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Local journalist Vladimir Posner has been forced to leave Georgia after protests by locals outside his hotel in Tbilisi. Participants accused him of “anti-Georgian” status in Abkhazia.
On 1 April, Volodymyr Posner celebrated his 87th birthday. He decided to celebrate in Tbilisi, where he arrived a day earlier.
As reported by Georgia Online, about 50 more guests arrived in Georgia with the journalist on a charter flight.
Pozner settled at the Winotel Boutique Hotel, under which action soon began. Participants disagreed with the journalist’s position on Abkhazia.
Photo writer, Reuters
A few years ago, Posner said in an interview with Imedi TV that he frequently visited Abkhazia in the 1970s and even then concluded that relations between Georgian and Abkhazian were “terrible.”
“I had a lot of fights,” said Posner. The Georgians said of the Abkhazians that they had almost climbed from the trees. They were inferior. I remember that he was very good. And I did not play any friendship. “
As a result, the journalist was criticized in Georgia. However, he soon confirmed his position on the air of his own writer’s program on Russian TV.
“Georgian people treated the Abkhazians, so from above, as second-class people, and did not hesitate to talk loudly about it in my presence. I saw the quarrel. […] I remember my feelings well that this relationship will not be good. Of course, this is not a scientific study, but I had a feeling that the Abkhazians did not want to be part of Georgia at all. “
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After all the criticism, Posner then replied that he was merely expressing his opinion.
“In general, people oppose each other on the question of people’s right to self-determination and to preserve the territorial integrity of the state. And, unfortunately, international law does not say what is more important – no answer to that question. Is. And that’s why it’s so difficult and painful, “he said while talking about his assessment of the situation in Georgia.”
However, despite all the explanations, some Georgians still remember Pozner’s earlier statements.
After arriving in Tbilisi this year, people began to gather near the hotel where he stayed, annoyed that the Russian journalist was admitted to Georgia, as he allegedly did not recognize the country’s territorial integrity. Was.
Local media reported that the protesters were mostly shouting and making noise as much as possible for Posner’s stay at the hotel.
Photo writer, Reuters
The participants also succeeded in shutting down the power in the hotel building for a while. In addition, he called a labor inspector because Posner and his guests were in violation of the curfew, which operates in Georgia due to coronovirus.
The inspection concluded that these claims were justified – the hotel was fined nearly $ 3 thousand. Police said they also plan to recover Posner and his guests.
Eventually, Posner and his guests leave the Vinotal Boutique. The protesters did the same, throwing eggs into the building. The inscription “Get out of Georgia!” Appeared near the entrance of the hotel, media reported.
As a result, on the morning of April 1, Vladimir Posner left Georgia, Rustavi 1 TV channel reported.
He has not yet published a detailed comment on the situation.
Earlier, he told Georgian journalists that he was “celebrating his birthday in Tbilisi for the third consecutive year.”
“I did not come to talk about politics, but to celebrate my birthday,” he said, answering questions about his views on the situation in Abkhazia.
Later on 1 April, Prime Minister Irkali Garibashivali commented on the situation surrounding Posner’s visit to Georgia. He said that Posner did not break the law when he came to Georgia as a US citizen.
According to the Prime Minister, a Russian journalist was fined for violating quarantine measures. At the same time, Posner himself told RIA Novosti that neither he nor his guests were fined for anything.
The head of the Georgian government also condemned the actions of the protesters, who, in their opinion, are damaging the country’s image.
Tell me about Crimea
Volodymyr Posner has repeatedly been criticized not only by the Georgian, but also by the Ukrainians, particularly for the allegations of the destruction of Crimea.
For example, he talked about Crimea in the summer of 2014.
Crimea has never been Ukraine. And the fact that Khrushchev “from scratch” in 1954, some believe, gave Ukraine to Crimea in connection with Ukraine’s century’s entry into the Russian Empire, but so he could give Uzbekistan – that’s not enough ” Because the USSR was, and Khrushchev could not imagine in his nightmares that the USSR would not. Therefore, Putin would go down in history as the man who returned to the region, and it would have to be taken into consideration. “
At the same time, he expressed the opinion that Russia, in Putin’s person, would not allow Ukraine to avoid Russian influence towards Europe and “would not allow NATO troops to find themselves on Russia’s border.”
It is also known that Posner visited Crimea after annexation, which caused him to be attached to the base “Peacemaker”.
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