violence by clerics and others who confronted the LGBT activists who wanted to hold a flash mob to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.

“We also demand to identify and punish the guilty,” the Facebook event explanation reads.

Clerics and parishioners of the Orthodox Church prevented LGBT activists from carrying out the flash mob event. Thousands of counter-demonstrators attacked a few tens of LGBT activists, whom the police barely managed to get away from the premises, but still the clashes led to more than 20 injured.

A support rally organized by youth was held in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city, on Friday.

One of the organizers, Giorgi Kldiashvili, told local media that an unknown group of people dispersed their peaceful rally.

“We were protesting what happened in Tbilisi. Some people came and dispersed our rally, took and tore our posters. There were insults and attempts at physical abuse. Police wasn’t acting adequately,” he said.

Later, rally participants moved to the parliament building in Kutaisi. About twenty people participated.

Clerics addressing the anti-gay demonstrators with megaphone Friday. (DFWatch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian church is distancing itself from the violence on May 17, but maintains that LGBT propaganda is not acceptable.

Patriarch Ilia II commented on the violent clashes between his parishioners and LGBT campaigners in Tbilisi.

Ilia II called on the confronting parties to leave the streets on Friday.

“A person may fall into sin, this is a sin and no religion will support this sin,” he said at the airport before leaving for Turkey. “We should know that this is a sin to God, but we also can express concern and not intervene in private life.”

Ilia II called on people to leave the streets and ‘pray for each other’.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said he condemns violence, and that freedom of assembly is fundamental to Georgia’s democracy.

The prime minister’s statement, which was published on the government’s official website, called on every Georgian to respect democracy and freedom of speech.

“Every Georgian citizen benefits fully and equally from this right. Acts of violence, discrimination and restriction of the rights of others will not be tolerated, and any perpetrators of such acts will be dealt with according to the law,” his statement reads.

According to his statement, more than 2 000 policemen were mobilized on Friday in order to avoid confrontation, but thousands of counter-demonstrators ‘overwhelmed’ them.

“Some of whom (counter-demonstrators) engaged in violence, broke through the police cordons and attempted to physically assault the LGBT representatives. In order to ensure the security of the rally participants, special forces transported them to an alternative location,” the PM writes.

President Mikheil Saakashvili also commented on Friday’s events. He said the government should not allow violence among people.

“I do not agree that today’s violence was a result of some actions of ordinary police and it should be blamed on them. It is a political responsibility,” he notes. “The country has a government so that the latter will not allow violence between people.”

Saakashvili thinks that violent scenes weaken country’s international position, when state has many international challenges.

“Now we should sit down both government and opposition, people of different views, and understand that we have one homeland and we want Georgia to become stronger, not the contrary,” he said, adding that they all together should negotiate to solve all those issues within the frames of the law, and only through dialogue.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry launched an investigation into Friday’s events.

Orthodox Christian activists successfully prevented a peaceful demonstration against homophobia in Tbilisi Friday. Twenty eight people were injured. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Orthodox Christian activists Friday successfully prevented a peaceful demonstration to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in Tbilisi.

After numerous violent incidents throughout the day which led to more than twenty people being injured, the police attempted to evacuate the gay rights demonstrators and get them out of the city, partly using their own police cars.

But the evacuation began too late for one minibus which was surrounded by a large crowd of angry people at Kolmeurneobis Square, close to Freedom Square, who pummeled the minibus with stones and smashed its windows (see video below).

The Interior Ministry asked citizens to stay away from Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi’s main street.

Identoba, an organization which works with promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual people, had planned to hold a peaceful silent flash mob in front of the old parliament building at 13:00 today.

But clerics and parishioners of the Orthodox Christian Georgian Church asked in social networks to have the plans cancelled and planned to prevent the event from taking place.

At about 12:00, a police cordon was established around the entrance to the metro station Tavisupleba, which is the one closest to the old parliament building, and prevented citizens from joining the crowd. A second cordon blocked the main street Rustaveli, where hundreds of parishioners had gathered. They held Georgian flags, crosses, nettles, chairs and threatened to beat and kill homosexuals.

Then parishioners led on by clerics broke through the police cordon and moved towards the members of Identoba and their supporters who held banners demanding equal rights for every person.

There was a clash at Freedom Square, where parishioners beat the demonstrators. About 20 persons were injured in the confrontation. About 10 persons were beaten at Vachnadze Street, after the demonstrators left the area around Freedom Square, but parishioners chased them.

Ambulances brought injured people to the hospital. Police could be seen driving demonstrators to outside of Tbilisi’s city limits and other police were protecting the office of Identoba.

Twenty eight people were injured, among them two journalists and three policemen. (DFWatch photo.)

According to Rustavi 2, 10 demonstrators have been brought to the High Medical Technology Center. 5 of them are representatives of law enforcement, who have more serious injuries than the demonstrators.

3 injured were brought to the First Hospital at about 17:30. Two of them are employees of patrol police and one is Radio Fortuna journalist Khatia Kalandadze, who was hit in the head by a heavy object, but she does not remember what happened. She remains in hospital, but the other two injured have left the building.

Imedi TV reported that one foreign journalist was also injured.

Doctor Flora Kvernadze said one policeman has a wound on the left hand and the other one has ankle trauma. Both have been discharged from the hospital. Doctor Konstantine Mumladze said the patients have mainly injuries to the chest and skull.

Orthodox Christian activists are still staying at Rustaveli Avenue. “If we go, they will come and continue their immorality again,” said one of the congregation.