Two gas inspectors in KazTransGaz detained for failing to act on gas leak warning before deadly explosion
Four people were killed in the explosion in an apartment block in the Tbilisi district Didi Dighomi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The police on Friday detained two people in relation to the deadly gas explosion in Tbilisi which claimed the lives of four, including a 4 year old boy, his mother and an aunt. The two detainees are employees of KazTransGaz and are part of [...]
Georgian civic groups suspect government is behind smear campaign on Facebook
Eka Gigauri. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's largest NGOs suspect that the government is masterminding a smear campaign against them using internet trolls. "These dull caricatures with their Facebook pages have been created specifically to [...]
News
Abkhazia, South Ossetia declare quarantine to limit spread of flu virus
Razdakhan checkpoint in the Akhalgori district. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's two breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Friday declared a quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the influenza virus H1N1 [...]
Flu death count reaches 13 in Georgia
Minister of Health Davit Sergeenko. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--13 people have died from flu in Georgia since the start of this flu season, the country’s health minister said on Thursday. The number of hospitalizations [...]
Abkhazia considers 20 day quarantine to stem flu epidemic, locals say real reason is shortage of medicines
GALI, DFWatch--Sokhumi plans to announce a 20 day quarantine and close Enguri checkpoint, the sole passage between Georgia proper and breakaway Abkhazia, locals familiar with the situation told DFWatch. Although breakaway officials claim no instances [...]
Georgia’s second largest bank under investigation for money laundering, opposition claims political motive
Mamuka Khazaradze, chairman of the supervisory board of TBC Bank, was questioned by the chief prosecutor's office. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor's Office (POG) has launched a criminal investigation of the country’s second [...]
At least 10 have died of flu in Georgia this winter
NCDC director Amiran Gamkrelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--At least 10 people have died in Georgia the last few weeks due to complications after contracting with the flu, health officials have said. The National Center [...]
New Akhalgori travel restrictions delayed for one month
Razdakhan checkpoint. (DFwatch.) AKHALGORI, DFWatch--South Ossetia has postponed for a month the coming into force of a new regulation which makes it harder for Akhalgori residents to cross the de facto border. On [...]
Record traffic across Enguri bridge on New Year’s Eve
(Archive photo by DFWatch.) GALI, DFWatch--A record number of people crossed Enguri bridge on New Year's Eve this year - in both directions. The queue spanned almost the entire length of the 1km [...]
Georgia’s parliament to consider a ban on wearing burqa and niqab in public
The bill was proposed by Emzar Kvitsiani, a member of parliament for the Alliance of Patriots who has often appeared at far-right rallies like this one in Tbilisi on July 14. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, [...]
US Congress passes Georgia Support Act
The US House of Representatives The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress, has passed Georgia Support Act, HR 6219, reasserting the United States’ support for its sovereignty and opposition to the forceful and illegal Russian invasion of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. […]
“Zurabishvili and the GD should be worried”: American analysts speak on Georgian elections
Paul Stronski. (VOA) Voice of America’s Anna Kalandadze discussed aftermath and fallout of the first round of presidential elections in Georgia with leading Eurasia analysts in Washington. Anna Kalandadze is VOA Georgian chief [...]
Europe and Georgia
PACE to discuss dismissing its president in October
PACE President Pedro Agramunt. (Council of Europe.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will discuss a proposal to dismiss its chairperson in early October after a motion was tabled on Friday. The motion to dismiss PACE President Pedro Agramunt was backed by 158 out of the 636 member […]
Opinion
Minorities
Groups say 25-year old’s fatal stabbing in Tbilisi was motivated by xenophobia
Vitali Safarov (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch--A young human rights activist who was stabbed to death in Tbilisi nearly two weeks ago was murdered by members of a neo-Nazi group, Georgian civic activists say. Vitali [...]
NGO News
Georgian civic groups suspect government is behind smear campaign on Facebook
Eka Gigauri. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's largest NGOs suspect that the government is masterminding a smear campaign against them using internet trolls. "These dull caricatures with their Facebook pages [...]
NGO coalition in Georgia proposes new procedure for selecting chief prosecutor
DFWatch Editor-in-Chief Lasha Tughushi is one of the authors of the bill. Behind him, co-author Natia Kuprashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s largest NGO coalition proposes an overhaul of the existing system for selecting a chief prosecutor in order to minimize the risk that one party takes the decision unilaterally. The proposed bill comes in the wake of a two-week-long series of rallies in Tbilisi […]
CSOs Seek Involvement in Public Defender’s Selection Process
We would like to respond to the statements related to the selection of Georgian Public Defender and call on the Parliament of Georgia to ensure civil society participation in the [...]