Page 7 - GEORptDec21

2.0 Politics
2.1 Saakashvili appears in court for first time, ends
50-day hunger strike
In his first court appearance, Mikheil Saakashvili has told a court in Tbilisi he was "tortured" during his pretrial detention before the judge adjourned the proceedings until December 23 amid scuffles outside the court between police and the former president's supporters.
In extended remarks, the former president also claimed he was asked “at least twice” to become prime minister of Ukraine during Ukrainian ex-president Petro Poroshenko’s term. “But just like this, I put all of these aside, temporarily at least, and arrived in Georgia, where I was sure I would either be killed en route, or killed during arrival just how they did to Zviad Gamsakhurdia [Georgia’s first president, died in mysterious circumstances] or I would be put in a cell, from where my chances of release as we are all convinced are the minimum,” Saakashvili said.
Saakashvili then went on to say that “Georgia’s economy has developed into an economy just as how Venezuela was, or how Moldova was before. The key model is that all local resources belong to an oligarchy or one oligarch, one ruler, while the population earns a living by serving an oligarch or with the money remitted by relatives.”
Saakashvili ended his 50-day hunger strike earlier this month after authorities agreed to move him to a military hospital.
The former president and founder of the main opposition party was convicted in absentia in 2018 to six years in jail for abuse of office. He began his hunger strike after being jailed upon his return from exile in Ukraine on 1 October, saying the charges and his arrest were political.
2.2 Georgia plans COVID passport from Dec 1
Georgian authorities will soon require a COVID ‘green card’ to enter many establishments, the government announced.
Beginning on December 1, Georgian citizens and visitors will require a COVID pass to enter cafes and bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, operas, museums and other venues. The pass will only be issued to those who are fully vaccinated or have recorded a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours. Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control reports that 26% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Georgian officials began mulling the idea of a COVID pass late last week. While access to non-essential services will soon require the pass, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili remains steadfastly opposed to strictly mandatory vaccination in the country.
7 GEORGIA Country Report December 2021 www.intellinews.com