📍 Chairman of the parliamentary political group “European Socialists” Fridon Injia believes that the draft law “On Georgian Citizenship” presented by the Georgian government as a legislative initiative does not take into account the changes in relation to the principle issues, which is called the introduction of a simplified rule for granting Georgian citizenship.
🔴 “On Georgian Citizenship” was discussed at the meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee today.
🔷 “I believe that the presented changes concern procedural issues and do not provide for a change in relation to the principle issue, which is called the introduction of a simplified rule for granting Georgian citizenship. The fact that the draft law was approved by international organizations is a template approach to the issue, and I draw attention to it because Georgia is different from other countries.
For example, such as Israel, Greece and Germany.
🔷 What do I mean? In these countries, citizenship is granted to a person who has a document confirming the nationality, origin of any of the above countries. It will be from the mother’s or father’s side or according to other relatives, and it does not matter whether the person knows the Georgian language or not. It is the national spirit and the law expressing national interests that operates in these countries. And we, according to our legislation, are very far from such principles,” said Fridon Injia at the committee meeting.
🔷 According to the chairman of the political group, it is very important to pay careful attention to those people who had to leave their homeland due to the twists of fate.
🔷 “Our compatriots, who had to leave Abkhazia and Samachablo due to a twist of fate, today wish to receive Georgian citizenship and return to their homeland. According to the constitution, Abkhazia and Samachab are territories of Georgia. The government refuses to grant citizenship to our compatriots. Who is responsible for this? Is it not anti-national? It turns out that we are talking about one thing, and on the other hand, we are practically getting rid of those people who were citizens of Georgia and now we are no longer giving them citizenship. If we had protected and preserved these territories, would they still be citizens of our country?! …” – noted Fridon Injia.
🔷 The MP negatively evaluated the work of the State Commission for Granting Citizenship and introduced the example of our compatriot Leri Iashvili to the members of the committee, to whom the said commission refused to grant Georgian citizenship for an incomprehensible reason.
🔷 “Leri Iashvili was born and raised in Kutaisi, who graduated from school with a gold medal. He is 70 years old and he wants to come to live in Georgia. Leri Iashvili writes poems and at the same time is a member of the Writers’ Union of Georgia, who, according to the decision of the State Commission, failed to pass the exam in Georgian language and literature, and for this reason, he was denied the citizenship of Georgia. Let me know what is the purpose of the activity of this commission?!”. – noted Fridon Injia.