Georgia Declares Emergency, Accuses Russia of Coup Attempt
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
MOSCOW — Georgia’s government declared a state of emergency yesterday, accusing Russia of orchestrating a coup attempt following pitched battles between police and opposition supporters in the capital, Tbilisi.
The country’s democratic credentials took a battering after riot police attacked opposition protesters in Tbilisi and used force to pull the main anti-government television station off the air. Facing calls for his resignation, President Saakashvili, a vital American ally, has accused the Kremlin of instigating the violence.
In an earlier announcement likely to enrage President Putin of Russia, Mr. Saakashvili ordered the expulsion of three Russian diplomats and recalled Georgia’s ambassador from Moscow, claiming that Russia was engaged in “subversive espionage activity.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the accusation as a “provocation” and said Moscow would issue an “appropriate response.” Moscow has sought to exact revenge on Georgia ever since it snubbed Russian proxy rule by sweeping Mr. Saakashvili to power in the 2003 Rose Revolution.
While Mr. Saakashvili has won praise in Washington for moving his country closer to the West, concern has been mounting over his increasingly autocratic tendencies.
Critics said those were on full display yesterday when riot police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of unarmed demonstrators, some of whom said they were then kicked and beaten as they tried to flee.
Among those who said they were deliberately victimized was Georgia’s human rights ombudsman, Sozar Subari.
As the violence escalated, opposition television station Imedi, which had been carrying live pictures of the violence, was suddenly pulled off the air. Moments before, a visibly nervous presenter announced that the station was under attack by government forces. Independent witnesses said special forces stormed the building, putting guns to the heads of journalists before smashing their mobile phones.
[Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that Russian lawmakers voted to suspend participation in a key Cold War arms treaty, seeking to raise pressure on America to compromise on its plans for a missile shield in Europe.
The State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, yesterday unanimously backed suspension of Russia’s observance of the treaty, which limits the size of forces in Europe.]
