GD heading for clean sweep in Georgia by-elections, but opposition claims massive fraud
Sandra Roelofs addressing the post-election rally in Zugdidi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The ruling Georgian Dream party is leading in all of Sunday’s by-elections, including the symbolically important Zugdidi mayoral race. But the vote was marred by numerous controversies, as the opposition claims the elections have been massively rigged. Sandra Roelofs, the wife of Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and a candidate for Zugdidi mayor, even [...]
Opposition and government mobilize ahead of symbolic mayoral election in western Georgia
UNM's spokesperson Khatia Dekanoidze (center). (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Tensions are running high in Georgia ahead of the May 19 by-election in Zugdidi, a town about 350km west of Tbilisi, with almost daily scuffles outside [...]
News
Tbilisi ‘rave-olution’ protesters mark one year anniversary of night club raids that sparked movement
(Radiotavisupleba.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A satirical bust of Georgia’s interior minister was placed in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday, on the anniversary of the controversial police raids of two nightclubs. The [...]
Georgia’s domestic intelligence service SUS warns May 9 rally organizers not to use Communist symbols
Immortal Regiment is sponsored by Russian President Vladimir Putin. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s counter-intelligence service SUS on Tuesday warned the organizers of a May 9 rally to commemorate Soviet victory in World War 2 that [...]
New lawsuit against opposition TV channel Rustavi 2 may ‘kill its editorial policy’
Nika Gvaramia, CEO of Rustavi 2. TBILISI, DFWatch--The director of Georgia main opposition TV company said Monday that the government has launched a new attack against it, and claimed the goal is to [...]
13km line of cars at Russia-Georgia border crossing as tourism season kicks off
TBILISI, DFWatch--The number of visitors from Russia to Georgia has skyrocketed, triggering several kilometer long lines at Zemo Larsi border crossing. Most of the queue is on the Russian side, where at least 600 cars [...]
Georgian woman weightlifter sues coach of national team for sexual harassment
Tatia Lortkipanidze. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian weightlifter Tatia Lortkipanidze is suing the coach of the national team for sexual harassment. Lortkipanidze, who won a bronze medal in the 2018 European Championship, is also suing the weightlifting federation [...]
Georgia’s president denies retweeting Donald Trump’s ‘Sleepy Joe’ comment
The deleted tweet on President Salome Zourabichvili's Twitter page. TBILISI, DFWatch--The president of Georgia has become a target of criticism after re-tweeting Donald Trump's viral tweet in which he derides his possible opponent [...]
Russian bikers denied entry to Georgia
The Russian bikers at Zemo Larsi border crossing. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A group of Russian bikers were denied entry to Georgia on Sunday, in an incident resembling the 2017 denial of entry of the [...]
Russian official repeats allegation that Lugar lab is used for biowarfare
Rashid Nurgaliev, deputy chief of Russia's Security Council. (Photo by the administration of de facto president of South Ossetia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Russia has once again accused a medical research facility in the republic of [...]
Growing suspicion that Abkhazia’s main opposition candidate was poisoned after security guards also fall ill
Aslan Bzhania. TBILISI, DFWatch--Suspicions grew Monday that a key opposition figure in Abkhazia has been poisoned, after two of his bodyguards were hospitalized in a serious condition, at least one of them with [...]
Populist rulers across the globe increasingly navigate towards Kremlin: Hans Binnendjik
Hans Binnendjik (VoA). The NATO was founded in April of 1949 by Washington treaty, and at a time aimed to prevent Soviet aggression in Europe. In 21st century, the NATO’s role and agenda [...]
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 [...]