Welcome to the January 17 Weekly Summary with Mark Mullen. This week Mark discusses that the Chairman of Parliament Davit Usupashvili signed the amnesty law and political prisoners were released , including Nino Burjanadze’s husband Badri Bitsadze, former soccer player Giorgi Demetradze and etc. According to Mark, Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili again criticized this decision.
One of the most interesting facts of the week was that Saakashvili and Ivanishvili met the old New Year together at the Patriarch’s office. Also, the well-known 16 year old jazz man Beka Gochiashvili accused the police of putting psychological pressure on him and his brother.
In the podcast Mark reviews that the Prosecutor’s office has distributed several video clips allegedly depicting sexual intercourse between male celebrity and other sexual minority members. Mark says that Several NGOs criticized it and said that people can be recognized in the videos.
Other topics of the week are: Former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili was released on 25 thousand GEL bail, Saakashvili appointed former head of inspection at the interior Ministry Tengiz Gunava to the position of governor of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. He also appointed Khatuna Ochiauri as governor of the Mtskheta-Mtinaeti region and Andro Barnovi as a governor of the Shida Kartli region. Also, Vano Merabishvili about the economic crisis in Georgia, Interpol stopped searching for Vladimer Bedukadze, Maia Panjikidze’s statements in Armenia and much more - So sit back and enjoy.

The original audio podcast version of this content can be found at TBLpod.com, recorded locally on Rustaveli Avenue. Each week Mark and his excellent team of researchers, experts and analysts put together a summary of what has happened in Georgia and why. Years of experience and contacts in this country help them provide a context for the news each week. Their discussions give a uniquely candid perspective, which is difficult to find anywhere else, even in Georgian, and which [we must note] is their personal opinion and not that of any organization or company they or we may work for or represent, including Palitra. For this reason Mark and his team have an audience from all over the world and, even more interestingly, a devoted audience of Georgian listeners interested in their outlook on current events. Thanks for tuning in. Please come back next week.