Monthly Archives: August 2018

Margvelashvili won’t run for president again, slams GD for animosity

By | August 31st, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: |

(Facebook.) President Giorgi Margvelashvili has announced his decision not to run for the presidential seat in the fall and slammed Georgia’s ruling party for attempts to ‘discredit’ him. […]

In Memoriam of Sen. John McCain

By | August 29th, 2018|Categories: Opinion|Tags: |

Tedo Japaridze and Sen. John McCain in helicopter en route to Pankisi in 2002. I had the great honor of meeting Senator McCain in early November of 1994 when I was Ambassador to the United States from Georgia.  He quickly and organically understood the challenges of a young democracy like ours trying to overcome [...]

Prosecutor suspended after alleged armed assault

By | August 28th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–A prosecutor at the west Georgia branch of the Prosecutor’s Office has been suspended and is being evaluated following an alleged armed assault, the POG said in a statement released Monday evening. […]

Sokhumi regime vice president resigns, declares vendetta to punish offender

By | August 22nd, 2018|Categories: Conflict news|Tags: |

Vitali Gabnia. Vice president of breakaway Abkhazia has stepped down after an incident when he was hit by a glass to his head, saying that plans to retaliate in “Abkhazian spirit”. […]

Georgia bows to Turkey’s Erdogan again, cracks down on Gulen-linked university in Tbilisi

By | August 21st, 2018|Categories: Education, News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia keeps on cracking down on educational institutions linked to the Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara has accused of masterminding the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. […]

Abkhazia declares Soviet passports invalid

By | August 18th, 2018|Categories: Conflict news|Tags: , |

GALI, DFWatch–Sokhumi has declared as invalid passports issued during the Soviet Union, which will cause problems for Georgians living in Abkhazia, many of whom rely on the documents for traveling in and out of the breakaway republic, locals told DFWatch. […]

New Russian surveillance position spotted at Koda as South Ossetia prepares to redraw de facto border

By | August 13th, 2018|Categories: News|

TBILISI, DFWatch–Locals have discovered a new surveillance post near Koda, a village along the perimeter of South Ossetia, where Georgia and Russia fought a brief war ten years ago. The observation post near the village of Koda, which likely includes […]

Russian bases in Abkhazia have mushroomed since 2008 war

By | August 12th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

The Russian military base in Tagolon, a village in the ethnic Georgian Gali region of Abkhazia. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Since the 2008 war, Russia has expanded its military infrastructure in the breakaway republic Abkhazia dramatically. There are currently Russian military facilities in Sokhumi, Ochamchire, Gudauta and Gali, as well as the villages Tagiloni, Nabakevi, Pichori, Otobaia, […]

It was inevitable, if not in 2008 it would erupt later: Hamilton on August War

By | August 11th, 2018|Categories: Interviews|Tags: |

Robert Hamilton. Anna Kalandadze of Voice of America/Georgia spoke to Robert Hamilton, Professor of Eurasian Studies at US Army War College on his recollections of Russo-Georgian war of 2008 and where the country is going ten years after.  […]

Strong rain and flooding of houses and streets in Gali, Abkhazia

By | August 10th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Strong rain caused flooding of streets and houses in the southern Gali district of Abkhazia on Friday. The exact scale of the damage is not yet known, but the head of the local de facto administration claims the consequences would have been worse […]

Fire breaks out in South Ossetian de facto president’s building

By | August 8th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–The building of de facto president’s administration in South Ossetia caught fire on Wednesday, destroying about 140 square meters. The fire took place on August 8, on the 10th anniversary of the five day Russo-Georgian war, which claimed hundreds of lives from both sides. […]

Separatist politician claims US strong-armed Latin American countries to not recognize Abkhazia

By | August 7th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: |

Maxim Gvinjia. (Sputnik.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several Latin American countries that considered recognizing Abkhazia as an independent country refrained from doing so after the personal intervention by US and UK leaders, a former Sokhumi politician has claimed in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti. […]

Former Georgian foreign minister Zourabichvili declares presidential run

By | August 7th, 2018|Categories: Politics|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili has declared her intention to run for president of Georgia, and the ruling GD party appears to be ready to back her candidacy. Zourabichvili, who is of of Georgian origin but was born in France, served as French ambassador […]

Officials from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine expected in Georgia for 10th anniversary of August War

By | August 6th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and the deputy prime minister of Ukraine are among the foreign officials who will visit Georgia on Monday and Tuesday for the 10th anniversary of the Russo-Georgian war. During their visit, […]

Georgia triple murder suspect placed under psychiatric evaluation

By | August 4th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–A 19 year old shepherd charged with murdering an American family of three is undergoing psychiatric evaluation, his lawyer said on Monday. Malkhaz Kobauri, who faces life sentence for the savage killing of Ryan and Lora Smith and their 4 year old son Caleb, is being examined […]

1,137 students from breakaway region enrolled at universities since 2005

By | August 3rd, 2018|Categories: News|

TBILISI, DFWatch–4,237 students have graduated from the schools in Abkhazia since 2005, out of which 2,458 registered for the National Assessment and Examinations Center exams. According to Gali Educational Resource Center, […]

Three Georgian soldiers in hospital after knife fight at military training center

By | August 2nd, 2018|Categories: News|

(The Kojori training center.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three members of the Georgian military were wounded, and two slightly injured after a physical confrontation at the Kojori military base in the vicinity of Tbilisi overnight. The three received stab wounds with knives that were not military issue, MoD said. […]