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Civil.ge
5 days ago
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Kobakhidze Says ‘Global War Party' Uses EU Visa Threat to Open Second Front in Georgia
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has claimed that visa-free travel with the European Union is being used as a 'lever' by what he calls the 'Global War Party' to open a 'second front' in Georgia amid Russia's war on Ukraine. 'The desire to open a second front in Georgia is so strong that the Global War Party has pushed the entire European bureaucracy into attack mode against Georgia, and they see abolishing visa-free travel – the last trump card in their hands – as leverage,' said Irakli Kobakhidze, who also chairs the Georgian Dream, during a July 18 briefing at the ruling party's headquarters. Kobakhidze accused the so-called Global War Party of coordinating 'European structures and specific bureaucrats' to achieve its goals, warning that the danger of war for Georgia 'has not gone away.' The Global War Party conspiracy alongside the 'deep state' theory has been a prominent theme in the GD rhetoric since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. GD claims that a group of influential Western officials has been trying to drag Georgia into a war with Russia. 'Those seeking to drag our country into war believe that abolishing visa-free travel with the EU on a fictitious basis will spark such unrest that it will eventually lead to the overthrow of the government and the coming to power of the agents,' he added. Kobakhidze's statement followed a letter from the European Commission to the ruling Georgian Dream party warning that visa-free travel could be suspended if eight recommendations were not met. The recommendations include repealing controversial legislation targeting civil society and LGBT rights, specifically the Foreign Agents Law and anti-LGBT legislation on the protection of 'family values and minors.' 'What does transparency or a law protecting family values have to do with visa liberalization?' Kobakhidze said. 'Of course, there is no link between these two topics, but the Global War Party–coordinated European bureaucracy is trying to invent a ground for its blackmail and pressure.' Kobakhidze cited the latest European Parliament resolution , the joint statement by 18 European foreign ministers and HR/VP Kaja Kallas, the discussions in the EU Foreign Affairs Council, and the recent letter from the European Commission warning of visa-free suspension, and said that 'these provocative steps taken by European bureaucrats, who are controlled by the Global War Party, aim to change the government and support the opposition.' In a broader context, Kobakhidze claimed that the so-called Global War Party seeks to 'place the burden of the Ukrainian issue entirely on Europe's shoulders' — a strategy he argued is intended to 'destroy both Europe and Russia at the same time.' Opening a second front in Georgia, he alleged, is part of this plan. 'Today, among EU leaders, the war rhetoric is so strong that not only is there no end in sight to the military confrontation, but everything is being done to prolong it,' Kobakhidze said, citing the continued arming of Ukraine, the supply of long-range weapons, and sanctions against Russia. He also pointed to EU countries' decision to allocate 5 percent of their GDP to defense spending next year, arguing that this effectively turns them into 'military states.' According to him, the move 'further escalates the risk of war on the continent and, on the other hand, worsens the economic and social situation within the EU.' Earlier on July 17, Irakli Kobakhidze said visa-free travel with the EU is 'not existential' and that 'peace and stability' should come first if there's a choice between the two. Also Read:
France 24
08-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Salvadoran lawyer arrested on money laundering charges
Bukele's hardline approach to El Salvador's powerful gangs has made him one of the world's most domestically popular leaders, even as human rights defenders raise alarm over arbitrary arrests and eroding civil liberties. Enrique Anaya, a constitutional lawyer, who has called Nayib a "dictator" and criticized his reelection, was arrested at his home in the city of Santa Tecla. Images of Anaya handcuffed alongside police officers were shared on social media by the Attorney General's Office, which stated that he will be referred to the courts in the coming days for "money and asset laundering." It comes after the detention this year of fellow lawyer Ruth Lopez, head of an anti-corruption unit of human rights NGO Cristosal, who was accused of embezzling state funds when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago. El Salvador's constitution does not allow successive presidential terms, but a Bukele-stacked Supreme Court allowed him to run, and he was reelected in February 2024. 'Of course I'm afraid' Bukele, who won 85 percent of the votes thanks to his war against gangs, accuses his critics of leftist political activism and last week warned that "corrupt opposition members" are not untouchable. "I don't care if they call me a dictator. I'd rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans killed in the streets," he said in a speech Sunday. Anaya responded on a television program Tuesday that Bukele had removed "the mask," adding "he is what he is." "Here, whoever speaks, whoever criticizes, whoever does not kneel before the idol, gets imprisoned. Of course, I am afraid," Anaya said. He said in his last X post on Friday that "the Bukelean dictatorship is increasingly questioned and confronted internationally," referencing criticism from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) regarding the arrest of Lopez's and other activists. Lopez has criticized Bukele's anti-crime policy, which has seen thousands of alleged gangsters arrested and jailed in harsh conditions. Her NGO Cristosal helps families of Salvadorans caught up in Bukele's crackdown on gangs, as well as more than 250 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration, which paid El Salvador to imprison them. "It's part of what we're living through. Unfortunately, Enrique's situation is similar to Ruth's case," said Anaya's defense attorney, Jaime Quintanilla. -- 'Troubling escalation' -- In a statement, Cristosal described Anaya as a "key figure in defending democratic institutions and constitutional order." "His arrest is part of a troubling escalation of criminalization against those who defend the rule of law in El Salvador," he added. An environmental lawyer and an evangelical pastor supporting a farmers' protest were arrested in May, and in February Fidel Zavala, a human rights activist, was accused of ties to gangs. Last month, Bukele's allies in the Legislative Assembly imposed a Foreign Agents Law levying a 30 percent tax on organizations receiving overseas funding and requiring them to join a special registry. The European Union said on Saturday that the law "could restrict society" and lamented the arrests, which Bukele responded to on X, calling it an "aged bloc" of bureaucrats who insist "on preaching to the rest of the world." Bukele accuses NGOs of defending criminals and has accused the media of joining an "organized attack" spearheaded by international groups. Anaya has stated on several occasions in interviews that Bukele's legacy will be one of "human rights violations" and "destruction of democracy."
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Salvadoran President Bukele says go ahead and call him 'dictator'
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said he would rather be branded a "dictator" than allow criminals to run loose, defying critics in a barnstorming speech marking one year since his re-election. His hardline approach to El Salvador's powerful gangs has made him one of the world's most domestically popular leaders, even as human rights defenders raise alarm over arbitrary arrests and eroding civil liberties. "I don't care if they call me a dictator. I'd rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans killed in the streets," he said during his speech at the National Theater on Sunday. First elected in 2019, Bukele was returned to office in a landslide vote last year after the Constitutional Court knocked down a prohibition on consecutive terms. His second stint in office has been characterized by an alliance with US President Donald Trump on deportations as well as what critics describe as a widening offensive against human rights defenders. But Bukele accused NGOs of defending criminals and suggested the press was joining an "organized attack" spearheaded by international groups. "Let them discuss semantics while we remain focused on achieving results," he said. "Contrary to the lies they spread day and night, we have more results than any other government in all our history." Bukele's war on gangs is widely credited with slashing homicides to the lowest rate in three decades. But rights groups say he has increasingly abused the state of emergency and crackdown on crime as a pretext to silence dissidents. Last month, a coalition of rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned rising repression under Bukele after the arrest of prominent lawyer Ruth Eleonora Lopez. Lopez was arrested on May 18 and accused of embezzling state funds when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago. A vocal critic of Bukele's anti-crime policy, she worked for a rights group that was investigating alleged state corruption and assisting Venezuelans deported by the United States and imprisoned in El Salvador. Washington is paying Bukele's government to imprison 288 migrants accused by the Trump administration of belonging to gangs. Two activists were also arrested in May, while in February, the leader of the Human and Community Rights Defense Unit Fidel Zavala was detained and accused of links with gangs. Last month, Bukele's allies in the Legislative Assembly imposed a Foreign Agents Law levying a 30 percent tax on organizations receiving overseas funding and requiring them to join a special registry. Bukele's human rights commissioner Andres Guzman, who has defended the leader against allegations of abuses, told AFP at the end of May that he has resigned. "In this first year of the second unconstitutional term, there is an authoritarian escalation. It is the consolidation of dictatorship," Ingrid Escobar, director of the NGO Humanitarian Legal Aid, told AFP. mis/lb/dhc
France 24
02-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Salvadoran President Bukele says go ahead and call him 'dictator'
His hardline approach to El Salvador's powerful gangs has made him one of the world's most domestically popular leaders, even as human rights defenders raise alarm over arbitrary arrests and eroding civil liberties. "I don't care if they call me a dictator. I'd rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans killed in the streets," he said during his speech at the National Theater on Sunday. First elected in 2019, Bukele was returned to office in a landslide vote last year after the Constitutional Court knocked down a prohibition on consecutive terms. His second stint in office has been characterized by an alliance with US President Donald Trump on deportations as well as what critics describe as a widening offensive against human rights defenders. But Bukele accused NGOs of defending criminals and suggested the press was joining an "organized attack" spearheaded by international groups. "Let them discuss semantics while we remain focused on achieving results," he said. "Contrary to the lies they spread day and night, we have more results than any other government in all our history." Bukele's war on gangs is widely credited with slashing homicides to the lowest rate in three decades. But rights groups say he has increasingly abused the state of emergency and crackdown on crime as a pretext to silence dissidents. Last month, a coalition of rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned rising repression under Bukele after the arrest of prominent lawyer Ruth Eleonora Lopez. Lopez was arrested on May 18 and accused of embezzling state funds when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago. A vocal critic of Bukele's anti-crime policy, she worked for a rights group that was investigating alleged state corruption and assisting Venezuelans deported by the United States and imprisoned in El Salvador. Washington is paying Bukele's government to imprison 288 migrants accused by the Trump administration of belonging to gangs. Two activists were also arrested in May, while in February, the leader of the Human and Community Rights Defense Unit Fidel Zavala was detained and accused of links with gangs. Last month, Bukele's allies in the Legislative Assembly imposed a Foreign Agents Law levying a 30 percent tax on organizations receiving overseas funding and requiring them to join a special registry. Bukele's human rights commissioner Andres Guzman, who has defended the leader against allegations of abuses, told AFP at the end of May that he has resigned. "In this first year of the second unconstitutional term, there is an authoritarian escalation. It is the consolidation of dictatorship," Ingrid Escobar, director of the NGO Humanitarian Legal Aid, told AFP.
