2007 Georgian demonstrations

The 2007 Georgian demonstrations were a series of anti-government protests in Georgia. The demonstrations peaked on November 2, 2007, when 50,000 rallied in downtown Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. People protested against the allegedly corrupt government of president Mikheil Saakashvili. Protests triggered by detention of Georgian politician Irakli Okruashvili on charges of extortion, money laundering, and abuse of office during his tenure as defense minister of the country were organized by the National Council, an ad-hoc coalition of ten opposition parties, and financed by the media tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili. Demonstrations occurred both in September and November 2007 and were initially largely peaceful. The protests went downhill by November 6, 2007, but turned violent the next day when the police, using heavy-handed tactics, including tear gas and water cannon, unblocked Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi's main boulevard, dislodged the protesters from the territory adjoining to the House of Parliament, and prevented the demonstrators from resuming the protests. The government accused the Russian secret services of being involved in an attempted coup d'etat and declared a nationwide state of emergency later that day which lasted until late November 16, 2007.

On November 8, 2007, President Saakashvili announced a compromise solution to hold early presidential elections for January 5 2008. He also proposed to hold a plebiscite in parallel to snap presidential elections about when to hold parliamentary polls – in spring as pushed for by the opposition parties, or in late 2008.

It is said to have been the worst political crisis in Georgia since the 2003 Rose Revolution that brought Saakashvili's government to power.

Background

Georgia in 2004 underwent a bloodless revolution that saw the coming to power of Mikheil Saakashvili, a US trained lawyer and staunch advocate for closer integration with the US and Europe. Saakashvili also inherited the issues of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two de facto independent republics that were part of the Georgian SSR during Soviet times but achieved de facto independence in the early 1990's. Saakashvili had made it part of his agenda to resubjugate these de facto republics through peaceful means. Others within Saakashvili's government, such as the defence minister Irakly Okruashvili had been pushing for a military solution for these de facto republics.

Saaskashvili reassigned the portfolio of Okruashvili from defence to Minister of the Economy in November of 2006. It was believed that the reassignment came due to Okruashvili’s aggressive stance on these de facto republics. Okruashvili subsequently resigned his post.

On September 25, 2007, he announced the formation of the new opposition Movement for United Georgia and unleashed criticism on President Saakashvili, accusing him of corruption, incompetency and human rights violations. He also raised new concerns around Zurab Zhvania's death, challenging the official investigation point of view and personally accused the georgian president in planning the murder of businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili.

Timeline

28 September 2007 protests

Protests started on September 28, 2007. There was no major trouble reported at the rally, except for some minor scuffles between protesters and police when the protesters spilled out onto Rustaveli Avenue, blocking Tbilisi's main thoroughfare in front of the parliament. Demonstrators were demanding early elections, more accountability and honesty in politics.

The rally was organized by an alliance of major opposition parties with the exception of the New Rights which distanced themselves from the manifestation stating that it was "not the way from one temple to another, it is substitute of one leader with another."

Okruashvili's comments

Former Georgian Minister of Defence Irakly Okruashvili who was arrested on corruption charges on 2007-09-27.

Previously, former Georgian Minister of Defense and long-time critic of Moscow's policy towards Georgia Irakly Okruashvili has lashed out at his former associate President Mikheil Saakashvili. Okruashvili had been sacked by the president, in November 2006, from his post of Defense Minister allegedly under pressure from the West in September 2006.

At the presentation of his party For United Georgia, he accused Saakashvili of corruption, lobbying the interests of his own family, weakness towards separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and a lack of morals. Okruashvili also claimed that the Georgian government had intentionally obscured the true reasons behind the death of former Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. Zhvania had died while Prime Minister in February 2005. Okruashvili said that Zhvania's corpse had been taken to the apartment where he was found dead.

Okruashvili retracted his statements and admitted to the charges raised against him on 8 October 2007 on television, but he later said he made the statements due to being "psychologically pressured".

Government's response

Okruashvili's political comeback and his arrest coincided with Saakashvili's visit to New York City where he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and heavily criticized Russia's involvement in Georgia's breakaway territories. Meanwhile, Giga Bokeria, an influential member of the Parliament of Georgia from the ruling United National Movement party, said by voicing stunning, but groundless accusations Okruashvili wanted "to create some kind of immunity and untouchable status." On September 29, President Saakashvili headed to Upper Abkhazia where he attended opening of a new road linking Georgian-controlled areas in breakaway Abkhazia with Georgia proper. He made his first remarks on Okruashvili's accusations:

File:M Saakashvili.jpg

Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia's president

I want to tell you that personally for me it is very difficult what Okruashvili has done. I am accustomed to any accusations leveled against me and against my relatives. But this person [Okruashvili] - unlike those persons, who just believed in or made allegations – knows precisely that it is a lie.

November 2007 protests

On 2 November 2007, tens of thousands of Georgians protested outside the parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, urging President Mikhail Saakashvili to step down. The crowd also called for early parliamentary elections. They accused Saakashvili of heading a corrupt, authoritarian government and wanted him to be ousted democratically.

The protests continued in the following days; a televised statement from Okruashvili was seen as a boost in support for the opposition.

On November 7, 2007, riot police used water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters outside the parliament. Hundreds of riot policemen armed with shields, batons and riot guns were deployed on the Rustaveli Avenue after patrol police failed to contain protesters and unblock the avenue. The number of demonstrators increased rapidly to about 5,000 people and units of black-clad police were deployed after protestors overwhelmed the conventional police force. Police carrying truncheons and shields, were seen beating and punching protestors, the AFP news agency reported. Apart from riot police, a large group of men in black clothes and black masks were also seen attacking protesters. The health minister said 508 people were admitted to hospital, most to be treated for the effects of tear gas. Twenty-three law enforcement officers were injured and 21 people were arrested during the riots.

TV footage showed some protesters throwing stones at riot policemen. They were dispersed by police a second time.

Two pro-opposition independent TV stations have gone off the air after Badri Patarkatsishvili declared that "Nobody should doubt that all my efforts, my financial resources including the last tetri will be applied for freeing Georgia from Fascist regime": Imedi TV (that is co-owned by the media tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili who sponsored the National Council recently set up by the ten opposition parties and has pledged to finance the rallies until the government is removed) and Kavkasia, located in the same building as Imedi TV. Police officers in masks and assault rifles were seen sealing off the Imedi office. Shortly afterwards, Mikheil Saakashvili declared a state of emergency Georgia-wide to last for 15 days. As a result, news programs at all the private television stations will be shut down for 15 days. The publicly-funded Georgian Public Broadcasting (GPB) will be the only station allowed to provide news coverage.

On November 8, a "small group of students" gathered at Batumi State University to protest against the police violence against the demonstrators in Tbilisi the previous day. According to eyewitnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch, "police attacked the group without warning, chasing and beating protesters trying to flee." Holly Cartner, Executive Director [of] Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch condemned the police attacks on peaceful protesters.

Government's response

Protesters clash with riot police on November 7, 2007.

In a televised address, Saakashvili said his country faced "a very serious threat of unrest". "High ranking officials in Russian special services are behind this," he said, adding that he had evidence. He said several Russian diplomats would be expelled from Georgia for engaging in "espionage". Earlier he had recalled Georgia's ambassador to Moscow, Irakly Chubinishvili, for "consultations". Russia denied any involvement in the current disorder.

Saakasvili commented the clashes by saying "We have been hearing for recent months that turmoil was expected in Georgia by autumn. We have been receiving this information from our intelligence" and that "alternative government has already been set up in Moscow".

Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said a coup attempt was made.

On November 7, Georgia's Interior Ministry released taped audio and video material purporting to show some opposition leaders – Levan Berdzenishvili of the Republican Party, Giorgi Khaindrava of opposition group Equality Institute, Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, the leader of the Freedom Party and Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of Labor Party - cooperating with the Russian counter-intelligence service during a meeting with three Russian diplomats.

Gigi Ugulava, Tbilisi's mayor, defended the action by police, saying: "I was listening to one of the opposition leaders who was saying proudly they planned to pitch tents and set up a tent town in Tbilisi. "What we did is stop this because it is the will of the people not to have a tent town in Tbilisi."

Shortly after the event, Levan Mikeladze, Georgia's ambassador to Switzerland resigned. His resignation letter read: "The decision to forcefully suppress peaceful demonstrators was a tremendous disappointment to me since I believe that Georgians have chosen building democracy and a free country as a primary objective". The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not yet given explanations.

International reaction

Russia - The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Saakashvili's accusations calling it an "irresponsible provocation" designed by Saakashvili to distract attention from his domestic problems and blame them on a foreign scapegoat. It later issued a statement heavily criticizing the Georgian government for police lawlessness, arrests of opposition leaders and human rights activists, ban on activities of the independent media and violence against the foreign journalists.

USA - The United States welcomed the Georgian government’s decision to hold early presidential elections, while urging to end the state of emergency and restore all media broadcasts. On November 13, 2007, Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs and the top U.S. envoy to the Caucasus, told reporters that he would be very surprised if there had been a real threat from Russia to destabilize Georgia.

Sweden - Foreign minister Carl Bildt said that November 7 was a "very dark day for Georgia", but praised the decision to hold early presidential elections, adding that all parties now have to "return to the democratic path". "This is also a way to address the simplistic propaganda that is currently blazoned abroad by the big neighbor in the north (Russia)" /.../ "and to secure long-term stability in the country." Carl Bildt, who met with President Saakashvili in Tbilisi on November 2, has repeatedly said that: "To support and help the young democracies (in Eastern Europe) /.../ is something we (Europe) must do."

UN - Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, rebuked Georgia for its "disproportionate use of force" against protesters and said it must uphold fundamental rights even under a state of emergency. In a statement, she also expressed support for Georgia's public defender, or human rights ombudsman, and voiced concern at the silencing of independent television stations in the former Soviet republic.

NATO - Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in a statement on November 8, 2007 said that “The imposition of Emergency Rule, and the closure of media outlets in Georgia, a Partner with which the Alliance has an Intensified Dialogue, are of particular concern and not in line with Euro-Atlantic values”

EU - The EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, urged restraint from both sides, saying "political differences should be resolved within the democratic institutions".

The Aftermath

Crisis recedes

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Riot police in the streets of Tbilisi.

On 8 November, 2007, Saakashvili announced he was planning snap presidential elections for January 5 2008. He also proposed to hold a simultaneous plebiscite about when to hold parliamentary polls – in spring as pushed for by the opposition parties, or in late 2008. He also called for dialogue with the opposition parties which, he said, did not cooperate with the Russian intelligence, and promised to end the state of emergency within a few days.

Meanwhile, Georgia's opposition announced the suspension of anti-government protests in Tbilisi. Most of the opposition parties hailed President Saakashvili’s decision as the first step to end the political standoff, and agreed to the negotiations with Nino Burjanadze, the parliamentary chairperson.

By November 9, 2007, riot police and troops had been withdrawn from the main sites of the November 7 unrest. On the same day, Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church met separately with Nino Burjanadze and opposition leaders and said that he was ready to mediate between the opposition and the authorities.

Meanwhile, Georgian authorities have charged the businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, who had earlier left for London, with plotting a coup. The Labor Party leader, Shalva Natelashvili, is also wanted for a "coup attempt and espionage". His whereabouts remain unknown, but is rumored to have fled to Russia through Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia.

Later on November 9, the Parliament of Georgia, in a complete absence of opposition lawmakers, backed the presidential decree imposing state of emergency and restrictions on media on the entire territory of Georgia to be in force until late November 22. Eka Sharashenidze, chief of the Georgian President's administration, said, however, that the state of emergency is expected to be lifted much sooner.

Later on November 10, the talks regarding the election code resumed between the ruling and opposition parties.

The nation-wide state of emergency was lifted at 7pm local time on November 16, in accordance to the parliament's decree passed two days ago. All media sources resumed broadcasting with the exception of Imedi TV which still remains off air, as its license has been suspended by the Tbilisi city court.

Criticism of government actions

The opposition leaders, NGOs and the public defender of Georgia have harshly critisized the government actions. Illegal arrests, beatings and intimidations were reported. Concerns have been expressed about apparently widespread practice of tapping private telephone conversations. The Government has been accused in trying to control media.

Economic Impact

Robert Christiansen, the head of the IMF's Georgia mission, indicated that the turmoil and pre-election uncertainty has dented Georgia's image with investors, adding that recovery was possible. He added that "recent political developments add considerable uncertainty to the projected volume of inflows for the remainder of this year and 2008".

See also

• Movement for United Georgia
• Badri Patarkatsishvili
• Rose Revolution
• Human Rights in Georgia

External links

Photos

• Protest Rallies in Pictures (civil.ge)
• Image Gallery of Protest from rian.ru

Videos

• Fairwell speech by IMEDI TV
• Video of events presented by Saakashvili's official website