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Strongly opposing views expressed peacefully at Tbilisi rally
by DFWatch staff | May 25, 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--Two opposing rallies about very sensitive social issues went ahead peacefully in downtown Tbilisi Friday. People gathered at 18:00 to protest against ‘propaganda of homosexuality’, while the other rally was ‘no to theocracy’ – a protest
Media
Georgia preparing switch to digital by 2015
by Mari Nikuradze | May 25, 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--A media conference was held in Tbilisi May 23-24 to discuss the transition to digital TV, good and bad examples from other countries and positive and negative sides of the process. Media experts from Estonia, Lithuania, UK, Moldova, Russia,
Security
Saakashvili signs Georgia’s new security strategy
by DFWatch staff | May 24, 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, has approved the main directions of development of the ministry and Georgia’s armed forces until 2016. The goal of the Strategic Review of Defense 2013-2016, which is a manual for the Defense Ministry,
News
Opposing views on gay rights to meet, peacefully this time
by DFWatch staff | May 24, 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--The two opposing sides in Georgia's gay rights debate are to hold demonstrations at the same spot in Tbilisi today. But Prime Minister Ivanishvili reassures the public that people will be able to express their views peacefully. The first one is in support of the LGBT people
NGO news
15 000 sign petition to punish May 17 hate crimes
by Londa Beria | May 24, 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--About 15 000 persons have signed a petition that asks to punish those who committed violence on May 17. After clerics and parishioners attacked a peaceful demonstration by LGBT persons and their supporters on May 17 to mark the International Day
News
Strongly opposing views expressed peacefully at Tbilisi rally
by DFWatch staff
Media
Georgia preparing switch to digital by 2015
by Mari Nikuradze
Security
Saakashvili signs Georgia’s new security strategy
by DFWatch staff
News
Opposing views on gay rights to meet, peacefully this time
by DFWatch staff
NGO news
15 000 sign petition to punish May 17 hate crimes
by Londa Beria
In the dock
Elections ’12-’13
- Ivanishvili impatient to set date for presidential election
TBILISI, DFWatch--Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli calls on President Mikheil Saakashvili to set a date for the presidential election. Representatives of the president's administration told DF Watch that the president's opinion about this issu...
Opinion
- Mere Violence or Clash of Values?
The May 17 events revealed confrontation between church and secularism as one of the main public conflicts in any political system. Public conflict is a matter of public concern. Public opinion on this issue is divided into opposite positions, vari... - Religious Radicals – the Biggest Threat to Georgia's Democracy
These shameful events posed new questions (or rather question marks) for the Georgian democracy. The country has achieved a lot since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has effectively fought crime and corruption; it has managed to change its gov...
Economy
- Foreign trade turnover fell 4% Jan-Apr 2013
TBILISI, DFWatch--According to preliminary data, Georgia’s foreign trade turnover has decreased by four percent in the months January through April of 2013, compared to the same period in the preceding year. The total foreign trade turnover in...
Society
- Georgian Church explains its position on the May 17 events
TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian Orthodox Church separates itself from the violent incidents of May 17, when clerics disrupted LGBT activists from holding a peaceful rally, resulting in 28 injured. Church spokesman Mikael Botkoveli on Wednesday ev... - Four arrested for May 17 violence, attacks continuing
TBILISI, DFWatch--Police have detained four persons suspected of resisting police and petty hooliganism on May 17, when Orthodox Christians held a counter-rally against an attempt at marking the International Day Against Homophobia. There is one...
‘No to theocracy’ vs ‘No to gay propaganda’
News
- Metal workers in Zestaponi are holding out
TBILISI, DFWatch--Workers at the Chiatura Mining and Enrichment Plant will May 25 join the strike at the Zestaponi Ferroalloy Plant, which started four days ago, while three persons Thursday went back on hunger strike in the same conflict. The w... - NATO-Georgia Commission discussed visit of NATO tops
TBILISI, DFWatch--A session of the NATO Georgia commission was held May 22 in Brussels. Ambassadors discussed the planned visit to Georgia of the North Atlantic Council this summer. Zurab Abashidze, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for ... - Update: Former AC Milan player Kaladze's farewell match
TBILISI, DFWatch--Former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze's farewell match on May 31 is getting closer and people are already queuing to buy tickets. Davit Mujiri, who coordinates the organizing of the match, on Wednesday held a press conference to... - Merabishvili moved to Matrosov prison
TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili on Thursday was moved from Kutaisi, in western Georgia, to the capital, and placed in the so-called Matrosov prison, where former government officials and others are offered slightly bett... - Ex interior minister placed in pretrial detention
TBILISI--Kutaisi City Court Wednesday placed former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili in pretrial detention. Zurab Chiaberashvili was released on bail. The hearing lasted five hours. Both Merabishvili, Secretary General of Saakashvili’s Unit... - Georgian Railway director charged with embezzlement of USD 40 mill
TBILISI, DFWatch--The unit to combat financial fraud in Georgia has charged Irakli Ezugbaia, the former head of Georgian Railway, of appropriation and embezzlement of state money. He is not in Georgia but has been sentenced in absentia to pretrial dete... - First court appearance for ex interior minister today
TBILISI, DFWatch--The City Court in Kutaisi will this afternoon decide whether to place Saakashvili ally Vano Merabishvili and National Movement party member Zurab Chiaberashvili in pretrial detention. Meanwhile their supporters and other UNM me... - PM: Being a cleric is no excuse for violent behavior
TBILISI, DFWatch--Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says that church prayer isn't an excuse for anyone to violate the law. The PM on Tuesday met with a club of experts and after the meeting he commented on the May 17 events, when Orthodox Chris... - Georgia detains former interior minister
TBILISI, DFWatch--Police in Georgia have detained former Interior Minister and Saakashvili faithful Vano Merabishvili. He is charged with sabotaging the investigation of the murder of a bank employee, Sandro Girgvliani, in 2006, appropriation an... - Saakashvili's travels: Whose fault is the bad coordination?
TBILISI, DFWatch--The foreign ministry and the president's administration in Georgia are embroiled in a quarrel over who is to blame for the bad coordination of foreign visits. The ministry accuses the president's administration of not coordinat... - Lawmakers discussed how to destroy 'dirty archive'
TBILISI, DFWatch--The Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to partially destroy illegally recorded secret surveillance material in one week. Deputy Interior Minister Levan Izoria said on Monday that this process will be conducted with the particip... - Saakashvili asks the government to travel more
TBILISI, DFWatch--President Mikheil Saakashvili again asks members of the Georgian Dream coalition to go on visits abroad together with him. The president on Sunday left for Thailand in order to participate in the second Asia-Pacific Water Summi...
NGO news
- Amnesty International says Georgian police failed on May 17
TBILISI, DFWatch--Amnesty International says the police in Georgia failed to protect demonstrators from aggression on May 17. The human rights group which has more than 3 million supporters worldwide believes that the police failed to protect l...
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