Friday, December 5, 2025

The economy isn't everything, say Georgia's green activists

green fist 01
Mariam Gurgenidze, 23, and Irakli Ghutidze, 26. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A new movement has sprung up in Georgia in response to the government forcing through a gigantic hydro power project against strong popular resistance.

The movement is called Green Fist and began as a group of twenty youth who travelled

Read more

School children in Tbilisi harassed due to teacher neglect

school_class_-_Ministry_of_Education_and_Science
School children in Tbilisi are being harassed because of their religion, ethnicity, appearance or other reasons, a new study shows. (Ministry of Education.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A new study has found that children in Georgian schools are verbally and physically harassed because of their ethnicity, belief, appearance or for other reasons.

The study is based on interviews with all pupils from 8th to 11th grade at six public

Read more

Why did Georgia declare a 'moratorium' on ex-officials?

irakli_gharibashvili
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–After the government Monday announced a ‘moratorium’ on prosecuting politicians, the National Movement criticizes it for misleading people by not fulfilling its promise.

On Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili in a statement called on

Read more

What can be done to improve integration of minorities?

Van_Baiburt_-_Manana_Nachkebia_Crop
Van Baiburt (left), Deputy Head of Armenian Union of Georgia, and Manana Nachkebia from the New Rightists Party. (Click on image to watch video.) (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–DFWatch organized a discussion about the problem minorities are experiencing with getting involved in politics and state affairs.

A representative of a minority diaspora and a spokesperson for an opposition party participated in our discussion.

Read more

Why do so few girls finish school in Duzagrama?

DSC_0302_copy_Duzagrama
Most girls in Duzagrama get married and drop out of school before ninth grade. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Pariz Alakhverdiani, 17, is in 12th grade at the public school in Duzagrama, a small village in southeast Georgia populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis.

Alakhverdiani wants to study at the Medical University in Tbilisi and has decided to become a dentist.

Read more

David Lidington explains the UK's view on the Ukraine crisis

david_lidington_Crop
David Lidington, Britain’s Minister for Europe. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–We sat down with David Lidington, UK Minister for Europe, who visited on April 1-2, and asked him about Georgia’s association agreement with the EU and whether NATO should set it on course for membership.

Is it possible that Russia will bring pressure

Read more

Curbing of illegal surveillance delayed, campaigners say

this_affects_you_too_-_video_still_Cropped
Kakha Kojoridze from Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, one of the groups in the campaign. (Promotion video.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Campaigners in Georgia suspect law enforcement agencies are intentionally prolonging a legislative hearing about illegal wiretapping.

The campaign ‘This Affects You Too’, which includes several of the most influential NGOs in Tbilisi, was started

Read more

Planned funding scheme for religious groups is discriminatory

delys_sarah_Crop
Sarah Delys is a Criminologist working at Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center.

Late January the Government of Georgia adopted a resolution which enables the financing of four traditional religious confessions: the Roman Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Muslim and Jewish groups. Until now, the Georgian Orthodox Church was the

Read more

Saakashvili's party said to be preparing Kiev style protests

aleksandre_chikaidze_Crop
Interior Minister Aleksandre Chikaidze said the National Movement is preparing for a Kiev-style protest camp in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Interior Minister says the National Movement is preparing a Euromaidan scenario in Georgia and that he has information that they have already started collecting tires.

Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze said in an interview with the

Read more

Discussion: Ethnic minorities and language skills

Agit_Mirzoev_-_Ali_Babayev_Crop
Agit Mirzoev (left), Executive Director of Analytical Center for Inter-ethnic Cooperation and Consultations, and Ali Babayev, from the Congress of Georgian Azerbaijanis. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Representatives of NGOs working with minority issues took part in a discussion organized by DFWatch.net about how ethnic minorities often lack skills in Georgia’s only official language – Georgian.

Agit Mirzoev, Executive Director of Analytical

Read more