UNM embraces four minor parties to defeat “oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili”
Coalition presentation. (Newposts.ge) Georgia’s largest opposition force forms an electoral block with four small political parties to propose candidacy of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili for PM office. State for the People, Republican Party, Chven Tviton, and Progress and Freedom joined ranks with UNM to defeat “oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili” and signed a formal agreement on Tuesday. State of the People is a political coalition founded [...]
Russian MP hints Georgia might been involved in Navalny poisoning
Yuri Shvytkin. (Facebook) As the world, and democratic forces in Russia, remain shocked by cold-blooded poisoning of President Putin’s top foe by Novichok, the Kremlin points at Georgian and the United States as [...]
News
Anger in SO triggers political crisis, MPs boycott sessions
Chief prosecutor Uruzmag Jagaev (Cominf.org) Situation in the breakaway South Ossetia remains tense after torture and death of a 28 y/o local man by police. The opposition and relatives keep on holding rallies [...]
Georgia cracks down on another Gulen-linked private school
(Faqcebook.) Georgia cracks on educational institutions linked to exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen again. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education declined appeal by a private schooled linked to Turkish President Erdogan’s top foe. The [...]
Georgia declares nationwide mourning on August 25 after 17 killed in minibus crash
(1tv.ge) Georgia marks August 25 as a day of mourning for victims of deadly crash on the road to Khevsureti. Out of 20 people on board of minibus, 17 died and three others, [...]
Georgia’s opposition forces agree to join efforts to beat Ivanishvili
Opposition meeting at GLP office. (IPN) A group of Georgia’s opposition political forces, including United National Movement, the biggest opposition party, has agreed to unite their efforts “to defend” their votes against possible [...]
Cornered, beaten, thrown into the river: POG reveals its version of the footballer death
Giorgi Shakarashvili (FC Saburtalo). The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia claims it has untangled a mystery behind a high profile case of tragic death of a young Tbilisi football player. Five young men, including [...]
President Zourabichvili rebuffs pardoning Rurua – “No one and nothing can influence me”
Salome Zourabichvili (1tv.ge). Despite growing number of appeals, President Salome Zourabichvili has rebuffed to pardon Giorgi Rurua, opposition activist and former paramilitary. “I won’t pardon. The Georgian society knows better than me everything [...]
23 y/o programmer mysteriously disappeared, found dead near Tbilisi
Tamar Bachaliashvili (Facebook). The mysterious disappearance and death of a 23 year old programmer cause mass agitation in Georgia. The police clearly indicate that cause of death was a suicide, which is flatly [...]
Ex-official charged with mass torture in Georgian prison extradited from Germany
Davit Chakua (center) upon his extradition in Batumi airport. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Germany Friday extradited the former head of Georgia's prison department Davit Chakua, who is charged with abuse of powers, humiliating and inhumane [...]
Georgia lifts restrictions from exhibitions, trainings and conferences
Activities such as exhibitions, trainings and conferences are expected to be allowed from July 6 on, but this does not apply to swimming pools and fitness centers, said Economy Minister Natia Turnava Tuesday after Interagency [...]
Such campaigns against American NGOs are being run out of the Kremlin: IRI president
Daniel Twining (Twitter). “I am a little surprised to be talking about this in the context of Georgia, because such a campaign against American NGOs is being run out of the Kremlin […] [...]
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 NGOs condemn Belarusian elections, violence against peaceful demonstrations
A coalition which unites over 180 Georgian NGOs harshly criticizes violence of Belarusian authorities against peaceful citizens in the wake of presidential elections held on August 9, and urges Georgian [...]
Companies related to GD donors receive tens of millions of public funds: Report
GD president Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) and speaker of parliament Archil Talakvadze. (Facebook.) Georgia’s ruling party received almost half of revenues totally got by all parties in 2019, whilst [...]
Georgian NGOs call on government to immediately move toward proportional electoral system
Georgia’s major NGOs call upon the government to “fulfil the promise made to the public and move to a proportional electoral system”, which will be assumed as its readiness to [...]