Kremlin-Inspired Law Will 'Undermine' U.S.-Georgia Relationship, State Dept Warns
Kremlin-Inspired Law Will 'Undermine' U.S.-Georgia Relationship, State Dept Warns
The United States on Monday once again warned Georgia that it’s risking relations with the U.S. and the European Union by pressing ahead with a “foreign agent” law that has sparked massive protests, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"We are going to keep pressing our case, which is we believe that the law that they are considering would put Georgia on a precarious trajectory. It would jeopardize Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path and undermine the U.S.-Georgia relationship, and we will continue to make that clear, and they will make their own decisions," State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily briefing when responding to TURAN's questions.
The ruling Georgian Dream party’s attempts to push Kremlin-inspired legislation and anti-Western rhetoric has also prompted calls for sanctions among the Georgian-American community as they held a protest in front of the State Department over the weekend.
When asked whether the Biden administration had been considering any measure against Georgia's pro-Russian rulers, Miller said: "I’m just not going to make any sanctions announcements, whether that relates to what we might do or what we are considering, as is typically our practice here."
Last week, a bipartisan group of 14 U.S. senators sent a letter to Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze warning him that if the legislation becomes law, they would be compelled to encourage a shift in U.S. policy toward Georgia and push for cutting off direct government funding and expanding visa restrictions.
Politics
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On February 3, the trial of public activist Nijat Ibrahim will begin in the Baku Serious Crimes Court. This decision was made on Wednesday at a preparatory hearing by Judge Aygun Gurbanova. According to lawyer Zibeida Sadigova, Ibrahim was taken to court in handcuffs. There were guards sitting next to him throughout the whole process.
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On January 23, Hilal Mammadov, a member of the Public Council of the Talysh people of Azerbaijan (PCTP), was summoned to the State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan. As he himself informed Turan, the summons was delivered to him today by officers from the Nizami district department of the SSS.
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On January 22, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, held a telephone conversation.
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The court records from the trial of Teymur Kerimov, the head of the YouTube channel Kanal-11, were falsified, the declaration distributed by Kerimov's colleagues. “The court documents are distorted. They misrepresented the testimony of citizens. For instance, the victim Leila Almaszadeh stated in court that she had no complaints against me. In court, she said, “Teymur did not ask me for money and did not receive any money from me.” However, the court protocol states that she is complaining about me and demands the removal of illegally recorded videos,” writes Kerimov.
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