Escalation feared as Georgia pro-EU protests enter third week

Escalation feared as Georgia pro-EU protests enter third week
Anti-government demonstrators protest against the Government’s postponement of European Union accession talks until 2028, outside the Parliament in central Tbilisi on Dec. 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 12 December 2024
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Escalation feared as Georgia pro-EU protests enter third week

Escalation feared as Georgia pro-EU protests enter third week
  • Despite windy weather on Thursday evening, several thousand people rallied outside Georgia’s parliament
  • Many waved EU and Georgian flags while demonstrators blocked traffic on Tbilisi’s main avenue

TBILISI: Georgia’s pro-EU protests entered their third week Thursday, amid fears the post-electoral crisis could further escalate with the ruling party set to appoint a loyalist as the country’s next president.
The Black Sea nation has been in turmoil since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October’s parliamentary elections, and the government’s decision last month to delay EU accession talks ignited a fresh wave of mass rallies.
More unrest is expected on Saturday, when Georgian Dream is scheduled to strengthen its grip on power by appointing far-right former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili as a successor to pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili, who has refused to step down.
Despite windy weather on Thursday evening, several thousand people rallied outside Georgia’s parliament, marking a third week of daily protests that began on November 28.
Many waved EU and Georgian flags while demonstrators blocked traffic on Tbilisi’s main avenue.
“Our protest will last as long as it takes for Georgian Dream to be removed from power,” protester Rusiko Dolidze, 42, told AFP.
“We won’t let a handful of Russian lackeys steal our European future.”
Anti-government rallies were also held in several cities across Georgia, including in the western cities of Batumi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi, local media reported.
A protest is scheduled for Saturday morning outside parliament, where an electoral college controlled by Georgian Dream is expected to elect Kavelashvili as the country’s new figurehead president in an indirect vote boycotted by the opposition.
Kavelashvili will see his legitimacy undermined from the onset, with constitutional law experts — including an author of Georgia’s constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladze — saying the vote will be “illegitimate.”
The new parliament had ratified its own credentials in violation of a legal requirement to await a court decision on Zurabishvili’s bid to annul the earlier election results.
Zurabishvili has backed the opposition’s allegations of election rigging, declared the newly elected parliament and the government “illegitimate” and vowed to remain in office until Georgian Dream organizes a new parliamentary election.
It remains unclear how the government will react to Zurabishvili’s refusal to step down after her successor is inaugurated on December 29.
Zurabishvili is a hugely popular figure among the protesters, who view her as a beacon of Georgia’s European aspirations. Many have expressed their readiness to defend her against any attempted eviction from the presidential palace.
“Let them try to kick Salome out of the presidential palace — we will all stand up to defend her,” said protester Otar Turnava, 23.
“She is the only legitimate leader we have had since Georgian Dream stole the election, and she will lead us into the EU.”
Triggering outrage at home and mounting international condemnation, police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse previous rallies, arresting more than 400 demonstrators.
The country’s rights ombudsman has accused security forces of “torturing” those detained.
Police have raided opposition party offices and detained their leaders, while masked men have brutally assaulted opposition figures and journalists near the protest venue.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “intimidation” of civil society as well as police violence “against peaceful demonstrators and journalists,” the Elysee said after talks with Georgian Dream’s honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Macron expressed regret that Georgia had “diverged from its European path” and said that “the relationship between the European Union and Georgia would necessarily be affected.”
Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, is widely believed to be pulling the strings of power despite holding no official post.
Macron’s decision to call informal leader Ivanishvili — rather than Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze — is indicative of the West’s hesitancy to recognize the legitimacy of Georgian Dream’s new government.
Brussels has said there are “credible concerns” of torture against demonstrators.
Washington has threatened fresh sanctions against Georgian Dream officials after the European Parliament made a similar demand to the European Commission.
The party rejected fraud accusations and insisted it was committed to Georgia’s bid for EU membership.
Brussels has warned such policies are incompatible with EU membership, while domestic critics accuse the government of copying Russia’s playbook.


Xi, Putin hold video call: Chinese state media

Xi, Putin hold video call: Chinese state media
Updated 49 sec ago
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Xi, Putin hold video call: Chinese state media

Xi, Putin hold video call: Chinese state media
  • State broadcaster did not immediately give details of what was discussed during the call
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held a video call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Beijing’s state media reported.
Xi and Putin “held a video meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the afternoon of January 21,” state broadcaster CCTV said.
The broadcaster did not immediately give details of what was discussed during the call.
China has sought to depict itself as a neutral party since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But it remains a close political and economic partner of Moscow and has never condemned the war, leading some NATO members to brand Beijing an “enabler” of the conflict.
Both sides have made much of Xi and Putin’s supposedly strong personal bond, with Xi calling the Russian leader his “best friend” and Putin lauding his “reliable partner.”
In a New Year’s message to Putin last month, Xi vowed to promote “world peace and development,” according to a contemporary CCTV report.
“In the face of rapidly evolving changes not seen in a century and the turbulent international situation, China and Russia have consistently moved forward hand-in-hand along the correct path of non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party,” the broadcaster reported Xi as saying.

Indian forces kill 14 Maost rebels, including top commander

Indian forces kill 14 Maost rebels, including top commander
Updated 13 min 12 sec ago
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Indian forces kill 14 Maost rebels, including top commander

Indian forces kill 14 Maost rebels, including top commander
  • New Delhi has stepped up efforts to end the decades-long conflict
  • Tuesday’s clashes follow the killing of 12 Maoists on January 16

RAIPUR, India: Indian security forces shot dead at least 14 Maoist rebels, including a top commander, on Tuesday in what the interior minister said was one of the heaviest bouts of recent fighting.
The interior ministry said the commander killed was a leader known as Jairam or Chalpati, who had a $115,000 bounty on his head.
New Delhi has stepped up efforts to end the decades-long conflict. Tuesday’s clashes follow the killing of 12 Maoists on January 16, also in the guerrillas’ heartlands in the forests of India’s Chhattisgarh state.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the decades-long insurgency waged by the rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalized people in India’s resource-rich central regions.
Around 287 rebels were killed in 2024, according to official figures.
The rebels, also known as Naxalites after the district where their armed campaign began in 1967, were inspired by the Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
“Another mighty blow to Naxalism,” Interior Minister Amit Shah said in a statement, confirming that 14 rebels had been “neutralized.”
Shah, who has set a deadline of March 2026 to defeat the rebels, said that “Naxalism is breathing its last.”
Police said reinforcements had been sent to the area.
“Forces are still inside the forest,” said Vivekananda Sinha, head of Chhattisgarh’s anti-Maoist operation.
The Maoists demand land, jobs and a share of the region’s immense natural resources for local residents.
They made inroads in a number of remote communities across India’s east and south, and the movement gained in strength and numbers until the early 2000s.
New Delhi then deployed tens of thousands of troops in a stretch of territory known as the “Red Corridor.”
The conflict has also seen a number of deadly attacks on government forces. A roadside bomb killed at least nine Indian troops this month.


Landslide kills 16 in Indonesia’s Central Java, official says

Landslide kills 16 in Indonesia’s Central Java, official says
Updated 25 min 22 sec ago
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Landslide kills 16 in Indonesia’s Central Java, official says

Landslide kills 16 in Indonesia’s Central Java, official says
  • The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the area
  • The search for those missing has been hampered by rain

JAKARTA: A landslide in Indonesia’s Central Java city of Pekalongan killed 16 people and injured 10, an official at the country’s regional disaster mitigation agency and police said on Tuesday.
The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the area, Bergas Caturasi, an official at the country’s regional disaster mitigation agency told news channel Kompas TV.
The search for those missing has been hampered by rain, Bergas said.
“The search continues on, because we don’t have a lot of time. We’re in a race with the weather,” he said.


Afghan Taliban announce Qatar-brokered prisoner swap deal with US

Afghan Taliban announce Qatar-brokered prisoner swap deal with US
Updated 21 January 2025
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Afghan Taliban announce Qatar-brokered prisoner swap deal with US

Afghan Taliban announce Qatar-brokered prisoner swap deal with US
  • Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad imprisoned in America has been released in exchange for US citizens 
  • Media named the Americans as William McKenty and Ryan Corbett, the latter in Taliban custody since 2022

KABUL: The Taliban government said Tuesday they had released American citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.
Discussions about the prisoner exchange were confirmed last year, but the swap was announced after outgoing US president Joe Biden handed over to Donald Trump, who was inaugurated on Monday.
“An Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad imprisoned in America has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to the country,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Mohammad had been serving a life sentence in the state of California after being arrested “almost two decades ago” in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.
Asked by AFP, the foreign ministry declined to provide further details or the number of American prisoners.
However, in July last year, the Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said two American prisoners were being held in custody in Afghanistan and that an exchange had been discussed with the United States.
US media named the Americans as William McKenty and Ryan Corbett, the latter in Taliban custody since 2022.
Biden came under heavy criticism for the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, more than a year after Trump presided over a deal with the Taliban insurgents to end US and NATO involvement in the two-decade war.
After Trump’s election win in November, the Taliban government had said it hoped for a “new chapter” in ties with the United States.
Taliban authorities have repeatedly said they want positive relations with every country since sweeping back to power in 2021.
No state has officially recognized their government, with restrictions on women’s rights a key sticking point for many countries, including the United States.
The Taliban government on Tuesday called the exchange “a good example of resolving issues through dialogue, expressing special gratitude for the effective role of the brotherly country of Qatar in this regard.”
“The Islamic Emirate views positively those actions of the United States that contribute to the normalization and expansion of relations between the two countries,” it added, using the Taliban authorities’ name for their government.
Dozens of foreigners have been detained by the Taliban authorities since the group’s return to power.
It is unclear how many Afghan citizens are in US custody.
At least one Afghan prisoner remains in detention at the secretive US prison Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Muhammad Rahim, whose family called for his release in November 2023.
In February last year, two former prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay until 2017 were welcomed home to Afghanistan, more than 20 years after they were arrested.


Afghan prisoner in US custody freed in exchange for American citizens, Kabul says

Afghan prisoner in US custody freed in exchange for American citizens, Kabul says
Updated 21 January 2025
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Afghan prisoner in US custody freed in exchange for American citizens, Kabul says

Afghan prisoner in US custody freed in exchange for American citizens, Kabul says

KABUL: The Taliban government said Tuesday it had released American citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.
Discussions about the prisoner exchange were confirmed last year, but the swap was announced after outgoing US president Joe Biden handed over to Donald Trump, who was inaugurated on Monday.
“An Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed imprisoned in America has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to the country,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Mohammed had been serving a life sentence in California after being arrested “almost two decades ago” in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.
The foreign ministry declined to say how many US prisoners had been released, but last year government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said two American prisoners were being held in custody. US media reported that two other Americans remain in detention.
The family of US citizen Ryan Corbett, who was detained by the Taliban in 2022, confirmed he was released and expressed “overwhelming gratitude” that he was coming home.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family said on their website.
They thanked both the Biden and Trump administrations, as well as Qatar, for Corbett’s freedom, and called for two other Americans held in Afghanistan to be released.
US media named William McKenty as the second American detainee, noting little was known about what he was doing in Afghanistan and that his family had asked the US government for privacy in his case.
The New York Times said two other Americans remain in detention in Afghanistan, former airline mechanic George Glezmann and naturalized American Mahmood Habibi.
Biden came under heavy criticism for the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, more than a year after Trump presided over a deal with the Taliban insurgents to end US and NATO involvement in the two-decade war.

After Trump’s election win in November, the Taliban government had said it hoped for a “new chapter” in ties with the United States.
Taliban authorities have repeatedly said they want positive relations with every country since sweeping back to power in 2021.
No state has officially recognized their government, with restrictions on women’s rights a key sticking point for many countries, including the United States.
The Taliban government on Tuesday called the exchange “a good example of resolving issues through dialogue, expressing special gratitude for the effective role of the brotherly country of Qatar in this regard.”
“The Islamic Emirate views positively those actions of the United States that contribute to the normalization and expansion of relations between the two countries,” it added, using the Taliban authorities’ name for their government.
A 2008 US Department of Justice statement named Mohammed — aged 38 at the time — as a member of “an Afghan Taliban cell” and said he was arrested in October 2006 and sentenced in December 2008 to “two terms of life in prison on drug and narco-terrorism charges.”
It was the first narco-terrorism conviction in a US federal court, the statement said.
Dozens of foreigners have been detained by the Taliban authorities since the group’s return to power.
It is unclear how many Afghan citizens are in US custody.
At least one Afghan prisoner remains in detention at the secretive US prison Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Muhammad Rahim, whose family called for his release in November 2023.
In February last year, two former prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay until 2017 were welcomed home to Afghanistan, more than 20 years after they were arrested.