| Alia, May 13-19
Gigla Baramidze, Democratic Movement – United Georgia – Nino Burjanadze: “We are constantly saying that the Azerbaijanis are our friends and they really are our friends, but why does it happen that this friendship is unilateral and that only Georgia suffers at the expense of this friendship.” | |
| Asaval-Dasavali, May 20-26
Teimuraz Shashiashvili, The Whites party: “Do we give our children this example?!! When I visited Israel, top officials directly told me – even if David the Builder had come back to life, we would not have appointed him as the Defense Minister of Israel, because he was not a Jew!... They said it referring to Mikheil Saakashvili, who appointed his personal servant, Davit Kezerashvili, who came to power with a single shoe, as the Defense Minister of Georgia.” | |
| Alia, May 6-12
Shalva Natelashvili, Labor Party: “Everyone knows that Paata Saakadze, who was beheaded by cannibal Shah Abbas following the 1625 anti-Iranian rebellion in Kartli-Kakheti, is buried at the patrimonial monastery, in the village of Ertatsminda. By the way, this Shah was not Persian, but he was a Turkmen from the same race as [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev, who now blocks our access to the David Gareji Monastery.” | |
| Sakinformi, May 6,
Arno Khidirbegishvili, editor-in-chief of Sakinformi: “Armenian and Azerbaijani populations, compactly living in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions, respectively - weakly controlled by the central government – who have been inspired by impunity of Pankisi residents in Akhmeta Municipality and arbitrariness of Azerbaijani border guards, will again raise their previous demands. The government prefers to keep “delicate” silence citing sensitivity of the issue. As a rule, it ends with the confrontation between ethnically non-Georgian population and the Georgian state with the latter losing the territories like it happened in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region.” Alia, May 13-19
Nana Sulava, journalist: “The government closes its eyes to the brothels of foreign “investors,” though police know well what’s happening there. The Georgian government has made a deal with the organizers of sex tourism – just these guys have sold all prestigious places for sex business, have not they?.. Who can count how many letters have been published by Alia [newspaper] on this issue, but no reaction has followed and nobody has arrested individuals with piercings in nose; no one has been arrested for employing underage girls as prostitutes and no special operation has been carried out in the so called cafes and bars, where young Georgian girls are working as slaves.” | |
Civil society organizations
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| Alia May 6-12
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, the Union of Human Rights Defenders: “[Bidzina Ivanishvili] filled the country with aliens. Even Shah Abbas had not done what he did to the Georgians. He did not allow Georgians to feel happy in their own country. The Persians and Turks were invading and ravaging Georgia, but they failed to stay and gain foothold in our country… He provided legal entry to a lot of Turks and Iranians into the country; they settled down here and do not intend to leave. Considering other aliens, including the Chinese, Indians and Africans, we, the Georgians, will soon appear in the minority.” Georgia and World, May 22
Zurab Kvaratskhelia, People’s Movement Samegrelo: “The mayoral elections were held in Zugdidi… We could not have allowed the election of an alien queen from Holland as a Mayor in our admirable and praiseworthy Zugdidi.” | |
|  | | | Rustavi 2, Kurieri, May 2
Metropolitan Job (Akiashvili) of Urbnisi and Ruisi: “The so called Georgians with changed surnames represent a huge problem for Georgia. No matter whether they will change their surnames or not, they will never become a part of the heavenly nation. The so called “Georgians” with changed surnames are acting in favor of their own country [referring to ethnic Azerbaijanis].” | | |  | | | Rustavi 2, Kurieri, May 2
Metropolitan Job (Akiashvili) of Urbnisi and Ruisi: “The so called Georgians with changed surnames represent a huge problem for Georgia. No matter whether they will change their surnames or not, they will never become a part of the heavenly nation. The so called “Georgians” with changed surnames are acting in favor of their own country [referring to ethnic Azerbaijanis].” | | | | |
| Asaval-Dasavali, May 6-12
Mikheil Zakareishvili, singer: “I demand that all those non-Georgian people who do not speak Georgian be deprived of citizenship.”
Akhali Taoba | |
| Obieqtivi, Dgis Bolos, May 3
Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Alliance of Patriots: “We have been claiming for 15 years that Adjara is actually being invaded and the government has finally acknowledged that this process is underway… 200 madrasas have been opened and at last it has been acknowledged now, when Turkey has already educated 4000 persons, who arrived now and are actually propagandizing Turkey in Adjara, when you will fail to find even a single store or a café in the center of Batumi, which does not belong to a Turk.” | |
| Asaval-Dasavali, May 20-26
Giorgi Gigauri, journalist: “We have dubbed a historical enemy as a historical friend!.. Turkey had been, remains and will remain Georgia’s archenemy! Each and every Georgian should know about it and therefore, we should not weaken our attention!” Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, May 26
Nino Ratishvili, host: “What particular steps has Georgia taken independently? How can we talk about independence and freedom, when after it was decided to announce May 12 as the Day of Victory, it all ended after the Turkish Ambassador wagged his finger in a directive manner.” | |
| Rustavi 2, P.S., May 5,
Metropolitan Job (Akiashvili) of Urbnisi and Ruisi: “They have a spiritual mark of Islam and our historical memory serves us right and we remember that all our sufferings were coming from such countries. Tao-Klarjeti in Turkey, Karai Valley and Hereti in Azerbaijan, Lori-Tashir in Armenia, Sochi, Abkhazia, now Samachablo have been occupied by Russia. We will never forget it. I am surprised, why our border guards failed to move to the other side and protect that territory.” | |
Civil society organizations
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| Georgia and World, May 4
Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, Eurasian Institute: “Unfortunately, about 300 young residents of this region [Pankisi gorge] had been members of the terrorist organizations in the Near East and they have experience of conducting a guerrilla war. A part of them is still fighting – not only on the territory of Syria and Iraq, but already in other countries, including Ukraine and Afghanistan. If we add a huge number of potentially criminal elements with radical views, who look defiantly at Christians, as well as at the representatives of traditional Islam, it will be easier to understand how serious the threat coming from them is for both the state and the society… It is essential that the influence of these so called emirs is limited; a title of “emir” should become punishable like a title of “a thief-in-law.” It is vital to prevent any example of demonstrating obscurantism, as well as to declare any attempts of imposing own rule of life on others as inadmissible.” | |
| Obieqtivi, Akhali Ambebi, May 2
Giorgi Lomia, Alliance of Patriots: “The Patriarch has declared May 17 as the Family Day. We know that a march of LGBT people is scheduled for May 17 that will trigger confrontation with another part of the society… We would like to ask you to allocate the place where they will gather, but that place allocated by you should not be associated either with the country’s victories or with our sanctities.” | |
| Marshalpress, May 10
Statement by the Democratic Movement – United Georgia: “Uniting around this initiative by His Holiness [Family Purity Day] is the rightest way to avoid the confrontation provoked by Georgia’s numerous ill-wishers. Uniting around the national values is the only and most effective way not to allow the provocations planned with huge financial resources. Traditional family is the major value, which has no alternative and which serves as the basis for the country’s development, reproduction and welfare. Only traditional family may create strong Georgia!” | |
| Georgia and World, May 16
Levan Chachua, Georgian Idea: “We should not tolerate our government’s swindling; we should not agree that when we are marking the Family Purity Day on Rustaveli, they will hold a gay parade outside the government’s administration on a parallel street. They should not be able to appear in the places where our clergy is marking the day of our greatest sanctity – a family.” | |
| Pirveli news agency, May 17
Jondi Bagaturia, Georgian Troupe: “They [LGBT people] are screaming, shrieking, using swear words, staging provocations in order to extort grants from the U.S. budget. They can gather wherever they want, but we will not allow them to organize pride parades and propagandize their life.” | |
| Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, May 5
Nino Ratishvili, host: “And what about us?.. Prides, LGBT pride parades. Our patriotism is LGBT and Russia’s patriotism is… I really feel envious… They are growing up their generations, saying their young people that ‘you are the successors of the most fighting nation’ and we are telling our young people that no, Georgians, you should now have a month-long celebrations with LGBT people and this is your patriotism.” | | Asaval-Dasavali, May 6-12
Giorgi Gigauri, journalist: “It was the first sign of terror, when homosexuals described the participation in the Family Purity Day introduced by the Patriarch as “shameful!” But it is nothing compared to the terror demonstrated by Radio Liberty journalist Gogi Gvakharia. In his Facebook post, he openly addressed artists, telling them to be afraid… so, [Gogi] Gvakharia directly told artists that they will be terrorized like Tamar Iveri!.. So, we have such freedom-loving tolerant pederasts and liberasts! And just imagine, the threat has worked!” | | | |
| Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, May 19
Nino Ratishvili, host: “I was hosting Akaki Asatiani and he said that these people [LGBT community] are not requesting equality, but they are already requesting privileges in a quite aggressive manner and we all have a certain reaction to it.” Georgia and World, May 8
Bakur Svanidze, journalist: “Generally, it is the fact that LGBT people are purposefully promoted and granted the statuses of “journalists”, “film critics”, “philosophers” or other experts. It is also the fact that the majority of LGBT activists are granted the degree of “professors” and the right to deliver lectures at higher educational institutions. Of course, this is not the disease and plague spread only in Georgia. It is being done to portray LGBT activists as “clever”, “educated”, “successful” people and to show the future generations that if they want to be successful, to achieve material welfare and take a distinguished place in the society, they should be at least LGBT activists, if not members of the LGBT community. This is how homosexuals are trying to persuade the youth to support them and unfortunately, they partially achieve it.” Alia, May 13-19
Nana Sulava, journalist: “Why did not Gotsiridze defend unprotected workers, though now he proves to be a desperate defender of pederasts? Or this so called journalist, Gogi Gvakharia, who took his first steps in “Young Communist,” but proved to have a good sense of smell and has found new patrons today; he threatens those parents who decided that their children will sing and dance at the May 17 concert. He echoes Gotsiridze’s lie as if this concert is an expression of hate.” | |
Civil society organizations
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| Alia, May 6-12
Sandro Bregadze, Georgian March: “These so called singers went against the Church upon the orders of homosexuals!!! They ended their already poor career with the most shameful page!!! They refused when the Church and the Patriarch offered them to perform at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, because they are standing beside homosexuals on May 17!!! These creatures should not be let into the Church!!! It is not the face of a Georgian woman; a Georgian woman will never stand beside depravity!!! It is a clear example of degradation!!! From Queen Ketevan who sacrificed herself for Christianity to this homosexual-lesbian ugliness!!!”
Alia, May 6-12
Davit Nemsadze, Army Civil Control Group: “Georgian children were frightened with demons in legends, now Georgian “men” are frightened with pederasts. By your behavior [ensemble Shvidkatsa], you took the side of those homosexuals, who kissed each other wearing a chokha… The devil will not be able to win the war with God with the help of seven betrayers either and Georgia will never become the homeland of pederasts.”
Marshalpress, May 15
Nana Devdariani, Global Research Center: “I know a lot of heterosexuals who cannot find a job, or who are dismissed easily, but I have never seen a person with non-traditional orientation, who either cannot find a job or has been dismissed so easily.” Georgia and World, May 16
Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, the Union of Human Rights Defenders: “Now full attention is focused on the “reforms” planned in the education system, which are being implemented silently. The question is about intensive teaching of the subjects oriented to raising awareness among the youth at both schools and higher educational institutions. They want to bring LGBT people to schools and preschool educational institutions who will give children didactic lessons (after their own example). But it came as no surprise to me. In the situation, when the government is actually full of LGBT activists, any attempts to take more open and brave steps should not surprise you.” Rustavi 2, Kurieri, May 17
Guram Palavandishvili, Union of Orthodox Parents: “An attempt to propagandize homosexuality is persisting throughout the world and it should be resisted. The government is unable to do it and therefore, the Church did it. This is how the Church confronts it. God confronts the devil. Therefore, this day [Family Purity Day] has been introduced to confront them. Since we managed not to allow them holding it in 2013, now we are celebrating that the LGBT rally has been thwarted.” | |
| Georgia and World, May 8
Giorgi Razmadze, a cleric: “For example, Nikoloz Rachveli seems to be tolerant to the depraved rule of life, like homosexuality. That is why he thinks that participation in the concert organized by the Patriarchate is unacceptable for him and I think that there is nothing new in it.” | | Interpressnews, May 17
Gabriel Chaduneli, archpriest: “The goal of this gathering is to ensure that Georgian nation will go against all those sins, which will promote our extinction, depraving our descendants. Georgia is not the place, where the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah will be supported.” | | | |
| Obieqtivi, Akhali Ambebi, May 17
Zakaria Gotiashvili, a cleric: “Our country has been brought to the present day in its current form; of course, I would like to see better Georgia, but just due to our traditions, families, love, mutual respect and support, purity and patience rather than depravity, our country managed to maintain its current form. Our country has never danced to the tune of people with different orientation. God protect us against it.” | |
| Rezonansi, May 10, Asaval-Dasavali, May 20-26
Levan Vasadze, businessman: “Notre-Dame fire cannot be accidental. A friend of mine, who is a French wine-maker and who took two million people to the streets against gay pride in Paris, awakened me and told me – Levan, these are the gravest minutes in my life. I tried to encourage him, saying that God will protect France. He said that they deserve it for having so many sins. He wrote to me for several times during that sleepless night; at dawn, he told me that the Crown of Thorns had been rescued.” | |
|  | | | Georgia and World, May 16
Levan Chachua, Georgian Idea: “Our puppet government tries to win favor of conservative society, on the one hand, and adopts an anti-discrimination law, on the other, to show the world what huge steps it has taken towards “democracy” as well as to receive security guarantees from everyone not to be obstructed in propagandizing Sodomy… The only truth is that we must unmask the government, which is supporting drug legalization and depraved sexual relations.” | | |  | | | Imedi, Kronika, May 17
Kakha Kukava, Free Georgia: “We suppose that it is very important if more people participate [in the May 17 Family Purity Day celebrations], because Georgia is under huge pressure; millions are being spent and a lot of international institutions are doing their best to demolish our traditional values and these mass rallies are the only way to resist”. | | | | |
| Obieqtivi, Gamis Studia, May 14
Nino Ratishvili, host: “I will die alive if someone oppresses them [LGBT people], but when I see such hatred, I wonder who are homophobes, we or they? I do not know. Where is it coming from? There was silence during two years; what is happening now? Has money been transferred from the United States?” Georgia and World, May 30
Jaba Zhvania, journalist: “Georgian people did not allow the Soros hens leaping for the May 17 march and parade to mark the day and did not let the men in tights financed from abroad even think about it. It has already triggered mourning and cackling of collective Gogi Gvakharias. “Liberal elite” has loudly criticized it and addressed the “civilized world” for help, saying that dark “Gruzins” are killing our democracy. “The democratic West” immediately expressed its concern exerting pressure on the Georgian government. A number of conclusions were released according to which “the dreamers” [referring to the ruling Georgian Dream party] have not taken strict and effective measures to protect the minorities in the country (in fact – to propagandize sexual depravities).” | |
| Georgia and World, May 8
Giorgi Razmadze, a cleric: “Even a liberal term – homophobia – tells you that you have no right to this choice. You have no right not to love or not to like; so, not only you should not oppress or repress them – we all are against any oppression today – but you should not even consider it unacceptable. This is just what western “tolerance” towards “diversity” means that actually is nothing but rummaging in people’s consciousness in order to degrade them. Fortunately, this violent ideology has uncovered itself and its real essence so that even in the “democratic” West, people clearly saw its real face”. Asaval-Dasavali, May 13-19
Giorgi Pavlov, archpriest: “The situation is very much similar to the period preceding the Sodom and Gomorrah punishment. Liberast thinking has gained its foothold in the West; fighting against God has reached such scales that even an unforgivable sin, like homosexuality is deemed as usual development, i.e. “human right.” The government calls on the society to tolerate immorality rather than to disclose depravity.” | |
Civil society organizations
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|  | | | Georgia and World, May 8
Dimitri Lortkipanidze, Primakov Georgian-Russian Public Center: “It matters what directive they will receive from the West [in connection with the June 17-23 LGBT events]. By the way, Jeffrey Reneau of the U.S. Embassy told media representatives about a month ago that they will be closely following the processes. Then it was said that the PACE delegation may arrive on that day… it means that along with attention, the monitoring system has been turned on to measure the government’s reliability and commitment to the so called western liberal values. Be sure that all directives will be fulfilled thoroughly. So, if there is an order to arrest, the government will not step back; anyway, the fact that the majority of the population stands on the other side will not serve as a deterrent.” | | |  | | | Asaval-Dasavali, May 13-19
Sandro Bregadze, Georgian March: “Although LGBT organizations stepped back, saying that they will cancel the May 17 gay pride parade, we will celebrate real and final victory only after the Soros organizations preaching depravity stop functioning in Georgia.”
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Discrimination on gender grounds
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| Imedi, Kronika, May 20, Pirveli news agency, May 20, Interpressnews, May 20, Netgazeti, May 20, Marshalpress, May 20, Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Dream: “The fact that this person [Mikheil Saakashvili] sent his wife [Sandra Roelofs] to this struggle says everything. Like this person behaved during the real war in 2008, when he acted shamefully as a coward person and a coward politician, now he did the same in this case. I would like to give an advice to Mrs. Roelofs who competed with our candidate – have a rest; I would also ask her to take care of her husband and we will take care of our country.”
https://www.imedi.ge/ge/video/37932/natsionaluri-modzraobis-gegmebi#!?type=1&page=1 http://netgazeti.ge/news/365394/ | |
| Netgazeti, May 16, Rustavi 2, Kurieri, May 17, Georgia and World, May 22, Tazo Patsatsia, Georgian Dream: “Tina Bokuchava said that she is so educated that Misha [Mikheil Saakashvili] helped her finish [playing with words in Georgian, meaning to achieve orgasm] the university directly in the Parliament building.” | |
| Rustavi 2, Kurieri, May 17
Tamaz Patsatsia, Deputy Chairman of the Zugdidi Sakrebulo: “Ani Tsitlidze, should you say everything what is on the tip of your tongue? Are you a girl or a demon, I cannot understand. I am a Zonder [a member of a violent group] who upsets you so much.” | |
| Marshalpress, May 11
Bondo Mdzinarashvili, journalist: “Zugdidi residents, even a house key cannot be entrusted to a woman and how can you elect her [Sandra Roelofs] as the Mayor?!” | | Alia, May 27-June 2
Nana Sulava, journalist: “Misha [Saakashvili] sent Sandra [Roelofs] to the frontline; how can one talk about the firmness of their family, but Sandra does not want to lose the status of Misha’s wife; neither does she want to lose a political status. For years, she has been closing her eyes to being rejected as a woman by her husband, but she has also been closing her eyes when Saakashvili’s bloody regime turned others’ wives into widows …” | | | |
| Rezonansi, May 1
Gia Khukhashvili, political analyst: “I can give a single recommendation to the government – just contain and control this woman [President Salome Zurabishvili] and do not give her freedom in respect of the state issues. It appeared that she can make an Easter cake; there are kitchens in the both presidential palaces. Let her bake and bake and leave us alone.” | |
| Asaval-Dasavali, May 20-26
Koba Arabuli, writer: “It will be a huge shame to elect Satan’s [Saakashvili’s] spouse (a smiling devil) in the community of Mingrelians, in old Kolkheti, which is the place of first Christians. How can you, the Colchis people, accept the woman, whose spouse has placed the thrones of blood and death in our homes, who has carried out bloody vendettas in Svaneti, Kodori, Samachablo… Who will be the targets of this woman – a smiling executioner? Who will be the targets of Rustavi 2 TV’s calls – Georgian Dream, Ivanishvili or do they plan to stage a new “bloody show” on their own deceased?”
Saerto Gazeti | |
|  | | | Newsletter was developed by Media Development Foundation (MDF) within the frameworks of the Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness Program in Georgia, supported by USAID and implemented by UNAG. | | |  | | | Opinions and ideas provided in this newsletter are those of the Media Development Foundation (MDF) and do not represent the official position of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the UN Association of Georgia. | | | | |
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