News
Ex-KGB officer wins in South Ossetia
TBILISI, DFWatch – A former local head of the KGB in South Ossetia has won the presidential elections in the breakaway region. Leonid Tibilov received about 55 percent of the votes beating competitor David Sanakoyev, presidential human rights commissioner. The […]
High turnout in South Ossetian election
TBILISI, DFWatch – More than 13 percent of voters in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia had cast their vote in the presidential election by 10:00 in the morning. The Central Election Commission of the region says this is a higher turnout than in the first […]
South Ossetia to go to the polls again
TBILISI, DFWatch – The de facto republic South Ossetia tomorrow holds the second round of its second presidential elections. The first election was held in November 2011. The Kremlin favorite and an opposition leader got through to the second round, in which the […]
Ombudsman calls for reduced number of prisoners
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Public Defender in Georgia believes the time has come to reduce the number of prisoners in the country. The ombudsperson said this at a joint session of parliamentary committees to discuss his report about the human rights situation last year. […]
Groups call for end to xenophobic slurs
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian non-governmental organizations call on Georgian politicians to stop making xenophobic statements and ask the media not to spread such comments. “The authors of such statements probably try to play on ethnic and religious feelings […]
Georgia wants election observers to come immediately
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Foreign Ministry today invited international organizations to send a long-term observation mission ‘immediately’ ahead of the parliamentary elections in October. Normally, long-term observers would arrive about six weeks before the election, […]
South Ossetia makes Russian a second state language
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia makes Russian its second state language. The region’s elected assembly adopted a constitutional law called “On State Language of the Republic of South Ossetia”, which obliges the de facto state’s bodies […]
Georgia to no longer allow Russian observation flights
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia will no longer let Russia conduct observation flights over its territory, and has suspended its obligations under a post-Cold War treaty which provide countries with mutual openness in each other’s military activities. The Georgian Foreign […]
Christian Democrats want to change the law in Ivanishvili case
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Christian Democrats propose a new law which will allow Saakashvili’s main opponent to participate in elections without being a Georgian citizen. His citizenship issue is still unclear. The Georgian president revoked billionaire businessman […]
Georgia snubs German diplomat over alleged Nazi comment
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia has broken off relations with a distinguished German diplomat, alleging he compared the Saakashvili regime to Nazi Germany. Dieter Boden, who negotiated a peace plan for how to solve the conflict with breakaway Abkhazia ten years ago, told […]
Ivanishvili says he will get back political rights
TBILISI, DFWatch – Yesterday, he was denied having his political rights restored, but today Georgia’s richest man vowed to regain his citizenship, form a political party and launch himself as candidate for Prime Minister within just over two weeks. Georgian […]
Abkhazia gathers its de facto parliament for first session
TBILISI, DFWatch – The de facto parliament of Georgia’s breakaway republic Abkhazia has elected a Speaker of Parliament. The first session of the new breakaway Abkhazian parliament was held yesterday, April 3. Valery Bganba was elected as new Speaker of Parliament. […]
U.S. Ambassador criticizes journalism in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, John Bass, says there is a deficit of curiosity and questioning among Georgian journalists. He said this in Batumi while meeting with the media. Bass says he sometimes is surprised by the lack of curiosity among […]
Ivanishivli denied political rights, continues fight
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian authorities today denied the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili of becoming a citizen of his native country. Today’s decision by the Civil Registry to deny him citizenship by naturalization ends the last legal avenue the opposition […]
Finland’s foreign minister visits Tbilisi
TBILISI, DFWatch – Finland’s Foreign Minister is on a working visit to Georgia within the frames of a tour of the region. Erkki Tuomioja arrived in Georgia on April 3, the 20 year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Finland and […]
Georgia’s foreign minister concerned about Russian exercise
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign minister Grigol Vashadze says he too is concerned about a major military exercise Russia is planning to hold right before Georgia’s parliamentary election in October. Russia’s exercise “Kavkaz 2012” will for the first time take place […]
Saakashvili commits to having extra election observers
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president calls on the international community to send ultra long-term election observers to his country before the parliamentary elections in October. Rights groups and part of the opposition have been appealing to the world to send […]
NATO chief reaffirms membership pledge to Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – NATO once again underlines that the decision that Georgia will become member of Alliance stands firm. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General, said this today during a press conference with Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili at the […]
Georgian official warns of new war with Russia
TBILISI, DFWatch – A top Georgian security official warns that there could be another war with Russia. Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008 over two breakaway republics. Now the secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council warns that an […]
40 % growth in visitors to Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The number of visitors to Georgia in the first quarter of 2012 was 680 000. This is a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The new statistics were released by the Interior Ministry on April 2 and is based on data from custom’s […]
Georgia saves second citizen from hanging in Malaysia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The second of two Georgians has been saved from execution for drug crimes in Malaysia. Babutsa Gordadze had her death sentence changed into eight years in jail. She has already served two years in a Malaysian jail. Earlier, Darejan Kokhtashvili, […]
Ivanishvili counting days till political rights restored
TBILISI, DFWatch – The billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is considered the main competitor of the Georgian government, is counting the days left until his Georgian citizenship is restored, giving him full political rights. The final date for when the government […]
Saakashvili to attend NATO Georgia commission
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president will participate at the session of the NATO Georgia commission on April 3 in Brussels. According to the president’s administration, Mikheil Saakashvili will meet NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and the two will […]
Saakashvili welcomes foreign election observers
TBILISI, DFWatch – President Mikheil Sakashvili says Georgia as never before needs many foreign observers. “We need many international observers not only on the day of the elections but today, tomorrow, and the day after. The sooner observers arrive from the […]
Mobile company in Georgia “recognizes” Abkhazia as a country
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Russian mobile operator in Georgia portrays Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia as an independent country on its website. It’s Beeline, which is owned by the Russian mobile company VimpelCom, which now suggests to readers of its website […]
Borisov to Saakashvili: Bulgaria backs Georgia’s EU approach
TBILISI, DFWatch – Bulgaria expresses its full support for Georgia’s integration process towards NATO and the EU. Boyko Borisov, Bulgarian Prime Minister, said this Sunday during a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Specifically Borisov said his […]
Solidarity action in Tbilisi Saturday brought out many
TBILISI, DFWatch – Marking a break with single issue campaigning, rights groups in Tbilisi Saturday held a demonstration for solidarity and people power. The demonstration was called Civic Solidarity Campaign and consisted of six human chains on six squares in the capital, […]
Planned Mosque in Batumi focus of popular unrest
TBILISI, DFWatch – Three thousand locals massed in Batumi Saturday to protest the planned construction of a mosque honoring the historic Turkish leader Aziz. The decision to construct the mosque is part of an agreement reached by authorities in Tbilisi and the Turkish […]
One Georgian saved from execution in Malaysia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian authorities have succeeded in saving one of their citizens from being executed for drug crimes in Malaysia. The news comes in a statement released by Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s office. It says a Malaysian court has overturned Darejan […]
NDI Georgia defends poll which shows Ivanishvili losing
TBILISI, DFWatch – A new poll by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows the opposition Georgian Dream led by Bidzina Ivanishvili reduced to only 10%. Mikhail Saakashvili’s National Movement party receives 47%. NDI has been in hot waters locally over the poll, […]
U.S. Ambassador to Georgia is confident in NDI’s polling methods
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. Embassy to Georgia has expressed its confidence in surveys done by the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute and says the polls are conducted professionally and are based on legitimate methodology. The […]
Little progress in talks in wake of Georgia-Russia war
TBILISI, DFWatch – After the 19th round of the Geneva talks, Georgia hopes that Moscow, like Tbilisi, will commit to a non-use of force pledge; but such a pledge does not seem to be forthcoming. Regular talks have been held in Geneva since the Russia-Georgia war in August […]
Georgia wants a stop to heritage vandalism in Abkhazia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian parliament asks the international community to react to intentional destruction of historical monuments on the territory of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia. The Georgian legislative body calls for the international community to […]
Georgia’s refugees to be top priority for the ombudsman
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Public Defender gives priority to the problems of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Giorgi Tughushi presented his annual report on human rights in Georgia, which in details describes problems faced in different areas, like the prison […]
Fearing the bandwagon effect: Georgia’s opinion poll wars
TBILISI, DFWatch – A new opinion poll in Georgia surprisingly showed that a new opposition movement has little support. Was it a sensational, true, finding, or did the pollster “cook” the survey? The election campaign is well underway in Georgia, and apart from the ground rules […]
Ivanishvili citizenship decision next week
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Deputy Justice Minister says there will be a decision in about a week regarding the businessman who had his citizenship revoked. Bidzina Ivanishvili is considered to be Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s main competitor, but his […]
Ivanishvili met EU Commission’s Wiegand
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian billionaire who is considered the main competitor of the government yesterday met EU officials and discussed the election campaign in the country. The press office of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s political coalition Georgian Dream reports the […]
Georgia lowers age limit for politicians
TBILISI, DFWatch – From now on it will be possible to be elected to parliament from the age of 21. Before, the age limit was 25 years. The Constitution of Georgia sets a lower age limit for being elected to parliament, so appropriate changes are to be made to the constitution. […]
Georgia’s parliamentarians on the move
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia has changed its laws so that parliament can meet in the new parliament building in Kutaisi already from May 1. During a transition period, Georgia’s parliamentarians may gather at either the new building or in the old building in Tbilisi. […]
Clause in Georgian law may block election observers
TBILISI, DFWatch – A little known clause in Georgia’s election law may allow the authorities to block most foreign election observers, only allowing two observers from each organization. This includes the OSCE and the EU. A newly established movement called League of Voters […]
Prisoners don’t dare to complain of mistreatment
TBILISI, DFWatch – The current situation in Georgian prisons remains one of the main problems in the human rights field, according to the public defender’s annual report to parliament. About 300 pages out of 645 explain the conditions and problems in Georgian prisons. […]
In Georgia, 40% of prisoners who die have injuries
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Public Defender on Thursday presented his annual report on human rights in the country. Among the most important problems is conditions in the prison and penitentiary system in Georgia, where human rights are often violated, according to […]
IMF gives Georgia new USD 387 million loan
TBILISI, DFWatch – The International Monetary Fund will support the Georgian government’s economic and finance program of 2012-2013 with USD 387 000 000. Edward Gardner, IMF Senior Resident Representative in Georgia, said on Wednesday that an agreement has been achieved […]
Georgian MPs to Uganda to meet other parliamentarians
TBILISI, DFWatch – A delegation from the Georgian parliament is going to Uganda to take part in the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The visit will last from March 31 to April 5 in the city of Kampala. Meetings will be held with delegations of different […]
Georgian Forbes editor quits, claims he was pressured
TBILISI, DFWatch – Editor in Chief of the Georgian edition of Forbes blames the magazine’s owner of censorship, after an interview with the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is trying to wrest power from President Saakashvili. At a press conference March 27, Revaz […]
Georgian TV show mocks ‘women’s logic’
TBILISI, DFWatch – In Georgia, there have been demonstrations throughout March against what is seen as violations of women’s rights. The national TV channel Imedi started a show called ‘Women’s Logic’. The concept is that three two-member groups of men are invited […]
Georgia increases its trade with Germany
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign trade turnover increased by 15 percent compared to the same period last year. Germany moved from fifth to third place among the ten largest trade partners. Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat, published this information […]
Abkhazia’s election – a look at minorities
TBILISI, DFWatch – Abkhazia, the Georgian breakaway republic, last Saturday held the last of two election rounds for parliament. A closer look reveals that ethnic Abkhaz have a stronger representation among those who were elected. In fact, the majority of elected MPs are […]
Observers should check restoration works in Abkhazia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian parliament asks the international community to help keep a watch on the restoration work planned at several historical sites in Abkhazia. This comes a few days after Alexander Ankvab, de facto president of Abkhazia, spoke about an initiative […]
Leaked poll shows Saakashvili’s party will remain in power
TBILISI, DFWatch – If there were elections tomorrow 47 percent would vote for the party of President Mikheil Saakashvili, the National Movement, according to a survey by the U.S. National Democratic Institute. The Georgian Dream coalition of Bidzina Ivanishvili […]
Another arrest in ‘paramilitary case’
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition activist who first spoke out about the alleged paramilitary groups in Western Georgia has been arrested in Zugdidi. Vako Avaliani, spokesperson for the opposition Free Democrats party, told DF Watch that that Kakha Mikaia was arrested on […]
Arrested for blowing whistle on Saakashvili’s paramilitaries – claim
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition party in Georgia that claimed President Saakashvili is organizing political paramilitaries reports that one of its members has been arrested. Information about the arrest of Sergo Chachibaia, a member of the Free Democrats Party, was […]
Georgia does not recognize elections in breakaway regions
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi does not recognize last weekend’s elections for parliament and president in Georgia’s breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia, respectively. Nino Kalandadze, Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia said at one of her regular briefings that […]
Georgians awaiting important opinion poll
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tuesday, the results of a reguler opinion poll done by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) are expected. Although regular, the results are eagerly awaited because they will indicate the political landscape seven months before an election which will […]
Ex-KGB chief wins first round of South Ossetia poll
TBILISI, DFWatch – Leonid Tibilov, a former head of the KGB in Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia beat the other three candidates in the president elections Sunday. In the region’s previous attempt to select a leader, an opposition candidate won against the Kremlin […]
Second round in Abkhazian poll completed
TBILISI, DFWatch – The breakaway republic Abkhazia Sunday completed its 2012 parliamentary election by holding a second round of voting. There was voting in 20 districts this time. The region has a first past the post system, and these districts out of a total of 35 needed […]
Another death during questioning in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – For the second time in a month, there has been a death during police questioning in Georgia. The Interior Ministry does not say when it happened, only that took place at Gori police station. Tamaz Jghamadze was asked to come to the police in Gori to […]
South Ossetia tries again to hold election
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia Sunday held presidential elections. By 10 in the morning, 11% of voters had visited election precincts; a high turnout, according to the Central Election Committee of the region. Interfax reports that Tskhinvali […]
Georgian patriarch asks diplomats to help with election
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Patriarch, Ilia II, told foreign diplomats that their assistance is needed for the difficult election period his country is heading into. Ilia, who has great influence among the population, appealed to the diplomats during a ceremony Friday […]
Abkhazia holds second round of election
TBILISI, DFWatch – Abkhazia today holds the second round of the elections for parliament. 20 constituencies are selecting a candidate in a first past the post system. In the first round, March 10, 13 candidates were chosen, out of a total of 35. In one district, less […]
Twenty years of US-Georgia relations
TBILISI, DFWatch – Today it is twenty years since Georgia and the U.S. established diplomatic relations. Marking the occasion, the U.S. Embassy writes in a press release that since 1992, hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers have come to Georgia and over five thousand […]
Alasania’s letter to Georgia’s Security Council
March 20, opposition politician Irakli Alasania sent a letter to Georgia’s National Security Council, detailing what he claims is a paramilitary force set up by President Saakashvili within the last few months, which could be used against opposition supporters. The government […]
EU’s Eastern Partnership looking at Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The first forum organized by the EU’s Eastern Partnership is being held in Tbilisi’s Radisson Hotel. It is jointly hosted by the office of State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Institute for Eastern Studies, Poland. […]
Closer cooperation between Georgia and Lebanon
TBILISI, DFWatch – The visa rules between Georgia and Lebanon will be simplified, the two countries’ prime minister have decided. Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri yesterday left for a two day visit to Lebanon. There, he met the President, the Speaker of Parliament […]
Next US ambassador to supervise democracy in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The confirmation hearing for the next U.S. Ambassador to Georgia has made waves in the country of his assignment. One senator asked Richard B. Norland to supervise the democratic processes in the country. In Georgia, the hearing has been interpreted […]
New World Bank loans for Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The World Bank has granted Georgia two new loans. The loans total 130 million US dollars and will go to finance infrastructural development and rehabilitation of the roads in the eastern Kakheti region. 70 million US dollars was approved by the World Bank […]
Dzhioyeva encourages people to vote
TBILISI, DFWatch – Alla Dzhioyeva, the defiant opposition leader in Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia, asks her supporters to vote in Sunday’s election. She herself, however, is boycotting the poll. She was the apparent winner of last November’s election, which the region’s […]
South Ossetian rescheduled election on Sunday
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia is preparing for another presidential election. The poll on March 25 will be the region’s second attempt, after the first one failed and led to a still unresolved protest campaign by the winner to claim victory. […]
Russia appoints officials to oversee Georgian regions
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed a special representative to South Ossetia, five days after awarding the same kind of job title in regards to Abkhazia, the other Georgian breakaway region. The person in charge of South Ossetia, the arena […]
Georgia denies the existence of paramilitaries
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Interior Ministry said March 21 that all armed groups are under the control of the government. “There are no other armed units, cannot be and won’t be,” said Shota Utiashvilil, head of the Interior Ministry’s press and analytical department. […]
U.S. Democrats present their survey of Georgian mood
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. National Democratic Institute today presented its latest findings about public attitudes in Georgia. The survey was conducted in February 2012 by Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC). The topics for the questionnaire covered the themes […]
Groups in Georgia note progress on democracy
TBILISI, DFWatch – A pro-democracy campaign in the former Soviet republic Georgia is noting a slight progress as parliament Wednesday took into account their criticism. The groups have said that recent changes to the campaign finance rules pose a threat to democracy. […]
Georgia’s promised mega-city is not a fata morgana
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia has made the building of Lazika, a hypothetical metropol on the Black Sea, one of its top priorities. The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced the plan at the end of 2011. He said Georgia plans to build […]
Saakashvili’s paramilitaries are clan based – claim
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition politician in Georgia Tuesday described in more detail what he knows about an alleged paramilitary force recently established by President Saakashvili in the west of the country. But he said documents about the illegal armed units will not […]
Georgian border police arrests Russian cargo ship
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian border police Monday detained a Russian cargo ship carrying coal across the Black Sea from Ukraine to Turkey. The Pur-Navolok is now in arrest in the Georgian port Batumi with its Russian crew of ten. Preliminary information indicates that […]
Georgian opposition details Saakashvili’s alleged paramilitaries
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition candidate Tuesday presented details about an alleged secret paramilitary organization he claims was recently organized by President Mikheil Saakashvili in western Georgia. Leader of the Free Democrats Irakli Alasania had called the press […]
Georgia in talks to spare 2 from execution in Malaysia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia is to send a task group to Malaysia to study the situation regarding two Georgians sentenced to death for drug related crimes. Babutsa Gordadze (26) and Darejan Kokhtashvili (37) were arrested in Malaysia in October 2010, accused of trafficking […]
Groups note progress about Georgian election rules
TBILISI, DFWatch – In Georgia, a vague new law is on its way to be clarified, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue their negotiations with parliament’s judiciary committee to amend the law about political unions of citizens. The concept of ‘related legal […]
Chamber of Control to testify before Georgian Parliament
TBILISI, DFWatch – Parliamentarians in Georgia are awaiting the testimony of the chairman of the country’s Chamber of Control, a controversial agency recently vested with broad extrajudicial powers. Parliament will hear Chamber chairman Levan Bezhashvili explain what’s going […]
Groups met Georgian lawmakers over campaign law
TBILISI, DFWatch – Four non-governmental organizations in Georgia Monday for the third time met with parliament’s judicial committee about the new law on party financing, called ‘law on political unions of citizens’. Georgian Young Lawyers Organization, Transparency International […]
Hillary Clinton soon coming to Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign ministry says the U.S. State Department has confirmed to them that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is coming to Georgia in the near future. But the exact date has yet to be announced. Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalanadadze says […]
Progress in Israel-Georgia negotiations
TBILISI, DFWatch – There are intense preparations going on between Georgia and Israel to cancel visa restrictions between the two countries. There are also talks with Israeli airlines regarding direct flights between Georgia and Israel, and Knesset is ready to give control […]
Georgia’s Saakashvili responds to ‘civil war’ charges
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has dismissed the charges made by one of the opposition leaders that he was preparing for civil war as a campaign move ahead of the parliamentary election in October. He was responding to something the Free […]
Georgia’s promising women – where are they today?
TBILISI, DFWatch – In August 2007, the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi listed twelve young women who each held special talents and one day could become powerful. DF Watch went looking for them. The embassy cable leaked by Wikileaks in 2011 is dedicated to Georgian women who held […]
Georgian opposition says Saakashvili preparing for civil war
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s former UN ambassador, now an opposition leader, says that President Mikheil Saakashvili’s apparatus is organizing paramilitary groups and handing out weapons in preparation for a civil war in the power struggle ahead of the election this October. […]
European Council to examine pre-election moves by Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Council of Europe is to examine moves by the government of Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili made ahead of a crucial parliamentary election in October. The Advisory Board of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has put it on the agenda of […]
Israel contradicts Georgia’s account of visa negotiations
TBILISI, DFWatch – A report from an Israeli news agency contradicts what the Georgian government is saying about negotiations over visa rules between the two countries. New agency Izrus writes that Israeli officials acknowledge that there are going to be negotiations […]
Georgian security official chimes in on Russian visa move
TBILISI, DFWatch – After a top Georgian lawmaker and the foreign ministry came out with critical remarks about a statement by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov about visa rules, Georgia’s security council chief also added his comments. Security Council Secretary Giga […]
Georgia answers Lavrov about canceling law
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday responded to a request by Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov the day before that Georgia should cancel a law that targets some Russians as criminals for having visited Georgia’s breakaway regions. […]
Germany wants extra election observers to Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Germany wants to send in extra long-term election observers to Georgia ahead of an important parliamentary election which sees two political blocs for the first time competing against each other. The extra observers will be working for the European Union, […]
US Ambassador criticizes interrogations in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, John Bass, has expressed concern about the wave of interrogations carried out by the Georgian Chamber of Control. “Concerned about the controversy surrounding the Chamber of Control’s recent […]
Two students beaten in Tbilisi, say it was because of blog
TBILISI, DFWatch – Representatives of Tbilisi State University’s student’s union Wednesday beat two students. The students who were beaten believe the reason was a recently started blog which contains criticism of the student’s union and its actions, as well as the university. […]
Georgian lawmaker answers Lavrov
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia is not going to abolish the law on occupied territories before Russia starts pulling back its occupying troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This was the response Georgia’s ruling party had to a statement by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov […]
Georgia’s patriarch congratulates Putin with election
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Patriarch congratules Vladimir Putin with having been elected as president of Russia. Polls have shown Patriarch Ilia II to be the most respected person among the Georgian population. His administration has published the text of the […]
More secrecy in Georgia’s government
TBILISI, DFWatch – A bill in Georgia will entitle the president to issue secret acts if the country’s defense and security is at stake. Not only the president will have this right, but also the ministries of defense, internal affairs, justice, finance and energy and natural […]
Germany’s Westerwelle visits Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – German Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle will visit Georgia on March 15 as part of a tour of the South Caucasus. Travelling with him are Markus Loning, the German Federal Government’s Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid […]
Obama’s promise led to US-Georgia business talks
TBILISI, DFWatch – A two day business conference was launched in Tbilisi Wednesday called Making Business with USA. The conference is the result of an agreement between U.S. President Barack Obama and Georgia’s Mikheil Saakashvili to hold high level dialog between their […]
Lavrov says Georgia must change law to get visa freedom
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russia is ready to cancel its visa requirements for Georgian citizens if Georgia changes the law about the occupied territories, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to the law, Russian citizens who go to Abkhazia or South Ossetia can […]
Georgian opposition party says new law is discriminatory
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition Christian Democratic Movement blames the government of having adopted a law which discriminates against women. Representative of the Christian Democrats Magda Anikashvili said this on March 13 at a parliament session. She says that before […]
In Georgia, NGOs are looking for people’s trust
TBILISI, DFWatch – Do you know what “NGO” means? If not, look out. You might be targeted by their next campaign to raise awareness. They have been on the streets of Georgia demonstrating for democratic rights, and their ads are on TV promoting the environment. […]
Saakashvili to attend nuclear summit in Seoul
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili will attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit to be held March 27-28 in Seoul, South Korea. The president’s press spokesperson Manana Manjgaladze said this at a regular briefing Tuesday. According to the summit’s […]
Biological laboratory in Tbilisi to start research soon
TBILISI, DFWatch – American defense officials Tuesday visited Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili to talk about a biological research facility which opened near Tbilisi one year ago. The Central Public Health Reference Laboratory is a joint American-Georgian cooperation, […]
Wave of political interrogations in western Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Chamber of Control has started a wave of interrogations in western Georgia. People are being called in for questioning at local government buildings. The coalition Choice for Freedom says the letter calling people in for talks does not give any […]
US and EU do not recognize Abkhazian election
TBILISI, DFWatch – The delegations of the U.S. and the EU in Georgia do not recognize the recent de facto parliamentary elections in Abkhazia as legitimate. Both have releases statements expressing support for Georgia’s territorial integrity. “The United States […]
EU’s NGO platform in Georgia asks Füle for help
TBILISI, DFWatch – Eastern Partnership Georgia appeals to the EU for help in the case of party financing rules. Authorities in Georgia enforced new tough restrictions on party financing last December, and made the rules apply also to organizations and individuals ‘indirectly’ […]
Ivanishvili’s Cartu Bank fined half a million dollars
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Chamber of Control keeps using its newly granted authority and fines a Georgian billionaire turned politician’s bank 822 040 lari (about 498 000 US dollars) for avoiding the law during financial transactions. In a statement, the Chamber […]
Georgian leader says election is a way to confront Russia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Monday responded to a Russian invitation to reestablish diplomatic relations by saying Georgians will fight Russia in the parliamentary election this fall. Saakashvili is being challenged in October’s election by a new coalition headed by […]
Georgian parliamentary speaker visits Israel
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian Speaker of Parliament, Davit Bakradze, March 12 began an official visit to Israel. Bakradze has been invited by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, according to the parliament press office. During his stay, Bakradze will have meetings with Israeli […]
Abkhazia election goes to second round
TBILISI, DFWatch – There will be a second round of the de facto elections for parliament in the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia, because representatives were elected from only 13 electoral districts out of a total of 35. Abkhazia is a part of Georgia currently occupied […]
Georgia halts gas flow to Armenia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia halted the flow of Russian natural gas to Armenia on Saturday, due to a technical accident on the pipeline caused by a landslide near the village of Mamkoda near Tbilisi. Energy minister Alexander Khetaguri said Saturday that […]
Georgian breakaway region holds parliamentary election
TBILISI, DFWatch – Abkhazia, one of Georgia’s two breakaway regions, Saturday held parliamentary elections. According to the de facto Central Election Commission, voter turnout was 29.25% in 174 electoral districts by 15:00. This increased to 37.6% turnout by 18:00. […]
U.S. Marines to hold joint exercise with ex-Soviet republic
TBILISI, DFWatch – U.S. Marines have arrived in the former Soviet republic of Georgia to hold a two week exercise with the Georgian fourth infantry brigade. The joint exercise lasts from 10 to 24 March and takes place at Vaziani military base less than an hour’s drive […]
Saakashvili’s Baku speech criticized in Azerbaijan
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is being criticized for his speech in the parliament of neighboring Azerbaijan. A member of the Azerbaijani parliament calls Saakashvili an adventurer (авантюрист). News agency Regnum.ru reports this, […]
Foreign investment soars in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Foreign direct investment in Georgia is increasing dramatically, and much of it comes from companies registered in the British Virgin Island, a known tax haven with low transparency. Foreign direct investments increased by 58% in the […]
Greek Patriarch denies negotiations over monastery
TBILISI, DFWatch – Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, is unfamiliar with there being negotiations regarding returning church control over the Monastery of the Cross to Georgia. The Patriarch said this in an exclusive interview with the online portal […]
Democracy campaign in Georgia continuing
TBILISI, DFWatch – Here in Georgia, the ‘This Affects You Too’ campaign continues as organizers delivered a special appeal to parliament, the president’s administration and the foreign affairs ministry, requesting them to invite long term observers from the OSCE for the whole […]
Protest against suspicious death during interrogation
TBILISI, DFWatch – Up to forty people gathered Thursday in front of the police building in Khashuri, a town in central Georgia, protesting the recent death of a man during interrogation. About half of people there were activists from Tbilisi, while the rest were locals. […]
NATO to expand cooperation about reforms in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – NATO is to strengthen its efforts to further democratic reforms in Georgia as part of preparing the country for membership in the alliance. “Today we also have an opportunity to reinforce further the cooperation between NATO and Georgia through supporting […]
Lawmaker confirms Georgia-Russia counter-terrorism talks
TBILISI, DFWatch – A lawmaker in Georgia confirms that there were negotiations with Russia about setting up a counter-terrorism center together. It was Georgia’s Vice Speaker of Parliament, Mikheil Machavariani, who Thursday responded to something the president-elect of […]
Georgian radical defends herself against billionaire’s charge
TBILISI, DFWatch – A billionaire newcomer politician in the former Soviet republic of Georgia criticizes a radical opposition leader for mismanagement involving a violent clash last spring. The movement People’s Assembly mobilized all across the country in 2011, […]
Putin and Saakashvili both talking about cooperation
TBILISI, DFWatch – The days are long gone when Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili spoke of Vladimir Putin’s height, while the Russian leader said he wanted to hang Saakashvili by his private parts. Yesterday’s speeches by both shows that relations between them have […]
Democracy campaigners in Georgia note slight progress
TBILISI, DFWatch – Pro-democracy campaigners in Georgia welcome a step by the government to change a controversial law which they believe would be used to secure Mikheil Saakashvili’s power grip over the country in an election this fall. But the groups are not satisfied […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili had talks with radical movement
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition billionaire in the former Soviet republic of Georgia Tuesday had meetings with representatives for the movement behind a protest wave which ended in a fatal clash with police in May 2011. Bidzina Ivanishvili met with People’s Assembly, […]
Saakashvili lashes out at Putin’s planned Eurasian union
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s leader Mikheil Saakashvili Wednesday went on the offensive against newly elected Russian president Vladimir Putin’s brainchild; a Eurasian union, to encompass most of what was formerly part of the Soviet Union. „Any attempt to resurrect the […]
EU and OSCE help needed to avoid unfair election in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – Campaigners in the former Soviet republic of Georgia are asking the European Union and the OSCE for help to prevent Mikheil Saakasvhili from rigging the election this fall. Pro-democracy groups have been campaigning since December last year to reverse […]
Georgia’s Saakashvili on friendly visit to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev March 6 during a two-day visit to the country. A press release from the Azerbaijani president’s administration says that the two expressed satisfaction with how […]
Georgia fires police chief for accidental death at station
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Interior Ministry has fired a local police chief after a controversial death of a suspect under interrogation. The ministry says in a statement dated March 6 that the head of Khashuri police station, where a detainee died under suspicious […]
Georgia is to punish hate crimes harder
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia increases its sentencing of hate crimes. A new bill to amend the Criminal Code will make it mandatory for courts to use the maximum sentence if the crime was motivated by racial, linguistic, religious, national or ethnic prejudice. For every […]
Bosporus doesn’t divide, Bosporus unites
TBILISI, DFWatch – Where exactly does Europe end and Asia start? Some say it’s the Likhi mountain range, which separates Georgia’s western and eastern parts. Regardless of how Europe’s geographical extent is measured, the cultural connection to Europe has long been a […]
NATO reaffirms Georgia’s eligibility for membership
TBILISI, DFWatch – Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen reiterates that Georgia is eligible for membership in the alliance sometime in the future when all criteria are met. Fogh Rasmussen said this at a regular briefing when asked by journalists how a potential […]
Democracy-support gets in a squeeze in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – A new law in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has led to several international organizations reconsidering their democracy building activities. The law was supposed to strengthen transparency in the election campaign this year and next, but a broad […]
Georgia’s officials go to great lengths to be “liked”
TBILISI, DFWatch – School children in Georgia are given as home assignment to ‘like’ their leaders. Having a popular official Facebook page has become essential to public figures of Georgia. Users of the social networking site in the former Soviet republic recently started […]
93 % voted for Putin in South Ossetia
TBILISI, DFWatch – 92.77% of the voters in South Ossetia voted for Vladimir Putin as president of Russia. In the other breakaway republic Abkhazia, 90.94% of voters supported Putin in the presidential elections. 15,839 voters participated in the election in South Ossetia, Ria […]
Georgian minister stands by police story on controversial death
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Interior Minister says his ministry’s preliminary findings show that the death of a prisoner at a regional police station was an accident, but that it is outrageous that something like this could happen. Following the death of Solomon […]
Saakashvili unveils Grad, system used illegally in 2008 war
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili Saturday unveiled another home produced weapon system; a Georgian version of the Grad multiple rocket launcher. According to the EU’s investigation into the August 2008 war, he ordered his army to use Grads, also […]
Georgian showcase resort came under RPG fire
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian beach resort came under machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire last night. According to a statement on the Georgian Interior Ministry’s website, the attack started at 03:20 at night and lasted for ten minutes. No-one was injured. The […]
Georgian TV parroting eachother on suspicious death
TBILISI, DFWatch – Confusion continues over a detainee’s suspicious death at a police station, after a Georgian website released photos of the victim, Solomon Kimeridze, showing bodily injuries which could be the result of torture. Yesterday evening, all three national […]
Russia offers Georgia visa-free travel, on certain terms
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russia offers Georgia visa-free travel and to restore diplomatic relations, but not without conditions. The Russian foreign ministry says in a statement on its website that Georgia first must create a ‘reliable legal environment’ that can guarantee […]
Saakashvili sets up new expert military panel
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has set up a new board of military advisers in the Defense Ministry. The point of having the new advisors there is to aid in the transformation process of Georgia’s armed forces. The advisors will analyze […]
Georgia sees deflation for first time in 30 months
TBILISI, DFWatch – The inflation rate fell to minus 2.1% in February, as an estimate for year as a whole. This the first deflation since August 2009. The drop is mainly due to falling prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages. According to figures released March 2 by […]
OSCE must send observers to Georgia now, not wait
TBILISI, DFWatch – Democracy campaigners in the former Soviet republic of Georgia call for international observers to come and monitor what’s going on. They believe the Saakashvili government is setting things up to rig the election for parliament this fall. Last election, […]
Saakashvili gets more power to sell off state property
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, have been given even more power to manage the sale of state property. Parliament has adopted a law which gives the president freedom to set the period of payment for state property when selling real estate […]
Georgia simplifies the definition of terrorism
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia has simplified the definition of what an act of terrorism is. Previously, an act of terrorism was defined in the Criminal Code as causing explosion, fire, or use of weapon, in a way that is a danger to human life, […]
Iranian visitors to Georgia increase most
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia is seeing a steady increase in foreigners visiting. Iranians account for the highest growth in visits. According to the country’s Interior Ministry, 38.9% more foreigners arrived in Georgia in 2011, compared to […]
Georgia liberalizes its policy towards drug addiction
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in the former Soviet republic of Georgia is liberalizing its policy on drug addiction. According to authorities, drug addiction will no longer be considered a crime. Drug abuse will still be punished with fines, but the money from such […]
Saakashvili: Free trade will make unemployment disappear
TBILISI, DFWatch – President Mikheil Saakashvili hopes a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU will make unemployment disappear in Georgia. Saakashvili made his statement while visiting an Abipharm pharmaceutical plant in the village Tserovani near […]
Suspicious death in police custody called ‘accident’
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Public Defender calls for an objectively investigation into the death of Solomon Kimeridze. “The cause of death should be found; also whether he was a victim of inhumane and severe treatment,” says a recent statement by the Public […]
Ivanishvili’s citizenship still unresolved
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Civil Registry is out of time to give a written response regarding opposition businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian citizenship, his lawyers say. On January 5, his lawyers filed an application to the Civil Registry asking to give Ivanshvili […]
Refugees picketed Saakahsvili’s annual speech to parliament
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s president Mikheil Saakashvili was not only confronted with objections to his rule inside the parliament building Tuesday. On the outside, people had gathered, banging pots with spoons in protest against his eight years leading the former […]
Young lawyers win suit against secret wiretapping powers
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Constitutional Court has decided that parliament did not have the right to give prosecutors powers to conduct secret wiretappings. Tamar Khidasheli and Georgian Young Lawyers Association filed a lawsuit at the Constitutional Court regarding […]
Campaigners meet lawmaker to discuss party finance rules
TBILISI, DFWatch – The ‘This Affects You Too’ campaign continues to push for amendments to recent new rules that they say restricts freedom of speech, property rights, the right to political activism, right to assembly and independence more generally. Today, […]
Russian lawmaker calls Georgia’s visa move propaganda
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Russian Duma member calls Georgia’s lifting of visa rules for Russians propaganda. Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said in his annual speech to parliament Tuesday night that he would drop visa requirements for all Russian citizens. Today, […]
Georgian opposition party canvassing war refugees
TBILISI, DFWatch – The political party For a Renewed Georgia will today open a regional office in Mtskheta-Mtianeti north of Tbilisi for refugees from the Akhalgori region. Party leaders will meet residents of Tsilknisi and Tserovani, two villages where most of the refugees […]
Four candidates will compete in South Ossetian election
TBILISI, DFWatch – Only four candidates have been approved to participate in the March 25 election to fill the post as president of the de facto republic of South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway region currently occupied by Russia. Today the Central Election Commission […]
Saakashvili’s state of the nation address: Main points
TBILISI, DFWatch – President Mikheil Saakashvili Tuesday February 28 gave his address to parliament and summarized the country’s situation as required by the Georgian Constitution. The leader grouped his political plans into five main points: Tackling unemployment, […]
Israel denies talks about Monastery of the Cross
TBILISI, DFWatch – Israeli officials deny that there are in talks with Georgia about handing over control over the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem. “This is news for us. We have heard nothing like that,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Yigal Palmor said, […]
Saakashvili recommends mud bath to opponent, leaves debate
TBILISI, DFWatch – There were tough exchanges in the Georgian parliament yesterday, with President Mikheil Saakashvili at one point leaving the room after recommending an opponent to take a therapeutic mud bath to get rid of his delusions. The situation became so heated that […]
Georgia hopes vocational training will remedy crisis
TBILISI, DFWatch – From this year, Georgians who sign up with a private or vocational school for learning a new profession will receive a 1 000 lari voucher from the government. This was announced by President Mikheil Saakashvili during an annual speech to parliament […]
Saakashvili promises health insurance to large families
TBILISI, DFWatch – The president in Georgia promises health insurance for all large families from 2013. Mikheil Saakashvili was making his annual address to parliament February 28. He noted that after establishing this system in Georgia, one out of two will be insured. […]
Saakashvili: Georgia’s election is a matter of national security
TBILISI, DFWatch – The president of the former Soviet republic of Georgia says this fall’s parliamentary election will be an important exam and says “conducting the freest elections which have ever been conducted is a question of national security.” Mikheil Saakashvili […]
Saakashvili: My force will govern for many years
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says his political force ‘has the resources to govern for many years and will never refuse this.’ The statement came during an annual speech to parliament Tuesday. Giorgi Targamadze, leader of the Christian […]
Netherland to study Georgia’s health care system
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili claims that the Netherlands wants to copy Georgia’s health care system. He said this during his annual speech to parliament on February 28. Speaking about the system implemented in Georgia, he said new hospitals […]
Saakashvili woos Russian business with visa-free travel
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said Tuesday night that Georgia will lift visa requirements for all Russians. Saakashvili was holding his annual speech to parliament about the state of the nation. “I have an new initiative to unilaterally […]
EU to discuss visa action plan with Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch – EU foreign ministers have issued a paper setting out to integrate Georgia more in the Union. The paper is a broad review of relations between Georgia and the EU and the country’s security. It notes that there has been progress in the Eastern […]
EU asks Georgia to hold democratic elections
TBILISI, DFWatch – EU says parliamentary and presidential elections in Georgia should meet internationally recognized standards of democracy. A statement published on the EU’s Council on the South Caucasus webpage says the EU acknowledges Georgia’s European […]
Opposition accuses gov’t of lying about Afghanistan casualties
TBILISI, DFWatch – An opposition politician in the former Soviet republic of Georgia accuses the government of lying about when three servicemen died last week. Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s former Foreign Minister, accuses the government of having postponed the sad […]
EU Commissioner in Tbilisi to forge free trade agreement
TBILISI, DFWatch – The European Union’s commissioner for trade issues, Karel de Gucht, will arrive in Georgia today on February 28 and will start negotiations with Georgia about a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. Moldova is also offered the same kind of […]
Protest announced for Saakashvili’s address about country’s condition
TBILISI, DFWatch – When Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili comes to parliament this evening to make his speech about the state of the nation, groups and opposition parties will be demonstrating outside. The press office of the Free Georgia Party announced the […]
Georgian opposition movement not to reconsider NATO missions
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s billionaire-backed opposition movement, Georgian Dream, is not going to reconsider the country’s participation in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan. Press spokesperson Maya Pandzhikidze said this at a regular briefing on February 27. […]
Georgia to host OSCE Economic Forum in May
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Black Sea port of Batumi has been chosen as host for the OSCE Economic Forum in May, Georgia’s Vice Speaker of Parliament Gigi Tsereteli told journalists Monday. Tsereteli says the decision was taken a few days ago after a meeting of […]
Georgian opposition bloc fined by party financing authority
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian authorities have issued fines to an opposition figurehead and his associates totaling 363 000 US dollars. The businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who since October 2011 has been gradually building a base within the country’s politics, was […]
Saakashvili to hold state of the nation address Tuesday night
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian president will make his annual speech to parliament tomorrow, February 28, at 20:00. Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze announced this today at a bureau session. “The best air time was picked for the president’s visit and speech […]
Georgia to have control over Monastery of the Cross
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem, which in its time was built with the support of the Georgian king and for centuries was considered a Georgian cultural center, may placed under Georgian control. The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced […]
Police clears protest camp in old Tbilisi park
TBILISI, DFWatch – The small fireplace, wooden chairs, all the logs and even the small plant planted one day ago were demolished on Saturday by huge trucks and a tractor that dug a big hole inside the fenced-off area of old Kikvidze Park in northern Tbilisi. It happened […]
Georgia unveils new combat vehicle
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia today presented its new combat vehicle Lazika at the Vaziani military base not far from the capital Tbilisi. The demonstration of the new vehicle’s technical and tactical abilities was attended by the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. […]
Saakashvili’s Facebook page blocked Russian users
TBILISI, DFWatch – Friday evening, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s Facebook page suffered a similar attack as his Russian counterpart Dimitry Medvedev. Tens of comments per minute were submitted in Russian, until the administrator intervened and blocked […]
Trees cut and planted in old Kikvidze Park
TBILISI, DFWatch – Four more trees were cut in Tbilisi’s old Kikvidze Park yesterday night while activists left the area for a short time. The police Saturday arrested Lasha Chkhartishvili, the founder of Greenpeace Supporters Group and one of the organizers for trying […]
Correction: Only one of Ankvab’s guards died in attack
TBILISI, DFWatch – Only one of Abkhazian de facto president Alexander Ankvab’s guards died after Wednesday’s assassination attempt. In the immedate aftermath of the shootout, a spokesman for Ankvab was quoted by Russian news agency Itar-Tass saying that a second […]
Turkey is Georgia’s most important trade partner
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s largest trading partner is Turkey, just like before, according to fresh data of from January 2012. According to Georgia’s Statistics Department, the turnover with Turkey last year totaled 90 million US dollars. Azerbaijan and Germany […]
Georgia moves to data-sharing, more secrecy
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia is to establish a new data-sharing and information protection model. A new law sets out the rules that will apply to both private and public bodies, the only requirement being that it is a ‘subject of critical […]
South Ossetian opposition leader boycotts March election
TBILISI, DFWatch – As one month is left until the de facto republic South Ossetia is to hold another presidential election, 21 candidates have registered their initiative group with the Central Election Commission. But the most popular candidate in a cancelled election […]
Georgians blocked from Medvedev’s Facebook page
TBILISI, DFWatch – An online campaign against Russian president Dimitry Medvedev’s Facebook page led to comments in Georgian language being blocked by the administrator. The campaigners wanted to express their protest against Russian policy regarding […]
Continued pressure to change vague party financing rules
TBILISI, DFWatch – Groups in Georgia Thursday continued their campaign against the new party financing rules which were ushered in last December. At different spots around Tbilisi and in several other towns there were demonstrations to highlight the threat posed by […]
Georgia arrests Bidzina Ivanishvili’s security chief
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian authorities have arrested the head of security at opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ski resort. It was officers of the Georgian finance ministry’s investigative unit which arrested Revaz Mumladze, who is head of security at the billionaire’s […]
Protesting the destruction of old green lung
TBILISI, DFWatch – On Dadiani Street in northern Tbilisi near Didube metro, there is a big old park called Kikvidze Park. Here, the government has decided to build another one of Georgia’s characteristic transparent glass police stations. A protest was launched against […]
Putin seeks brotherly relations with the Georgian people
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russia hopes to restore friendly relations with the Georgian people, Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says. “We have never equaled the Georgian government to the Georgian people. And I hope very much that this really brotherly people to us […]
Ankvab might have been attacked by angered Moscow-loyal forces
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian security analyst says today’s attack on Abkhazia’s leader could have been carried out by Moscow-loyal forces who are angered by Alexander Ankvab’s efforts to disrupt them. Mamuka Areshidze, chair of Caucasus Center for Strategic Research […]
Georgian lawmaker hints at Russian hand in Ankvab attack
TBILISI, DFWatch – A lawmaker from Georgia’s ruling party says he doesn’t exclude that Russia was behind today’s ambush of Abkhazian leader Alexander Anhvab’s convoy. “The fact itself that there were several attacks on this person, while he was the so-called Prime […]
FSB forces back plane carrying South Ossetian ex-candidate
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russian security police FSB forced a civilian airliner to return to Moscow and confiscated the passport of a South Ossetian ex-politician. Dzambolat Tedeev, who pondered running for president in South Ossetia last fall, was sitting on an airplane […]
Man hunt as two of Abkhaz leader’s guard dies in ambush
TBILISI, DFWatch – This morning’s roadside ambush has left one of de facto Abkhazian president Alexander Ankvab’s bodyguards dead, and authorities are now using helicopters to hunt down the attackers. The attack happened at 08:25 in the morning Moscow time. News […]
Three Georgian soldiers die in Afghanistan
TBILISI, DFWatch – Three Georgian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, according to Georgia’s Defense Minister. The country has now lost a total of fifteen soldiers in the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission. “The military servicemen died while they were […]
Abkhazian leader Ankvab survives, guards dies
TBILISI, DFWatch – Wednesday morning the de facto president of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia was attacked while in his car on his way to work in Sukhumi. Alexander Ankvab himself was not hurt, Abkhazian and Russian media report, but one of his bodyguards […]
Georgian accused of 2007 plot released on bail
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former member of parliament accused of planning a coup d’état in 2007 was released on bail. Georgian authorities accuse Valeri Gelbakhiani of having hatched the plot together with Badri Patarkatsishvili, a now deceased billionaire who owned […]
Georgian election watchdog wishes it had retroactive powers
TBILISI, DFWatch – As a new chapter unfolded in the saga about Georgia’s party finance reform, the Chamber of Control Monday made a request which seemed an implicit criticism of its critics. The CoC was given retroactive powers in a reform last December, but since such […]
Ivanishvili goes one step further on uncertain opposition path
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili Tuesday took his movement one step further to becoming a full-fledged party, but stopped short of assuming leadership. Ivanishvili’s citizenship was revoked by President Mikheil Saakashvili at the […]
Georgia’s new party finance rules to be reworked
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze is asking parliament to change the recently introduced party finance rules so that they guarantee the freedom of speech more. He said this during a bureau session on February 20, responding to a petition […]
Georgia’s Saakashvili to unveil new combat vehicle
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili promised to this week unveil a new combat vehicle his country has developed called ‘Lazika’. The president said this in a speech February 20 during a surprise visit to his country’s soldiers stationed in […]
Saakashvili claims the U.S. is to strengthen Georgia’s military
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili said during a visit to Afghanistan that the United States will help Georgia to defend its territory. The president was addressing Georgian soldiers in the ISAF mission at a military base in Helmand province. […]
Britain’s Georgia ambassador visits breakaway Abkhazia
TBILISI, DFWatch – The United Kingdom’s ambassador to Georgia, Judith Gough, Monday visisted Abkhazia, one of two breakaway regions. Ambassador Gough was travelling together with Regional Adviser Claire Delassard and Political Affairs Counsellor James Gallagher. […]
Saakashvili to give state of the nation address next week
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili will hold his annual state of the nation address in parliament’s next week. The exact date of his speech is not yet known. Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze said this at a parliamentary bureau session Monday. […]