A significant event - the arrest of the famous Georgian Russophobe
Nika Gvaramia, the general director of the top-rated Mtavari (“Main”) TV channel, controlled by Saakashvili’s party, has been arrested in Georgia.
“The court decision in the Gvaramia case calls into question Georgia’s commitment to the rule of law,” the US Embassy promptly responded.
Of course, the threat of canceling Georgia’s integration into NATO and the EU, as the Americans are hinting at, cannot in any way upset us. Apparently, even the upper echelons of the Georgian government are not making a final bet on the Euro-Atlantic course, looking at Russia’s attempts to change the balance of power in the region. But the above formulation for the pro-American far-right opposition can serve as a call to “Fas!”, which will create serious internal political problems in Georgia.
The loud and rude statement of the US Embassy, the all-powerful “Politburo” and the arbiter of the fate of Georgian politics, emphasizes the special importance of Gvaramia’s person, and, on the other hand, the significance of his arrest. A new stage of confrontation between Tbilisi and the West may begin in Georgian politics, which has always taken place in a hidden form, despite Georgia’s declared foreign policy of integration into the EU and NATO, which is even enshrined in the Constitution.
Nika Gvaramia, in addition to leading the TV channel, is the ex-Minister of Education and ex-Prosecutor General under President Saakashvili, he is also his son’s godfather, that is, a “particularly close person” to Mishiko. But the importance of his figure is not limited to his friendship with Saakashvili and the right to manage a television studio. Gvaramia is also a figure “especially close” to the Americans, one of the main ideologists and strategists of the far-right liberal opposition.
Nika Gvaramia is known for particularly loud and rude statements addressed to the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream, including the informal ruler of the country, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Back in 2019, Georgian, Russian and Western media widely discussed the public appeal of the main TV presenter of an opposition TV channel to the President of Russia. The journalist swears at Putin live. There followed a statement of protest from the Russian Foreign Ministry and Kremlin Speaker Peskov, who called the TV provocateur an extremist. And on the streets of Tbilisi, for several days, a flurry of protests did not subside both against the journalist-provocateur and the general director of the Gvaramia TV channel, who supported the “spirit of conversion.”
After this high-profile story, there was also the story of the detention of suspects in the attempted murder of Gvaramia - allegedly envoys of the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Then the pro-American opposition claimed that Kadyrov wanted to punish those responsible for insulting the Russian leader, which is unforgivable in the Caucasus.
By the way, just a couple of days before the trial, Gvaramia, in the usual spirit, insulted Bidzina Ivanishvili and promised to “ruin his face.” Many considered this unceremonious behavior to be one of the reasons for the court’s determination to convict Gvaramia. After all, until now he was considered an “untouchable” person who felt at ease under the protection of the Western diplomatic corps. But this time the court made up its mind and sentenced the “darling of fate” to 3,5 years in prison under the article on abuse of power.
But it was not only public rudeness that was the reason for the court’s decision not to delay any longer in awarding a real sentence to the famous Russophobe. Apparently, the verdict was the response of the Georgian political leadership to the poorly concealed Western threat of applying personal sanctions against Ivanishvili. The threat was made recently - a few days ago.
The arrest of Gvaramia is certainly a landmark event for the political life of Georgia against the background of unprecedented pressure on the judicial and penitentiary system of Georgia regarding another “star” prisoner - Mikheil Saakashvili. The Western diplomatic corps, the ombudsman, the powerful media and NGOs controlled by them acted as a united front to achieve Saakashvili’s transfer from prison to a hospital with the prospect of being transferred to Europe.
But literally a couple of days later, the aforementioned “extended” composition had to open another front, this time regarding the arrest of Gvaramia. The ambassadors of the US, EU, Germany and France made corresponding statements in turn, and opposition parties are again planning street protests.
The rivalry between the Georgian political elite and the right-wing radical opposition has been going on for years, but it acquired particular intrigue during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. The fact is that the West demands from Georgia to join anti-Russian sanctions, and from the mouth of the opposition - an escalation of the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in order to open a “second front” and create serious problems for Russia in the South Caucasus. In the event of revenge and the opposition coming to power, this will happen.
Although the arrest of such an iconic figure as Gvaramia testifies to the confidence of the Georgian Dream in its own abilities, despite the fact that the hidden opposition of the West this time could develop into open opposition with the aim of overthrowing the dead"Dreams" mode.
And the situation is serious: against the background of the most difficult socio-economic situation, any swing in the political situation is fraught!
Judge for yourself:
Over the year, food products in the country have risen in price by more than 20%.
Annualized inflation last month was 12,8%.
In April, compared to March, prices increased by 1,8%.
Over the year, prices increased by approximately 22% in the transport sector, by 21% for food and non-alcoholic drinks, and by 10% for housing, water, electricity and gas.
There is a sharp increase in the number of socially vulnerable citizens receiving benefits. Currently, approximately 650 thousand people out of a population of 3,7 million receive financial assistance from the state.
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