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Ruling party head says it’s not US Ambassador’s “job” to “give arrest orders” of heads of violent groups

Politics
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Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday slammed US Ambassador Kelly Degnan for her “incorrect” comments on the Georgian Government’s response to the disruption of the Tbilisi Pride festival by pro-Russian, far-right Conservative Movement last week, saying it was not the diplomat’s job to give orders on arrests. 

 

In his press comments, Kobakhidze claimed the domestic law enforcement had taken “all necessary actions” to prevent any violence and evacuated the festival members from the site “on time”, extending his gratitude to the Interior Ministry. 

 

He noted it was the job of “independent, domestic institutions” to make decisions on arrests and not of diplomats. 

 

Degnan on Thursday criticized the inaction of the police in disrupting the Pride festival on July 8. She said the law enforcement had not kept their promise given to the festival organisations in previous days to ensure the conduct of the event, alleging the series of attacks by far-right activists on Tbilisi Pride events “appeared to be coordinated”. 

 

“On Saturday, we saw the same extremists who organised violence in 2021. They can be seen on Facebook, in videos, calling for violence.I think everyone would feel much safer in Tbilisi when the people depicted in the videos are arrested and tried,” said Degnan.

 

No march was scheduled in Tbilisi by Tbilisi Pride, a domestic NGO promoting the rights of sexual minorities this year, only closed events, including the festival that would close a week-long pride week. 

 

However, the Conservative Movement, which is openly campaigning against the West, had called for the disruption of the event and did so with the engagement of its members and supporters, including the clergymen.

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