Peace program yields positive results, Georgia’s state minister says
Ketevan Tsikhelashvili. (Facebook) The peace program of Georgian government aimed at breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has yielded first positive results, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said Monday. “We have a very complex peace program, which was supported by the parliament. There is a lot of news, this program has already achieved its first success [...]
Former Soviet bureaucrat re-appointed as Abkhazia’s de facto PM
Valeri Bganba. De facto president Raul Khajimba has re-appointed Valeri Bganba, former Komsomol activist, as a “prime minister” of breakaway Abkhazia. Bganba was first appointed at the office in September 18, 2018, after [...]
News
Sokhumi brings in new restrictions at Enguri Bridge, locals charged USD 17 for passing
The Enguri Bridge crossing is essential to many local businesses, who rely on trade in products such as hazelnuts. (DFWatch.) GALI, DFWatch--Sokhumi has brought in new restrictions on the administrative borderline between breakaway [...]
Georgian weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze sets three world records in one day
Lasha Talakhadze. TBILISI, DFWatch--“Lasha Talakhadze is the strongest man walking the planet… maybe ever in sports,” exclaimed the commentator after the Georgian giant set three World Records in a single day at the [...]
Georgia extradites terrorism suspect Akhyadov to Russia, public opinion opposed
Ramzan Akhyadov. (Netgazeti.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia extradited an ethnic Chechen to Russia on Thursday, despite strong opposition to the move. Russia accuses 39-year-old Ramzan Akhyadov, who has lived in Georgia for the last two [...]
Abkhazia’s supreme court rejects opposition lawsuit, Khajimba re-elected
TBILISI, DFWatch--The Supreme Court in Abkhazia on Friday rejected a lawsuit filed by presidential candidate Alhaz Kvitsinia, seeking to annul the results of the runoff elections and call a new election. Although Kvitsinia's team will [...]
Opposition in Abkhazia demands de facto election result canceled
Opposition candidate Alhaz Kvitsinia. TBILISI, DFWatch--The opposition in Abkhazia is planning a rally in Sokhumi on Tuesday, which will be held in parallel with a court hearing in a lawsuit filed by the [...]
Embattled Georgian banker prepares to step into politics
Mamuka Khazaradze. (IPN.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s embattled banker Mamuka Khazaradze is expected to launch a new opposition party on Thursday. The event will take place in Anaklia, a resort on the Black Sea coast [...]
Growing tensions in Abkhazia as opposition refuses to accept narrow win for incumbent
Raul Khajimba won by 47.4% to 46.2%, according to preliminary results. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Tensions are growing in Abkhazia after the runoff in the breakaway republic’s presidential elections, as the opposition refuses to accept [...]
Georgian parliamentarian swamped by protesters calling him a “Russian slave”
Member of Parliament Emzar Kvitsiani was seen physically assaulting several protesters after they called him a "Russian slave". (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A brawl broke out at the parliament building in Tbilisi Sunday, after anti-government [...]
Kelly Degnan nominated as next US Ambassador to Georgia
Kelly Degnan. (it.usembassy.gov) President Donald Trump nominates Kelly C. Degnan of California to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia, who currently serves as the Political Advisor to the Commander of United States [...]
Russia’s military superiority is visible but its status in Georgia continues to erode: Robert Hamilton
Robert Hamilton. (VoA) Voice of America’s Georgian Service’s Anna Kalandadze talked to Robert Hamilton, Professor of Eurasian Studies at the US Army War College in Washington about trending topics in current-day Georgia. VoA: [...]
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
Independent lawyers in Georgia urge parliament to condemn “clan-based” governance in judiciary
High Council of Justice. (hcoj.gov.ge) A group of independent lawyers and legal experts has submitted a draft resolution in the parliament of Georgia in which they ask for [...]
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 […]