Monday, January 5, 2026

Georgia’s split-screen New Year

TBILISI, January 2 – Georgia welcomed 2026 with the usual New Year sparkle, but also with the same political tension that has kept nightly protests going in central Tbilisi. On Wednesday evening, December 31, protesters remained gathered outside the country’s parliament, where they have been gathering daily for over a year. Their core demands stayed … Read more

Georgian opposition leader demands faster trial

TBILISI, December 30 – A court case against two senior figures linked to Georgia’s former ruling party moved slowly forward in Tbilisi on Tuesday, as defense complaints over delays were echoed by concerns raised by the country’s Public Defender. Proceedings are under way at Tbilisi City Court against Levan Khabeishvili, political council chairman of the … Read more

Georgia arrests four in broad anti-corruption sweep

TBILISI, December 28 -Georgia’s security services say four people were arrested and 11 charged after a nationwide anti-corruption operation carried out on Saturday. At a briefing, the Anti-Corruption Agency under the State Security Service of Georgia said investigators opened four separate criminal cases involving fraud, bribery and counterfeit currency. Searches and covert investigative measures were … Read more

Georgia court jails ex-defense minister

TBILISI, December 27 – A Georgian court on Saturday ordered pre-trial detention for former defense minister Bacho Akhalaia, in the case about the October 4 ‘revolution’. According to Georgian media reports, Tbilisi City Court granted the prosecution’s request to place Akhalaia in custody as the investigation continues. The case is being handled by Georgia’s State … Read more

Kvaratskhelia crowned Georgia’s footballer of the year

TBILISI, December 27 – Georgia’s football federation has named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as the country’s best footballer of 2025, capping a high profile awards ceremony in the capital. The honors were announced at the GFF Awards 2025, held at the Paragraph Hotel in Tbilisi and organized by the Georgian Football Federation. The annual event recognizes standout … Read more

Calls grow to free jailed protesters ahead of New Year

TBILISI, December 21 – The Georgian government may be considering a New Year amnesty for people detained during recent pro European protests, after emotional public appeals from a popular singer and comments by the country’s president. Well known Georgian singer Gia Gachechiladze, who performs under the stage name “Unknown,” used his television program to urge … Read more

EU warns Georgia could lose visa free travel entirely

TBILISI, December 21 – The European Commission has again raised the possibility of suspending visa free travel for Georgian citizens, warning that Georgia could ultimately lose the regime entirely if current policies do not change. Unlike earlier EU statements, the new assessment openly allows for a population wide suspension, marking a shift from previous assurances … Read more

“Coalition for Change” leader freed

TBILISI, December 19 – A leading figure in Georgia’s opposition “Coalition for Change,” Zurab Japaridze, was released from Rustavi No. 12 penitentiary on Friday, December 19, after serving a seven month sentence. Japaridze was arrested on May 22 inside a courtroom. He had been summoned to appear before a temporary parliamentary investigative commission to give … Read more

Baptist group’s outreach to Orthodox school in Tbilisi

TBILISI, December 18 – Volunteers from Georgian Christian Baptist Churches paid a friendship visit on Thursday to the Saint Queen Tamar Art School, which operates under the Georgian Patriarchate in Tbilisi. According to the State Agency for Religious Affairs, which also took part in the event, the visitors delivered humanitarian assistance to the school’s students … Read more

Georgia court hears October 4 “storming” case

TBILISI, December 18 – Georgian prosecutors on Thursday, December 18, leaned on a long, continuous video recording as a key piece of evidence in court proceedings tied to the events of October 4 in Tbilisi. In the October 4 case, prosecutor Tamar Bezhuashvili said the state has reviewed an “approximately 8-hour continuous video” that, she … Read more