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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 22h

“we also [must] have a clearly formulated position that it is not normal for a democratic state to turn a blind eye to the attacks on democratic institutions.”

It is undeniable her government and party are “attacking democratic institutions” (and Georgian democracy as a whole).

Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 22h

“we should not ignore the attacks that are being carried out on the functioning of democratic institutions”.

(the attacks by the “radical” opposition who are “agents of the Deep State” - and the EU)

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 22h

I wish I could give Maka Bochorishvili the benefit of doubt, but this is like she talks about her own government in a similar ironic fashion as Russia or other similar regimes speak, such as the much admired Trump.

www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

Maka Botchorishvili: It is very important that the processes in the country be assessed objectively - we should not ignore the attacks being carried out on the functioning of democratic institutions

When assessing processes in a country, it is very important that these processes be assessed objectively, - Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said at the press conference held with the OSC...

www.interpressnews.ge

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Dit heeft niks met witwassen te maken, maar iets in me zegt dat dit een voorbeeld is van een gesprek dat nooit een gelijkwaardig gesprek kan worden.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Er kunnen ook grenzen liggen aan nut van gesprek met sommige gewone burgers in de aard van de column van Schimmelpenninck. Neemt niet weg dat je altijd open moet staan om gesprek aan te gaan, ook m politici.

Radio1 debat Jimmy Dijk SP legde pijnlijk op tafel de idioterie van De Vos over Groningen.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Het Nederland waar ik een burger van ben moet juist dit gesprek met elkaar voeren, op verjaardagen, op de markt, in de koffietent. En niet over elkaar in gescheiden clubjes. Maar misschien ben ik een vreemde naïeve vogel 🤷‍♂️

Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Ik heb van het weekend gecanvasd: langs deuren gaan en met bewoners gesproken. Daar zaten in mijn multiculturele wijk ook Wilders stemmers tussen. In jouw wereld zou ik dan het gesprek hebben moeten afkappen en weglopen? Bijzondere framing dit. Ik had eerlijk gezegd prima gesprekken.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Jan Pronk: de VN bestaat niet meer, verlamd door rivaliserende grootmachten in de Veiligheidsraad maar ook directe eigenbelangen van lidstaten.

www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Jan Pronk: ‘De VN zijn ontmanteld en daarom kijken we weg van Soedan’

Jan Pronk | oud-minister: Jan Pronks missionaire drang als minister van Ontwikkelingssamenwerking steekt scherp af tegen het huidige nastreven van eigenbelang. „Helaas is links Europa erg met zichzelf...

www.nrc.nl

Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

This became especially a thing when thousands of Russians settled in Tbilisi from September 2022 during the mobilization wave.

This thing subsided (I haven't experienced it myself anywhere really), but apparently some companies stick to it. And now it has been challenged for discrimination.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 various Georgian companies, from cafe's and restaurants to other service industries asked customers to denounce the Russian aggression, occupation and declare their support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Georgia.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

A Russian citizen refused to sign the contract of the fitness club due to this note and was refused to use the services.

He objected against this at the ombudsperson citing discrimination, who agreed with him - citing the anti-discrimination law Georgia adopted for the EU association agreement.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

A remarkable case in Georgia.

The public defender/ombudsperson has reprimanded a fitness club in Batumi for refusing to provide services to those who do not sign a document that they object to the Russian occupation of parts of Georgia and Ukraine.

batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/slideshow/59...

„სპეკულირებს ოკუპაციით“ - სახალხო დამცველი „რეფორმერ ფიტნესის“ განცხადებაზე - Batumelebi

რუსული ოკუპაცია • სახალხო დამცველი •

batumelebi.netgazeti.ge

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

* 3rd and subsequent offenses will lead to two year sentence.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

The latter amendment to the criminal code basically announces how GD is going to make an end to the daily protests in front of Parliament. Same sentence for those carrying weapons or “pyrotechnics”. Repeated offenses will lead to one year sentence.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Georgian protest rights further restricted, criminalized with higher punitive measures.

Wearing face mask, blocking road or creating “structures” punishable with 15 days imprisonment. 60 days for not following up instructions to terminate the protest.

www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/8...

შეკრების მონაწილის მიერ სახის ნიღბით დაფარვის, გზის გადაკეტვის პირველივე შემთხვევა გამოიწვევს ადმინისტრაციულ პატიმრობას 15 დღემდე - სისხლის სამართლებრივი პასუხისმგებლობა დაეკისრება პირს, რომელიც სამარ...

ადმინისტრაციულ სამართალდარღვევათა და სისხლის სამართლის კოდექსში რიგი ცვლილებები შევა. ამის შესახებ საპარლამენტო უმრავლესობის

www.interpressnews.ge

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Donations from such persons will be prohibited. Parties not subscribing the constitution will not be registered.

In a normal democracy this may seem not extremely unreasonable, but under the current one-party rule in Georgia, with courts under the thumb, this is ramp to pure political exclusion.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Citizens right to vote and participate gets restricted ("the explanatory note states that the right to vote is not an absolute right").

If constitutional court rules a person is banned from party activities, holding political office, parties will have their registration revoked if they ignore this.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

And so it begins...

Georgian Dream parliament has started amending the law on political parties, criminal code and election code to widen the scope of banning parties and citizens from participating in the democratic process.
publika.ge/vis-aekrdzal...

ვის აეკრძალება პარტიული საქმიანობა და არჩევნებში მონაწილეობა — „ოცნების" კანონპროექტი

პუბლიკა - ინფორმირებული არჩევანისათვის

publika.ge

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

No problem. As for the anti-drugs, they have tightened punitive measures which also touches so-called consumers in a repressive manner. So there’s a debatable component there (it’s not all organized crime related so to speak)

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t have the split numbers, but given the news over the past months it is a combination of true crime efforts (such as anti-drugs, seemingly an uptick in other criminal activities, murder etc) as well as the political repression part. Protesters and politicians.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

But since that a strong uptick is noticed due to the various fronts.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

The authorities are in various crackdowns, from elite corruption among their own clan (infighting), to anti-drugs and specifically political repression.

Around the elections last year the number rose to above 10k for the first time in 9 years. After that it decreased to 8.6k in January 2025.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 1d

Repression in Georgia in numbers. According to Geostat, the maximum prison capacity is nearly reached, due to more than 1500 new prisoners since January, with a total of more than 10000.

Between 2015 and 2024 Georgia had less than 10k prisoners.
www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33558614.h...

საქართველოს ციხეებში პატიმრების რიცხვი 6 თვეში 1 532-ით გაიზარდა - კიდევ რას აჩვენებს სტატისტიკა

სტატისტიკის ეროვნული ბიუროს მონაცემებით, საქართველოში პატიმრების საერთო რაოდენობა უახლოვდება საპატიმრო დაწესებულებებში პატიმრების ადგილების რაოდენობის ზედა ზღვარს.

www.radiotavisupleba.ge

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 2d

Ajara is not known for such activities, but its location on the Turkish border and the mountainous territory with scattered villages makes it a suitable cross-border transit area. More details are unknown, but a connection with the Pankisi valley in the northeast is not unlikely.

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Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 2d

Three Georgians arrested in the autonomous republic Ajara, for "joining a terrorist organization" [ISIS], and setting up a transit channel for islamist terrorists through the territory of Georgia.
batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/590788/

სუსის ცნობით, აჭარაში 3 პირი დააკავეს ტერორისტულ საქმიანობასთან კავშირის ბრალდებით - Batumelebi

batumelebi.netgazeti.ge

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