Twenty years ago, on October 7, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered
"The Struggle for Freedom": Gesine Dornblüth & Thomas Franke on Anna Politkovskaya, Georgia, and the Kremlin's Long Arm.
Twenty years ago, on October 7, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered.
Russia threatens and undermines democracy and freedom around the world. This evening, we will join long-time Russia experts—author and journalist Gesine Dornblüth and author and journalist Thomas Franke—to commemorate Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in her Moscow apartment on October 7, 20 years ago.
The guests will also present their new book, *The Struggle for Freedom: Georgia and the Long Arm of the Kremlin*, to be published in the fall of 2025 by Herder Verlag. The Georgian people’s struggle for a pro-European political agenda has all but disappeared from the German media landscape, even though it has been ongoing for two years.
Georgia has been in the midst of a deep political crisis since 2024. Following the controversial 2024 parliamentary election, the pro-Russian ruling party “Georgian Dream” declared itself the winner and intends to suspend accession negotiations with the EU until 2028. Since then, there have been ongoing mass protests in the country.
In their latest book, Gesine Dornblüth and Thomas Franke describe the power brokers surrounding Putin who promote populist and criminal groups, infiltrate the media, and manipulate history. Nowhere is this more successful than in Georgia. Steering the country off the European path and reintegrating it into Russia’s sphere of influence is one of Putin’s next goals.
Gesine Dornblüth and Thomas Franke have been traveling through Georgia for decades and share stories about its people and the political situation. They take us into a country that has been fighting for freedom for centuries and is once again fearing for its independence. Georgia serves as a magnifying glass, clearly revealing what can seriously endanger even well-established democracies. The struggle for freedom is in full swing.
Admission: 5 euros
