Issue no: 1149 • MAY 10 - 13, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... FOCUS Machalikashvili Predicts ON BUILDING PEACE His Detention over Alleged On the forum 'SDG Plotting of Terror Attack Generation: How to Turn Goals into Achievements' - NEWS PAGE 2 youth breaking stereotypes PAGE 7 UN Workshop Focuses on Sustainable Development Goals POLITICS PAGE 4 Georgia, Stop Wasting Time! POLITICS PAGE 5 The Terroirist Wine Club BUSINESS PAGE 6 David Kakabadze Exhibition New Dispute about Rustavi 2 Launched at TBC Gallery CULTURE PAGE 8 GWS Introduces a TV Causes Mixed Reactions Refreshed Label for Its BY THEA MORRISON Premium Wine Brand TAMADA new court dispute has been started against the opposition-minded Rustavi 2 TV by the owner of 9% of company shares, Nino Nizharadze, who is asking for GEL 26 million Afrom the Director General and other sharehold- ers for the “damage caused to the company.” The Director General of the TV channel, Nika Gvaramia, claims the authorities stand behind the lawsuit, adding this is a fi ght “against Geor- gian democracy and freedom of speech.” Gvaramia stressed that the government and the founder and Chair of the ruling party Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, wants the TV Company to be broken in order to “silence the critical voice.” He is sure the TV company will overcome the challenge, adding broadcasting has been switched CULTURE PAGE 9 to an emergency mode. Photo source: news.ge This is not the fi rst dispute against Rustavi 2 the TV channel, fi led a lawsuit claiming his total shares of the broadcaster. The following TV, which is often affi liated with the former rul- shares had been illegally taken from him by the day, the European Court of Human Rights sus- International Kolga Tbilisi ing party, the United National Movement, estab- UNM. pended enforcement of the verdict. lished by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. In March 2017, after the case passed all the Nino Nizharadze is a wife of the former direc- Photo Festival Held for 91% shares of the company are owned by broth- instances of the court system in the country, the tor of the channel, Gogi Gegeshidze, who received ers Levan and Giorgi Karamanishvili. However, Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court of Geor- the company's shares after Gegeshidze's death. 18th Time in Georgia in 2015, Kibar Khalvashi, a former co-owner of gia ruled in favor of Khalvashi and gave him the Continued on page 5 CULTURE PAGE 11 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS MAY 10 - 13, 2019 Machalikashvili Predicts His Detention over Alleged Plotting of Terror Attack “The investigation into the case has BY THEA MORRISON been launched on the basis of Malkhaz Machalikashvili’s public statement con- taining a threat on May 31, 2018, accord- alkhaz Machalikashvili, ing to which he and the persons accom- father of 19-year-old panying him made a vow to penetrate Temirlan, who was the building of the SSS and blow them- killed during a special selves up,” the statement says. operation in Pankisi The agency also released an audio MGorge in 2017, thinks he will be soon recording of a phone conversation arrested on charges of plotting a terror between Machalikashvili and his nephew. attack. The SSS says evidence showed a terror- The man denies the accusation and ist act was planned in the Zemo claims that if he is arrested, his wife will Machkhaani village of the Dedophlist- continue the protest rallies launched in skaro region, at the grave of late father May 2018 seeing tents set up in front of of Ioseb Gogashvili, former fi rst deputy the Parliament Building in Tbilisi to head of the State Security Service. The demand a “fair investigation” of their plot, if successful, would have injured son’s murder. or taken Gogashvili and others’ lives. “I demand the punishment of my son’s “It is confi rmed that on March 23, 2019, killer. This crime was committed by the Malkhaz Machalikashvili himself State. They are doing their best to destroy instructed Moris Machalikashvili to me, but this will not happen,” Macha- abandon any other activities and work likashvili said, adding he has been using only on one person: Ioseb Gogashvili. only legal ways to fi nd justice. Moris Machalikashvili was to identify Image source: ghn.ge “I have been standing in the center of the residential addresses of Ioseb Gogash- Tbilisi for nine months. If I pose a threat vili, his travel routes, and he was tasked Machalikashvili is a “potential terror- venting the crime during the preparation will be followed by proper legal steps,” to the country, if I am a terrorist, why to travel to the cemetery in order to ist.” process ... Such actions are not unusual he added. have not they detained me so far? They establish the location of the grave of “The Prosecutor's Offi ce should also for Malkhaz Machalikashvili. He has ties Temirlan Machalikashvili was wounded call me a terrorist due to the remarks I Gogashvili’s father and take pictures, on pay attention to those people, politicians, with terrorist groups such as Chatayev’s in Duisi village in his own bed on Decem- made in an emotional moment two the basis of which, Malkhaz Machalikash- NGO representatives, some pseudo- group,” he said, referring to terrorist ber 26, 2017. On January 10, he died in months ago,” he explained. vili would have planned other activities,” journalists, who were deliberately pre- Ahmet Chatayev who was liquidated hospital. The State Security Service of Georgia the SSS says. paring Malkhaz Machalikashvili to com- with his group by law enforcers in Georgian law-enforcers claim that (SSS) made a statement two days ago, say- Moris Machalikashvili has already been mit the crime,” said Gogashvili. November 2017 in Tbilisi. Machalikashvili was shot when he tried ing their investigation had revealed Macha- interrogated by the SSS regarding the He also noted that he is ready to coop- Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka to detonate a grenade. However, the likashvili’s intent to murder several persons case, while Malkhaz Machalikashvili erate with the investigation if needed, Bakhtadze also commented on the recent family and relatives say that he was sleep- through organizing a terrorist act. refuses to show up for questioning. He saying he was not leading the special developments, saying the SSS had man- ing when law-enforcers shot him without The agency noted that a nephew of says the recording is a fabrication and operation in Pankisi Gorge in December aged to prevent a “grave crime” and not- warning. Machalikashvili, Moris Machalikashvili that he has not plotted anything. 2017, when Temirlan Machalikashvili was ing that “the rest is up to the investiga- The family also rejects the allegations may have been involved in the implemen- Ioseb Gogashvili also released a state- shot. tion.” that the deceased had links with tation of the mentioned terrorist act. ment regarding the investigation, saying “I would like to thank the SSS for pre- “The evidence is being studied and it Chatayev’s terrorist group. Georgia Marks Victory Day over Fascism to pay tribute to their memory. And I BY THEA MORRISON want to wish health, happiness and pros- perity to the veterans and their family members," he added. n May 9 Georgians mark Tbilisi Mayor, Kakha Kaladze also con- the victory of the Soviet gratulated war veterans on the Victory Union over Nazi Germany Day. and the end of the Second “74 years have passed since the victory World War (WWII). over Fascism. War heroes saved human- ORepresentatives of the Georgian gov- ity from the Fascism by sacrifi cing their ernment, veterans and citizens gathered lives. I would like to wish our veterans in Vake Park in central Tbilisi to put long life and prosperity,” he said. flowers on the monument of the Victory in Europe Day, generally known "Unknown Soldier." as V-Day, was the public holiday cele- Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze brated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal laid a wreath at the grave of the “Unknown acceptance by the Allies of World War Soldier” in the park, noting May 9 is a II of Nazi Germany's unconditional sur- special day in the history of mankind. render of its armed forces. The formal He wished health to the war veterans. surrender of the German forces occupy- "I want to congratulate everyone on ing the Channel Islands did not occur this day, especially our veterans. Hun- until the following day, 9 May 1945. It dreds of thousands of Georgian heroes thus marked the end of World War II in have fallen on the battlefi eld and I want Photo source: 1TV Europe. SUBSCRIBE! 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION - 60 GEL (6 ISSUES) Money Back Guarantee! [email protected] +995 32 229 59 19 Tel: (995 32) 2 45 08 08 10 Galaktion Street E-mail: [email protected] GEORGIA TODAY 4 POLITICS MAY 10 - 13, 2019 UN Workshop Focuses on Sustainable Development Goals fi ndings of a recent UN technical analy- BY LUCY PAPACHRISTOU sis conducted under the leadership of the UNDP which reviewed 55 different sectoral strategies and Georgia’s Asso- ore than 70 represent- ciation Agreement with the European atives of the Georgian Union to assess how well SDG targets government and the are incorporated into national strategy, United Nations (UN) as well as how well national priority team in Georgia gath- goals are funded. Mered in Kachreti, in the eastern region Overall the fi ndings were positive: of Kakheti, for a two-day workshop to national policies cover fully 93 percent identify “bottlenecks” and “accelerators” of SDG targets that Georgia has adopted in the country’s progress towards the as national priorities.