● Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and billionaire, declined to meet with representatives of both houses of the US Congress, who are currently in Tbilisi. “From what we have heard in Georgia, he is the most important figure in the country, the decision-maker. We asked for a meeting with him and it is very regrettable that he refused,” said Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Congressman Mike Turner. The visit of the representatives of the two major US parties comes amid a broader crisis in relations between the two countries. The US has stopped financial aid to the Georgian government, canceled military exercises and accused the Georgian authorities of backsliding in democracy and spreading false accusations against Western partners.
● Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused Western countries of interfering in Georgia’s elections. “We see that the parliamentary elections will take place amid unprecedented and blatant foreign interference, which is a very clear violation of electoral principles,” Kobakhidze said.
● Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the opposition party “Akhali”, was attacked during the opening of the office of the “Coalition for Change” in Samtredia, western Georgia. According to the party’s press office, a young man approached Melia, hit him and insulted him as he answered journalists’ questions. The Interior Ministry has not launched an investigation.
● Natia Mezvrishvili, a leader of the opposition party Gakharia for Georgia, said she had twice officially asked the prosecutor’s office to summon Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili for questioning, accusing him of spreading misinformation and lies about the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26. “Papuashvili is personally overseeing the creation of a tense atmosphere before the elections. The letter contains specific statements by Papuashvili calling for violence. His actions show signs of a crime under Article 239 prima of the Criminal Code (calling for violence), and some of these calls have already been carried out, causing harm to people,” Mezvrishvili said. Here are the speaker’s false statements against JAMnews
● On the last day of the Olympic Games in Paris, Georgian freestyle wrestler Givi Macharashvili won a silver medal. This brings Georgia’s total to seven medals: three gold medals (wrestler Geno Petriashvili, judoka Lasha Bekauri and weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze), three silver medals (judokas Tato Grigalashvili and Ilia Sulamanidze and wrestler Givi Macharashvili) and a bronze medal in boxing by Lasha Guruli. With this result, Georgia ranks 24th among 84 countries.
● The well-known mountaineer Archil Badriashvili (pictured) has died in the mountains of Svaneti. He was struck by lightning while descending. According to local social media, his body is in a difficult-to-access place, making the descent difficult. Three Svanet guides accompanied him on the ascent and were successfully rescued by helicopter.
Photo: Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri
Photo: The famous mountaineer Archil Badriashvili, who was struck by lightning during the descent.
