TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is experiencing a record-breaking year in tourism, according to the government, but some among the industry are wondering why they are not seeing the same trend. With over 2.3 million international tourist visits recorded in the first half of 2025, the country can note a 6.9% increase from the same period in 2024. The [...]
Robin Dunnigan. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, who recently announced her retirement, said the tone of a private letter sent to Washington by Georgian Dream leadership was "threatening, insulting, and unserious," and that it had been very poorly received in the US capital. Dunnigan added that she had spoken with several US senators who expected [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--The Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament has accused European Union-funded organizations of preparing to disrupt the country’s upcoming local elections. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Tuesday that"organizations funded by the EU embassy are preparing to disrupt the local elections." He further claimed that the groups's activities amount to a violation of international law and warned that [...]
Levan Ratiani, director of the First University Clinic in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The former head of the government of Georgia’s autonomous Adjara region remains in a serious but stable condition after being hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest. Tornike Rizhvadze's shooting has triggered a political firestorm in Georgia, with speculation centering on whether it [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--After months of stable prices, inflation in Georgia is once again on the rise, with food costs driving the sharpest increases. The national inflation rate reached 4% year-on-year in June, up from near-zero levels in late 2024, prompting concern among economists and households alike. Food prices have risen by 10% over the past year [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Tensions are escalating within Georgia’s opposition as two parties declared they will participate in the upcoming local elections on October 4. The decision by the parties For Georgia, led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, and Lelo – Strong Georgia have have triggered resignations, internal divisions, and fierce criticism from opposition groups that have [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The former head of Georgia’s Adjara regional government, Tornike Rizhvadze, remains in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest in what may have been a suicide attempt. Rizhvadze was first hospitalized in Sagarejo before being transferred to a clinic in Tbilisi early Saturday morning. Doctors report that Rizhvadze is on mechanical [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The opposition party "Lelo for Strong Georgia" has announced its decision to participate in the October 4 local elections, splitting from a bloc of parties calling for an electoral boycott. The announcement came days after President Mikheil Kavelashvili offered to pardon jailed opposition leaders, including Lelo founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, if they [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), is rejecting claims that it supported a critical resolution passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Porto on July 3. The resolution, which includes a condemnation of democratic backsliding in Georgia, calls for the release of political prisoners and the holding of new elections. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is facing a demographic and agricultural crisis as more than 100,000 rural residents have left villages over the last decade. Between 2014 and 2024, the rural population fell by about 6.3%, dropping from 1,591,181 to 1,490,900, reducing the share of villagers from 43% to 38% of Georgia’s total population. This exodus is so [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--With just a few months left until Georgia’s local elections on October 4, the country’s opposition remains deeply divided. Some parties are preparing to boycott the vote, while others intend to participate, hoping to secure victory in the capital and other opposition strongholds. Efforts to unite the opposition, including a brief hunger strike by [...]
Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is facing criticism following a wave of dismissals that appear to target pro-Western diplomats. Dozens of employees, many of them having decades of service, have reportedly been let go in recent days. Most were working on bringing the country closer to NATO and the EU. Some had [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--When foreign ministers from EU member countries meet in Luxembourg on Monday, three of the topics on their agenda are about Georgia: the rise in anti-EU disinformation, possible sanctions over alleged human rights violations, and whether to suspend Georgia’s visa-waiver program to the Schengen Area. Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU since March [...]
GD lawmaker said it is irrelevant whether the opposition participates in the elections. TBILISI, DFWatch--As Georgia prepares to hold local elections in October, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it expects a decisive win regardless of whether the opposition parties participate or not. "For the government, it doesn’t matter whether the opposition joins the elections. [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--A temporary investigative commission in Georgia’s parliament is seeking to extend its mandate by one month, in order to complete a report expected to paint a detrimental picture of the former government's abuse of power, starting from 2003. Chaired by MP Tea Tsulukiani of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, the commission was originally set [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--In Batumi, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, journalist and co‑founder of outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, was fined 1,000 GEL (USD 365) for placing a protest sticker outside the regional police headquarters. The incident took place during an opposition rally in January. The sticker bore the message "Georgia Swears an Oath" and was meant [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s economy is beginning to feel the effects of growing global instability, as analysts warn of a potential inflation risk and call for caution in the monetary policy. The National Bank decided at its June 18 meeting to keep its key refinancing rate unchanged at 8%, citing economic uncertainty. Bank officials aim to maintain [...]
Giorgi Gakharia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation targeting former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia over a controversial 2019 security incident near the breakaway region of South Ossetia—a dramatic development ahead of the country’s October elections. Gakharia currently leads one of the few opposition parties willing to take part in the local elections later [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Mamuka Khazaradze, founder of the opposition party Lelo, calls for a unified opposition front in the upcoming local elections in the capital, Tbilisi, aiming to challenge the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party. A recent opinion polls showed that the around two thirds of Tbilisians would support the opposition, but due to the internal disagreements [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Employees at the Ilia Chavchavadze Scientific Library in Kutaisi have gone on strike. According to the library’s director, Nargiza Chogovadze, around 80 staff members are currently participating in the strike, with a single demand: higher wages. Chogovadze told Interpressnews that the library is funded by the Kutaisi municipal budget, and the striking workers are [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--New analyses reveal that prosperity remains unevenly distributed across the country. Experts and local economists say Georgia’s rapid economic growth—often in double digits in recent years—has not been felt equally across regions. Tbilisi and Batumi are economic outliers, enjoying significantly higher wages, employment opportunities, and quality of life than most other regions. “Compared to [...]
Shalva Papuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council will meet on June 23, and the political situation in Georgia is one of the items on the agenda. Ahead of the meeting, some European leaders, including Poland's PM Donald Tusk, have been lobbying member states to adopt tougher measures in order to pur pressure on [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has been summoned a second time to testify before Georgia’s parliamentary investigative commission. The commission is examining decisions surrounding the establishment of a Georgian police outpost near the village of Chorchana in 2019, close to the administrative boundary line with the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia. According to [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met with Wyatt Toehlke, senior advisor to the U.S. State Department, in what observers see as a clear step toward improved relations. The meeting, which was confirmed by Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, covered U.S.-Georgia relations, regional security challenges, and Georgia’s role in promoting stability in the South Caucasus. [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A new opinion poll conducted by the Institute for Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) reveals that support for the opposition—particularly in the capital, Tbilisi—remains high. The nationwide poll reveals a deep dissatisfaction with the Georgian Dream (GD) government and support for opposition groups, heading toward local elections scheduled for October 4. The survey found [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Three oppsition figures are currently in pre-trial detention, raising concerns about the political situation ahead of the local elections scheduled for October 4. The three jailed opposition politicians are Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia, and Nika Gvaramia. All three are from the opposition coalition “For Change” - one of four election alliances that took part [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--In Georgia, prosecutors have reopened case about a 2019 border incident involving former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who is the leader of one of the few opposition parties planning to participate in this year's local elections in October. The investigation centers on events in the village of Chorchana, near the de facto boundary with Russian-occupied [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Students protested in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on June 14, expressing both anger over instances of injustice domestically as well as how the country has become a target of international criticism. Outside Tbilisi State University, demonstrators condemned the recent sentencing of student activist Mate Devadze, who received four and a half years in prison for [...]
(EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) met again on June 11 in Ergneti to discuss issues along the administrative border line. Participants reviewed recent incidents, including restrictions on movement, illegal detentions, and so-called "borderization" by Russian-backed forces. Georgia’s state security demanded accountability for the killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi and pressed for [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Opposition figure and TV director Nika Gvaramia was detained in Tbilisi today, sparking an outcry among supporters. The arrest followed shortly after a court session, where it was decided to revoke Gvaramia's bail and converting it into imprisonment. The judge justified this as a response to his alleged violation of bail conditions. Prosecutors argued [...]
Paata Burchuladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Opera singer and political figure Paata Burchuladze has suggestwd convening a 'national congress' to form a 'Third Republic', as a way of pushing back against what he calls an illegitimate government. Drawing parallels to Georgia’s first (1918–1921) and second (1991) republics, Burchuladze argues that the current administration is no longer acting in [...]
Donald Tusk apologized if his initiative caused offense to anyone in Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Another push is underway to convince European Union member states to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens. Leading the charge is Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has emerged as a hardliner among EU leaders seeking to pressure the ruling Georgian Dream [...]
Elene Khoshtaria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Several high-profile Georgian journalists, activists and opposition politicians have been summoned to court for allegedly insulting public officials online. TV anchors Vakho Sanaia and Vika Bukia, opposition figure Elene Khoshtaria and activist Ana Subeliani are among those who have faced court hearings. Specifically. this deals with Facebook posts considered offensive to ruling [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--United National Movement (UNM) chair Tina Bokuchava is one of the speakers at the German Marshall Fund’s annual Brussels Forum, a high-level transatlantic gathering of policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and experts. Bokuchava, who recently revealed that her husband had been abducted and forced into making an apology video, spoke about political prisoners and appealed to forum participants [...]
Giorgi Akhobadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Hearings in the trial of a doctor who was arrested on his way home from an opposition rally last December have been tense. Now, the judge has closed the hearings to the media. Hearings so far have been marked by verbal altercations between the prosecution and defense lawyers. Giorgi Akhobadze, a medical [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party has proposed new amendments to the country’s grant law, expanding the definition of what constitutes a foreign grant and reinforcing government control over external funding. The revised legislation, presented to parliament for a second reading, deals how to categorize technical assistance, such as training, equipment, and expert consultations, from foreign governments [...]
Lika Lortkipanidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Lika Lortkipanidze was released from administrative detention after serving a 12-day administrative sentence for allegedly insulting a ruling party MP during a protest. According to Interpressnews, the incident took place on 17 May in a café. Lortkipanidze and fellow activists confronted Georgian Dream (GD) lawmaker Mariam Lashkhi with chants including "Down with [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian government may be preparing the grounds for formally abandoning the country's NATO aspirations and adopt a neutral status, analysts say. Just ahead of the June 24‑25 NATO summit in The Hague, Georgia’s government announced the closure of its NATO and EU Information Centre by July 1, merging its functions into the Foreign Ministry, a [...]
Salome Zourabichvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia is reportedly considering nominating former President Salome Zourabichvili as a "neutral candidate" for mayor of Tbilisi in the upcoming local elections. The party, which received 8% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary election, has announced the start of its campaign for the municipal elections in October [...]
Temur Katamadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Temur Katamadze, a political activist and Turkish citizen, was deported from Georgia to Turkey late Monday night, and is now in detention there, according to his wife, Nino Kakulia. She told Interpressnews that Georgian authorities transferred him not via the main Sarpi crossing but near the Armenian border in the country’s south. [...]
Tamar Taliashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The United States has granted agreement to Tamar Taliashvili as Georgia’s next ambassador to Washington, marking an improvement in relations between the two countries. The approval reportedly coincided with the surprise resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan, fueling speculations. Taliashvili, a former MP from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian constitutional scholar Vakhushti Menabde has sharply criticized the country’s opposition for failing to address urgent democratic concerns ahead of the upcoming local elections. In an interview with Palitra News, Menabde said opposition parties neglected to shape a coherent electoral strategy or spotlight threats to democratic rights. Instead, they became mired in personal disputes and [...]
Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A temporary parliamentary investigative commission in Georgia is continuing its controversial probe into alleged abuses committed during the 2003–2012 rule of the United National Movement (UNM). The commission, chaired by MPs affiliated with the ruling party and the splinter group "People’s Power," has received a one-month extension, with its mandate now running [...]
Tina Bokuchava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--It caused an outcry in Georgia that leader of United National Movement (UNM), Tina Bokuchava, accused unidentified men of abducting her husband and forcing him to record a video apology. Bokuchava claimed that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was coerced into apologizing, on camera, for things he said seven years ago about Uta [...]
Mzia Amaghlobeli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Batumi City Court will Monday hear the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, an award-winning newspaper editor charged with insulting a police officer. Amaglobeli is the founder of Batumelebi, recipient of the 2009 Free Media Award. She faces both criminal and administrative proceedings, for slapping a police chief during a protest in January. Her [...]
Irakli Kurtskhalia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party announced that it will take legal steps against what it claims is a coordinated campaign of "foreign-funded hate speech" against officials. The party has formally asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to investigate cases of hate speech, arguing that it is externally financed, and claiming that [...]
Shalva Papuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in an open letter accused Western diplomats of overstepping their authority, interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs and promoting polarization. The letter, published June 7, represents the latest round of Georgian Dream (GD) using open letters to air grievances with Western countries and Tbilisi's diplomatic corps. Papuashvili argued [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused the United Kingdom of intensifying efforts to remove Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), from power by funding opposition-aligned NGOs and training youth movements for "subversive" activities. In a June 5 statement reported by state agency TASS, and later circulated by many English language outlets also in [...]
Ana Dolidze (center). (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--One of Georgia’s four opposition blocs appears to be unraveling, exposing the improvisational nature of alliances formed ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections. As analysts note, most of these blocs were built less on ideological coherence than on tactical hopes of unseating the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party. The latest crack [...]
Ambassador Robin Dunnigan. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The unexpected announcement on June 5 that U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan will retire next month has prompted speculation among Georgia’s political camps. Dunnigan emphasized that it was her personal decision to retire and had not been requested by Washington, but members of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party suggested there was [...]
PM Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has congratulated Karol Nawrocki on his victory in Poland’s presidential election. In a message posted on X, Kobakhidze extended his “heartfelt congratulations” and wished Nawrocki success in advancing Poland’s development and prosperity. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to bilateral ties, stating the country stands ready [...]
(pog.gov.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged five individuals with illegal possession and distribution of large and especially large quantities of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, buprenorphine, and alpha-PVP. The charges follow a Ministry of Internal Affairs investigation, which uncovered and seized the drugs during coordinated operations. The accused face charges under multiple articles of Georgia’s criminal [...]
Levan Khabeishvili, head of UNM’s political council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The "Stay Home" campaign, spearheaded by Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the United National Movement’s (UNM) political council, aims to delegitimize the vote by urging voters not to take part. Khabeishvili argues that participation would legitimize the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, which he accuses of authoritarianism under [...]
U.S. Senator Steve Daines meeting Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze just as the controversial law takes effect. (gov.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's new 'FARA' law took effect on May 31, requiring organizations, media outlets and individuals to register as "agents of a foreign principal" if they engaging in advocacy for foreign actors. Failure to comply could result in fines [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DWWatch--Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said this in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest, which gathered traditionalist and right-wing leaders across the world. In his speech, Kobakhidze delivered a fervent defense of national sovereignty and traditional values, emphasizing Georgia's commitment to its Christian heritage and national identity. "We are [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s official statistics agency has reported a continued decline in poverty, with the national absolute poverty rate dropping to 9.4% in 2024, down from 11.8% in 2023. The improvements span every demographic. Child poverty fell the most sharply (by 4.0 percentage points), and rural areas saw a notable 3.7-point decrease. Urban and gender gaps [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch-–Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chairman of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party, has declined a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, explaining that he would not be free to represent the country's interests while under sanctions. Dunnigan had sought to deliver a message from the Trump administration regarding the reset in U.S.-Georgia relations, following [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch-–The European Commission today announced its new Black Sea Strategy. The plan envisages enhanced cooperation among littoral states, including members Romania and Bulgaria, and non-members Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. The initiative pledges €1.7 billion in funding for infrastructure, security, and other projects. Maritime Security Hub: Aims to protect infrastructure, de-mine waters, and address environmental risks.Connectivity [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Dream (GD) hailed a congratulatory letter from U.S. President Donald Trump to President Mikheil Kavelashvili, interpreting it as the definitibve answer to which side of the political divide he supports after months of uncertainty. The letter, released on May 26 to mark Georgia’s Independence Day, expressed Washington’s commitment to "peaceful and productive relations" and [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Frustration is mounting among Armenian alcoholic beverage exporters as their trucks carrying cognac and spirits are being stopped and checked while transiting Georgia en route to Russia, prompting diplomatic exchanges between Yerevan and Tbilisi. On May 13, Armenian beverage producers demonstrated outside the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan, alleging that Georgian authorities were deliberately hindering [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Despite deepening polarization, this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi passed without major disruptions. Commentators credited careful planning and the physical separation of events with avoiding incidents, as the country remains engulfed in a deep political crisis where opposition leaders still, 212 days after the election, and with 180 days of continuous rallies, refuse [...]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--As Georgia prepares for its Independence Day celebrations, official guests will be faced with a tricky question: Whose celebration to attend? The opposition's or the government's? Or both? Which event foreign dignitaries choose to attend could signal their stance on Georgia’s deepening political crisis. After 235 days of protests bolstered by Western governments, the [...]
Will Neal. (Photo by The Daily Beast.) TBILISI, DFWatch--British journalist Will Neal, who has been a resident of Georgia since 2022, was denied re-entry into the country on May 20 after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom and the European Union. Neal was turned away at the Armenian-Georgian border without a clear explanation, according [...]
Vice President JD Vance swearing in Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. (Office of Vice President of the United States.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the U.S. will consider measures against anti-American governments, answering a question about Georgia. Opposition media celebrated Rubio’s comments, but the GD government downplayed them, stressing that Georgia [...]
Merab Turana (IPN). The three lawsuits filed in the Constitutional Court of Georgia on the Law on "Transparency of Foreign Influence" will be combined into one proceeding, CCG Chairman Merab Turava said to the journalist on Monday, adding "I don't think that I and my judges have any less European aspirations than you." The President of [...]
Tbilisi, DFWatch-Over a hundred non-governmental and media organizations declare their open disobedience to the foreign influence draft law initiated by the Georgian authorities and suspend all cooperation with the government "until the Russian Law is dropped." In addition, as stated in the joint statement, they invite people to protest the bill on Sunday, at 19:00, on [...]
Shalva Papuashvili Georgian government, after a one-year forced pause and in the face of criticism both inside and outside the country, re-initiated the bill on "Agents of Foreign Influence". The new initiative, titled as the draft law on "Transparency of Foreign Influence", which Georgian Dream seems to be determined to finally adopt, envisages the mandatory registration [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--A woman from Moscow Oblast, who caused great anger among Vladimir Putin supporters by kicking out a Russian soldier fighting against Ukraine from her coffee shop, has moved to Tbilisi with only ‘two bags’, leaving behind a chain of coffee shops. “I love my home, but I think that it’s better for me to be [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Dream is in the process of preparing a legislative initiative to "protect society from pseudo-liberal ideology" and its inevitable harmful consequences." The country may face such a situation when "we will be asked to legalize the so-called civil partnership", says Mamuka Mdinaradze, majority leader at the parliament. Opposition political parties dub this as empty [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--The court of the "Donetsk People's Republic" has sentenced a Georgian fighter Mamuka Gatserelia to life imprisonment for killing three Russian infantrymen, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation states. The 22-year-old volunteer, whose parents reportedly originate from occupied Abkhazia, was found guilty under two articles of the Russian Criminal Code - Article 317 [...]
Zelimkhan Khangoshvili (left) and his assassin Vadim Krasikov. TBILISI, DFWatch--Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested his country might exchange American journalist Evan Gershkovich for a Russian assassin jailed in Germany. Speaking to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a two hour long interview, the Russian leader alluded to holding negotiations about the exchange of Wall [...]
Irakli Garibashvili (right) and Irakli Kobakhidze (gd.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch–After Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili returned to public politics in late December, everyone in Georgia expected major upheavals in the government, although only a small number of commentators predicted dismissal of the prime minister. However, this became clear on Sunday, when the pro-government TV company Imedi reported [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–More than 700 people were detained on charges of crossing the de facto border between Abkhazia and Georgia in 2023, states security service of the breakaway Abkhazia. Most of them were punished administratively, and criminal prosecution was started against 15. According to the Sokhumi regime government, only 30 of these "crimes" are related to smuggling. [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Dutch low-cost airline, Transavia, is starting to operate in the Georgian market. Tickets can currently be purchased on the company's website for flights from late April. During the summer navigation season of 2024, the airline will fly in the Amsterdam-Tbilisi-Amsterdam direction. However, the company has a connection service, through which it is possible to fly [...]
A poll commissioned by the US National Democratic Institute has once again shown the dire, and one might say catastrophic, situation faced by most political parties in Georgia a year before benchmark general elections. According to the release published by NDI on Monday, if parliamentary elections were to be held now, presumably only the ruling party, [...]
Occupied South Ossetia’s de facto authorities continue to change toponyms in order to purposefully eradicate Georgian placenames. De facto parliament of South Ossetia adopted the law on (re-)naming geographical places on Tuesday at the session. The head of the Committee on National Politics, Religion and Media Alan Tadtaev said at the session the new law provides [...]
Mamuka Khazaradze (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition party demands the establishment of a visa regime, a ban on the entry of cars with Russian license plates and other strict measures in order to prevent the "invasion of Russians in Georgia". For this, the Lelo, political party founded by entrepreneur Mamuka Khazaradze, submitted Monday “Protect Georgia [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch –1,100-1,200 volunteers from South Ossetia are fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, said Anatoly Bibilov, Deputy Commander of the Volunteer Assault Corps, in an interview with Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti. Bibilov, who served as president of South Ossetia's puppet regime from 2017 to 2012, claims that VAC, which encompasses all volunteers [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch – De facto authorities of breakaway Abkhazia are ready to revive the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) discussions, Sokhumi regime deputy foreign minister Irakli Tuzhba said during the video conference with Russian and South Ossetian colleagues Tuesday. “The Abkhaz side has prepared another package of proposals to unfreeze the MPRI format. I hope that [...]
Davit Tsetskhladze (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch – At the meeting of the "Russia-Georgia Business Council" in Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia’s republic of North Ossetia, the issue of opening a road connecting Russia and Georgia through occupied South Ossetia was discussed on Tuesday, according to the information spread by the news website Sova News based on the telegram [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The number of remittances from Russia to Georgia in August decreased by 45.5 percent compared to last year and amounted to $60 million, although this country is still the leader and accounts for about a fifth of the total volume, according to the release published by the National Bank of Georgia on Friday. In [...]
Former Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria, who has been the object of permanent criticism and constant verbal attacks by the ruling party for the past years, is founding a new public movement, the first event of which will be held on Thursday. European Orbit of Georgia is a platform that creates space for those who [...]
Tbilisi-DFWatch - The news that Shota Gorgadze, a member of Vladimir Putin’s presidential Human Rights Council, visited Batumi caused mass public outrage in Georgia. Gorgadze, who at the same time is the lawyer of the top Russian propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, published a video on Instagram where he eats Adjarian khachapuri in one of the Batumi restaurants. [...]
Tbilisi-DFWatch-The government of Georgia, which has been increasingly becoming the target of accusations of circumventing the sanctions imposed on Russia, had to make another denial on Monday. This time it has to repudiate information spread by Armenian media about the restoration of regular sea traffic with the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The Maritime Transport [...]
The opposition parties of Georgia issue a joint statement speaking out about the threat of government shifting foreign political priorities and accuse the ruling power, Georgian Dream, of being a collaborator with the Putin regime for agreeing to the restoration of direct air traffic with Russia. "The Georgian Dream" has once again put Georgia's European and [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch-The growing dissatisfaction of the population towards the ruling party is not reflected in the increase in the popularity of opposition and rather indicates the electorate is dissatisfied with political class in general. This is indicated in a poll published on Wednesday by NDI and CRRC. The majority of the population of Georgia says that [...]
Zurab Odishvili (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch – One more Georgian fighter, Zurab Odishvili, died in Ukraine. He is the 43rd Georgian who fell victim to Russia's large-scale aggression. The place and circumstances of Odishvili's death are unknown. According to the TV company Mtavari Arkhi, he may have died as a result of "chemical bombing". Lado Gamsakhurdia, Chairman of [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition appeals President Salome Zurabishvili to convene parliament’s extraordinary session for creating special commission to study corruption in the judiciary. Opposition MPs say they have the necessary votes to set up commission. A total of 50 PMs’ votes are needed to create a temporary investigative commission, while the opposition has 56 mandates in [...]
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, whom the opposition and Western politicians often accuse of populist rhetoric, said during his speech in the parliament Friday that government saved the country from "Ukrainization“, and reiterated the narrative of conspiracy to drag Georgia into a war against Russia. “The real danger facing our country today is the […] conspiracy that [...]
The pro-EU protests in Tbilisi, which forced the government to kill the highly controversial bill on “foreign agents”, have triggered a natural hysteria in occupied Abkhazia, where the narrative has stubbornly been spread as if the West is forcing Tbilisi to open a “second front”. As a climax of this hysteria, the military forces of the [...]
The moment of expulsion of opposition MPs from Legal Affairs Committee hearing. The opposition is creating a coordination council to resist the adoption of controversial bill on “foreign (influence) agents” by the ruling Georgian Dream, which is widely perceived as a kind of foreign policy U-turn for Georgia - distancing the country from its Western allies [...]
(IPN) Verbal and physical confrontation followed the start of consideration of the anti-Western bill initiated by a political group close to the ruling Georgian Dream in the parliament on Thursday. The opposition urged supporters to gather at the parliament immediately in order to prevent such a step, which will be a big U-turn on the path [...]
The Conservative Movement, a far-right pro-Russian political party notorious for violence against LGBTQ activists and journalists, was second only to the ruling Georgian Dream in the last quarter of 2022 in terms of donations, according to a report released by Transparency International Georgia on Tuesday. In the period from October 1 to December 31, the Conservative [...]
Mikheil Saakashvili's health condition has worsened and if the current trend continues, irreversible processes will start in 1-2 months, states the Council of Doctors set by the Public Defender. “The patient has entered the phase of active catabolism,” reads the document released by the Office of Public Defender of Georgia Monday based on the visit and [...]
President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Robin Dunnigan as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia. Robin Dunnigan is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, and currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central and Eastern Europe in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. [...]
If Saakashvili's weight drops below 52 kg, his body will not be able to withstand and he will die, said neurologist who is a member of a medical concilium at the office of Public Defender on Wednesday at the ex-president's trial. Currently, according to Saakashvili's lawyer and family, he has started the process of rapid cachexia, [...]
Mikheil Saakashvili's condition has worsened so much that he is being taken to intensive care unit, his lawyer said on Tuesday, although later the director of the hospital, where the third president of Georgia is being treated, said that there are no clinical prerequisites for transferring him to ICU. After the meeting with ex-president, lawyer Shalva [...]
Alt-Info activists gathered in Kvareli in front of car with Levan Berdzenishvili in the front seat. (Nika Gurini/Facebook.) Georgian far-right pro-Russian political party Alt-Info, which is the organizer of July 5 pogroms in 2021, against LGBTQI activists and journalists assumes responsibility for disrupting public lecture of the liberal politician and popular literary critic. The incident took [...]
Tbilisi court on Tuesday found four men guilty of publicly assaulting and humiliating a young woman, the wife of their relative, which led to the woman's suicide. For the crime that happened eight years ago, each of the defendants was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison. The case concerns the events of September [...]
Abkhaz volunteers at Pyatnashka battalion (t.me/OSINTGeorgia) Four Abkhaz volunteers fighting on the Russian side have been killed in Donbas. The identities of at least three of them are known, although the Abkhazian Telegram channels report on the death of four. There are also unknown number of wounded. Volunteers from Russian-occupied Abkhazia died near the town of [...]
The ambassadors of the EU member states warned the Georgian government at a meeting behind closed doors that the situation surrounding the former president Mikheil Saakashvili could put an end to Georgia's European aspirations, Tbilisi-based Russian-language news website Sova reports relying on its own sources. At Wednesday’s meeting with Justice Minister Rati Bregadze, the heads of [...]
The conflict between the president and the ruling political team of Georgia is getting worse. On Monday, Salome Zourabichvili demonstratively refused to participate in the Ambassadors' Conference 2022 due to "gross violations of generally recognized and established rules of state and diplomatic protocol". “According to the Constitution of Georgia, the President of Georgia is the head [...]
Extremely debilitated Mikheil Saakashvili appeared before court on December 22 via video link to plead for his release or transfer abroad on health grounds. The imprisoned former President of Georgia states that the sharp deterioration of his health condition is related to poisoning, which was ordered by Vladimir Putin of Russia. “Putin really ordered me to [...]
Political forces in Georgia are bracing for a court hearing scheduled for Friday, which should review the issue of releasing Mikheil Saakashvili or postponing his sentence. The trial was scheduled at the request of his lawyers, who claim that the health condition of the ex-president is critical and if not transferred abroad for treatment, his life [...]
Body of Artur Kirkinadze, an Abkhazian volunteer who died in Donbas, brought to Sukhumi. September 12. (Photo by Sokhumi regime emergency service). The body of 24-year-old Beslan Tapagua was brought Wednesday from Krasnodar to Sokhumi by the emergency service of the separatist regime. There are no details on how Tapagua died. It is only known that [...]
Georgian Recon Team captured Russian BTR-82 somewhere in Ukraine (photo @Visioner). On Saturday, reports were spread about the death of five Georgian fighters at Bakhmut, Donbass. Later, this information was confirmed by the Embassy of Georgia in Kyiv, as well as Georgian volunteers who protect Ukraine from Russian aggression. There are no confirmed details about the [...]
Border crossing "Psou". The Sukhumi regime complains to the Russian ambassador that citizens of the "Republic", including members of the de facto parliament, face problems from Russian officials when crossing the border. Abkhazia's de facto foreign minister Inal Ardzinba appealed to Mikhail Shurgalin, Russian ambassador to the self-proclaimed republic and complained that four MPs who were [...]
(Kavkaz-uzel.eu) A peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed in Tbilisi by the end of November or the beginning of December, and preparatory work in this regard is already actively underway in Georgia, Armenian news website Graparak reports based on its own sources. The document, which is planned to be signed in Georgia, implies [...]
Giorgi Vashadze (from left), Elene Khoshtaria and Zurab Japaridze (Facebook). Three opposition political parties in Georgia - Strategy Agmashenebeli, Girchi - More Freedom and Droa – establish “a pro-European coalition”, the goal of which is to oust Georgian Dream and solicit getting the EU candidate status by the country. "There is no other way, and our [...]
(cominf.org) Three people injured in the fire in Tskhinvali, the capital of Georgia’s breakaway republic of South Ossetia, which killed two children, will be taken to one of the clinics in Tbilisi for treatment, Ekho Kavkaza reports based on the information provided by International Committee of the Red Cross. The representatives of the puppet regime themselves [...]
Lasha Purtskhvanidze, director of Greenservice+, escorted by the police after arrest (Mtavari Arkhi photo). As part of the investigation into the causes of the Tbilisi Vake Park tragedy, the police have arrested nine people, including the Deputy Head of the City Hall Environmental Protection Service and director of contractor company, the Ministry of Internal Affairs' representative [...]
(1tv.ge) Members of Georgian volunteer units Saturday brought Tbilisi the body of 44-year-old Edisher Kvaratskhelia, who died in the fight against Russian aggressors in Ukraine. Kvaratskhelia is the 20th Georgian volunteer who died in the war. On October 10, he was killed by a Russian rocket attack near the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast of [...]
The flow of Russian citizens at Zemo Larsi customs checkpoint has increased by 40-45 percent; 5-6 thousand have been arriving daily in recent days, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, said Thursday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service and other law enforcement agencies do everything to filter out those [...]
Telegram channel SHOT On the border with Georgia, which has becomes a point of exodus for those Russian men who want to avoid conscription, Russia opens a military commissariat presence. According to the eyewitnesses from the place, at this stage the conscripts are not detained, nor are they prevented from crossing border. The officers hand over [...]
The war mobilization announced by Vladimir Putin has worsened the situation on the Russian-Georgian border to such an extent that the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), which is responsible for border control, sent Monday an armored personnel carrier there to prevent a forceful breach of the border at Larsi by the crowd - [...]
The state estate in Pitsunda, Abkhazia, which was a popular retreat for Soviet leaders during communist rule, has been a hotbed of tension between Moscow and its proxy Sukhumi government for months. The matter reached a boiling point in late August when Russian ambassador threatened to halt all investment projects in the breakaway republic. However, this [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Abkhaz leader is ready to drag the breakaway republic closer to Moscow by joining the Union State of Russia and Belarus. “We would like to join this union, we would gladly support this idea and be full members of this state,” said Thursday Aslan Bzhania, Abkhazia’s de facto president, in an interview with one of [...]
(gnta.ge) Revenues from international visitors are at a record high this year in Georgia. According to the information published by the National Bank of Georgia, the country received $476 million in income from international visitors in July, which is almost $270 million more than the same figure of July last year. In total, the country received [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ukrainian army has severely defeated the Russian unit stationed in the breakaway Abkhazia on the Kryvyi Rih front, which suffered such significant losses that the leadership was forced to withdraw it from the front for regrouping, Sova.news, Tbilisi-based Russian-language news portal, reports relying on Ukrainian military expert. “Proud abkhazians were running! Well, how did [...]
The Swiss bank Credit Suisse continues to restrict Bidzina Ivanishvili's access to his banking resources “as a matter of principle”, and "for quite a long time" they do not even respond to the letters and questions of the client's representatives, says the legal company MKD Law, which protects the interests of the Georgian Dream founder, in [...]
(Razom.ge) Georgian civic groups and activists have launched a fundraising campaign to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees who were left out in the street after the end of state program. The company is implemented on behalf of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, civil groups RAZOM.GE and DOPOMOGA, as well as the foundation of jazz singer [...]
Vadim Krasikov. TBILISI, DFWatch--In prisoner exchange talks with the United States, Moscow has offered to include a hitman affiliated with Russian intelligence, who is serving a life sentence in Germany for the elimination of Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a citizen of Georgia. Russian officials have suggested that the assassin, Vadim Krasikov, be placed on a [...]
Russia plans to restore air traffic with breakaway Abkhazia, and pledges to assist Sokhumi regime to rehabilitate Babushara airport, which, according to de facto president Aslan Bzhania, will be completed in 2024. On Thursday in Sukhumi, Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov met with the regime's Vice PM Christina Ozgan, where they discussed the details of the [...]
Acting director general of Georgia’s biggest opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi states that there is total illegal surveillance of journalists in the country “just like in Russia”. As proof of this, he cites an audio recording that was broadcast on Wednesday on a pro-government TV channel. Giorgi Gabunia, Mtavari Arkhi news anchor who replaced Nika Gvaramia [...]
Democracy is about transparency, and it is essential every now and then to call a spade a spade and say in public what is being discussed in private. That is especially the case when national interests are at stake. When three Georgian Dream MPs (Honourable Khundadze, Subari, Kavelashvili), turned recently and instantly into independent legislators, bonded [...]
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili publishes an extensive statement, where he responds to the "campaign of internal and external political opponents". In a letter full of praise for billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the PM claims that the government hasn’t taken any operational or key decisions at his behest. "If anyone thinks that we did not impose sanctions (on [...]
A natural gas field with a volume of 16 billion cubic meters has been discovered near Tbilisi, said Giorgi Tatishvili, the head of the State Oil and Gas Agency, speaking to BMG. "To imagine, this is equal to the consumption of Georgia for 8 years," Tatishvili said. This gas reserve was discovered by the French oilfield [...]
The organizers of a pro-EU rally in central Tbilisi, where thousands of people gathered to say that Brussels' refusal to grant Georgia candidate status was the result of the Georgian Dream government's misguided policies, demand the resignation of government and PM Irakli Gharibashvili. The PM will resign within a week and a government of national consent [...]
Giorgi Margvelashvili. Georgia's two former presidents and four ex-speakers of parliament appeal the EU not to oust Georgia from the "trio" and to grant it candidate status, as it did with Ukraine and Moldova. “The content of the letter is as follows - we agree with the demands of European Commission, the expediency of their fulfillment, [...]
The statement of the chairman of the Georgian Dream, who categorically ruled out the transfer of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili abroad for medical treatment, caused great outrage in the opposition. "Irakli Kobakhidze actually sentenced to death Mikheil Saakashvili," said Nika Gvaramia, director general of the main opposition TV channel, Mtavari Arkhi, who himself was sentenced to a [...]
Georgian fighter, 27-year-old Tato Bigvava, commander of the second company of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine has died in the bastion of the defenders of Mariupol, on the territory of the Azovstal plant. The cause of death was believed to have been a cluster bomb explosion. It was dropped by Russian troops [...]
Shalva Papuashvili (Facebook). After a long period of hesitation and criticism from the opposition, the ruling party of Georgia has finally decided to send a parliamentary delegation to Ukraine, headed by the chairman of parliament. The visit is expected to take place this weekend, Georgian Dream MP Davit Sergeenko told reporters on Wednesday. He also confirmed [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--While Ukraine is heroically fighting the aggressor and the Georgian people are strongly supporting it in this cause, a diplomatic row has broken out between Tbilisi and Kiev, causing embarrassment and shame for many Georgians. People gathered in the center of Tbilisi on Tuesday to show support for Ukraine and condemn the steps taken by the [...]
(Formulanews.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s comments, which many Georgians see as bowing down to an aggressive Russia, continues to cause anger, outrage and shame in the country. The hashtag #ღარიბაშვილიარგამოხატავსჩემსპოზიციას has gone viral on social media. It literally translates to "Garibashvili does not express my opinion". Georgians from a broad range of backgrounds and especially [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is making it mandatory for all schools and kindergartens to fly the national flag and display the country’s official coat of arms on their buildings. These institutions will also be required to exhibit the text of the Georgian national anthem in a prominent place. The Parliament approved in the first reading the amendments to [...]
(DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgians are increasingly positive about minorities, including LGBT+ people, according to the new survey commissioned by The Council of Europe Office in Georgia, which covers a period between 2018 and 2021. The CoE presented key findings of the study Monday, which demonstrates that knowledge and appreciation of diversity in Georgian society increased [...]
Inal Ardzinba, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia has dismissed an appeal by the breakaway region Abkhazia to the United Nations to be given status as an “observer state”. A spokesperson for Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it a propaganda move with no real chance of succeeding. "Occupying regimes have [...]
Alexander Lukashenko. TBILISI, DFWatch--Autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko said Monday that Belarus might recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia if President Putin tells him to do so. “As soon as I understand and the President [of the Russian Federation] tells me that there is a need for this,” Lukashenko said in an interview with pro-governmental Russian journalist Vladimir [...]
Zurab Adeishvili. TBILISI, DFWatch--Zurab Adeishvili, a former Georgian justice minister who is an adviser to Ukraine's Prosecutor General, was attacked and beaten in Kyiv on Monday. Adeishvili was approached by four men in the street who proceeded to beat the Georgian politician, writes "Ukrainskaya Pravda" based on a source in the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine [...]
Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream, after lengthy deliberations, finally submitted a draft resolution in support of Ukraine to parliament on Wednesday for approval, which immediately drew criticism from the opposition after it was revealed that it did not mention neither Russia nor Putin. Two meetings were held between the Georgian Dream and opposition factions on Wednesday to [...]
Imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili says that if Russia launches a direct military aggression on Ukraine, it will inevitably invade Georgia and occupy Black Sea ports that are of strategic importance to it. "According to my information, if Russia starts implementing a large-scale plan in Ukraine, it is going to capture Anaklia in the [...]
Chairman of Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze. TBILISI, DFWatch--The artificial crisis is over, we won the election convincingly, and the 'radical' opposition, whose leader is 'deservedly' serving a sentence in jail, is 'extremely weakened’, Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze stated as he summed up the political events of the last year. Writing on Facebook on Monday, Kobakhidze [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--While the crisis in relations between Russia and the West over NATO enlargement continues to escalate, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried reaffirmed the US’ support for Georgia in a phone call with Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Zalkaliani. According to the Georgian MFA, the sides exchanged views [...]
Igor Giorgadze. TBILISI, DFWatch--Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Georgian security chief and former KGB operative Igor Giorgadze against DFWatch and its editor Lasha Tughushi, in which he demanded a retraction of information published in a 2016 article. The Court of Appeals fully agreed with and upheld an earlier decision [...]
(coe.int) Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will make a fact-finding visit to Tbilisi Wednesday for the monitoring of obligations and commitments by Georgia. Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE) will mainly focus on the recent political developments, the October 2021 local elections, the reform of the judiciary, [...]
Mikheil Saakashvili at the Tbilisi Court, November 29 (Imedinews photo). TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, was given "anti-psychotic drugs" while in custody without a medical need, according to an organization involved in his defense, while his lawyer adds "suspicions grow" this might be done deliberately to impair his mental health. The Rehabilitation Center for Victims [...]
Supporters of Mikheil Saakashvili rallied in Tbilisi Friday. (Adjaratv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--In Georgia, the government Friday agreed to transfer the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili to a military hospital, after a sudden deterioration of his health. The ex-president’s fifty day long hunger strike has caused a public outrage and a growing pressure from the West. Saakashvili and [...]
(RL/RFE.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was rushed to a prison hospital in Tbilisi Monday evening, reportedly due to a deteriorating health condition after being on a hunger strike for 39 days. Saakashvili had been held in Rustavi penitentiary since October 1, when he was arrested after returning to his home country for the [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s health condition deteriorated critically Monday, after 25 days of hunger strike. His condition was so serious that he required emergency treatment by doctors. After a while his condition improved, said the former president’s defense lawyer Dimitri Sadzaglishvili. "Saakashvili is now entering such a phase of starvation that his health is [...]
Amiran Gamkrelidze. (TV Pirveli.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Officials in Georgia are considering a return to tougher Covid-19 restrictions after a sharp rise in new cases, but are likely to wait until after the second round of the local elections on October 30. Amiran Gamkrelidze, head of the National Center for Disease Control, the key person in managing the [...]
People brought dolls, flowers and candles to the site where an apartment building collapsed in Batumi, Georgia, killing nine people. (IPN.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is mourning the victims of the collapse of a 7-storey building in Batumi, while investigators are working to identify the causes of the tragedy, which killed nine people, including three children. People bring [...]
Georgians went to the polls Saturday to elect municipal councils and mayors. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia's local elections have so far earned mixed results, with both the ruling party and the opposition celebrating victory and highlighting their own success. Although the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) won a landslide victory in the proportional list and received 47% of the [...]
Former President Mikheil Saakashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili allegedly returned on Friday to his home country on Friday after eight and a half years’ absence. Law enforcement authorities arrested the former leader the same evening. The news about the ex-president’s arrest sparked celebrations among the opposition and frustration within the government, and threatened to [...]
Altercation between Nika Melia (left) and Irakli Kobakhidze at the EU office in Tbilisi. (Ambebi.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party, GD, criticizes EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell for being too timid in his criticism of the leader of the opposition party UNM Nika Melia after a verbal confrontation outside the EU office in Tbilisi on Thursday. Melia approached [...]
Nika Melia. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--The largest opposition party’s candidate for Tbilisi mayor has lost his seat in the Georgian parliament. Nika Melia, leader of the largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM), asked for the revocation himself in July, after the ruling party abandoned the EU mediated compromise agreement negotiated by European Council President Charles Michel. [...]
Zurab Makharadze (center with a microphone) and Archpriest Spiridon (left, with a wooden cross) at the rally in front of parliament. (Megatv.ge) The ombudsman calls for the prosecution of an ultra-nationalist journalist and an archpriest of the Georgian Orthodox Church for organizing violence against journalists and LGBTQ rights activists. Ombudsman Nino Lomjaria said 53 people have [...]
Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party has dashed the opposition's hopes of holding early elections for parliament in 2022 as a spokesman ruled it out entirely regardless of how few votes Georgian Dream will be able to get in the local elections this October. "Even if Georgian Dream gets [...]
Nino Lomjaria, Public Defender of Georgia. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Public Defender calls for postponing the local elections amid skyrocketing numbers of new Covid-19 cases and deaths. Nino Lomjaria’s call is backed by the opposition, but the government categorically rules out postponing the poll, which is scheduled for October. "We have more than 60-70 dead per day. What [...]
(Photo: Instagram / _svetlana__radionova_) TBILISI, DFWatch--Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform, a coalition of more than 200 non-governmental organizations, expresses concern over an oil spill off Russia’s Black Sea coast and calls on the Georgian government to take appropriate measures to prevent the spill from causing major environmental destruction and threatening the Georgian coastline. [...]
People storming Kabul airport after Taliban takeover of Afghan capital (VOA). TBILISI, DFWatch-Twenty two citizens of Georgia are stuck in Kabul and are unable to return to Georgia. They were scheduled to fly off on a Ukrainian plane on Monday, but were unable to reach the airport due to security concerns. They are currently in a [...]
(Facebook/MIA.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian government is tightening regulations due to the worsening epidemiological situation, but still refrains from reintroducing curfew and lockdown, measures that are wildly unpopular among the population. The government was originally expected to announce a new tightening of measures on Tuesday after news of hospitals buckling under the stress of skyrocketing Covid-19 numbers, [...]
Ekaterine Tikaradze at the briefing on Wednesday. (Government of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The recent surge in Covid-19 is causing a steadily deteriorating situation in Georgia and approaching crisis level. Hospitals are reporting an acute shortage of free beds and medical staff, while the government is considering more restrictions, something it did not intend to do before the [...]
The meeting of the Coordinating Council was presided over by PM Irakli Gharibashvili, August 8, 2021. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Against the backdrop of a skyrocketing number of new cases of Covid-19 and a steady increase in the number of deaths, authorities in Georgia decided Monday to bring back stricter regulations, but stopped short of using another round [...]
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies claims by the opposition that the three Baltic countries refused to host PM Irakli Gharibashvili, who was planning a visit. One of the largest online publications in Lithuania, 15min.lt, confirmed, based on anonymous sources, that the PM's request to come on an official trip to [...]
Salome Zourabichvili (1tv.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch--President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party for unilaterally abandoning the EU-mediated agreement. She also reiterated the importance of the country's European development. This is the first time the president has criticized the political movement that brought her to the presidency. Salome Zourabichvili was able to win [...]
Shanae Brooke (Facebook). TBILISI, DFWatch--The body of an Australian expat was found at the Mtatsminda Recreational Park near the center of Tbilisi. It is reported that she was allegedly murdered. Shanae Brooke, 31, went missing Friday when she went to Mtatsminda Park for jogging, which she did routinely. She was last heard from placing a disturbing [...]
Lado Khinchegashvili (Sova.news). TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Dream has nominated Olympic champion Vladimer (Lado) Khinchegashvili as a candidate for mayor of Gori in the October local elections. Following the results of the previous elections in this city, the 30-year-old athlete, who has not yet made a public announcement to leave the sport, will most likely win this election. [...]
Lasha Darsalia (Imedinews). TBILISI, DFWatch--As NATO’s military drills ‘Agile Spirit 2021’ got underway in Georgia this week, spokespersons for both Georgia and Russia made warning statements illustrating the risk of another round of conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov first said NATO’s Agile Spirit 2021 exercise with 2,500 military personnel from 12 alliance members and three partner [...]
Irakli Kobakhidze (center) at the GD briefing. Georgian Dream’s withdrawal from the EU-brokered political agreement has fueled ongoing political confrontation in the country. The case has even reached the point where part of the opposition is considering boycotting the local elections scheduled in October. One MP, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, has already left parliament. On Wednesday the [...]
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria. TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s public defender calls on law enforcement bodies to react to the violent attacks on journalists during the night of July 5 and the following days and make the results public. After crowds of ultra conservatives hunted down journalists in the street and beat them in the night of July 5 [...]
UNM candidate for Tbilisi mayor, Nika Melia (left), and UNM candidate for city assembly chair, Elene Khoshtaria. TBILISI, DFWatch--The largest opposition party in Georgia, the United National Movement, on Friday nominated party chairman Nika Melia as its candidate for Tbilisi Mayor in the local elections in October. But Melia has so far failed to secure broad [...]
Vaccination center at Hualing shopping mall in Tbilisi (1tv.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch--The government in Georgia is facing a setback in its fight against the coronavirus as experts predict an increase in daily cases in the next 2-3 weeks, but the government reiterates that it’s not planning another lockdown. Meanwhile, the mass vaccination program is continuing and the [...]
PM Irakli Gharibashvili rules out another lockdown, saying that country’s economy can’t withstand it. (Stopcov.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian government is not going to declare a lockdown ahead of the upcoming elections, despite a rapidly deteriorating situation in tackling the spread of the coronavirus. Many see the government’s avoidance of new unpopular restrictions in light of the [...]
Rally organizers demanded the resignation of PM Irakli Garibashvili, as well as a full independent investigation of the death of TV cameraman Lekso Lashkarava. (Interpressnews.) Opposition parties, journalists and civil society activists are protesting in the center of Tbilisi on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, after the death of a cameraman who was [...]
Far-right activists attacking a reporter for Formula TV. (IPN). TBILISI, DFWatch--Dozens of people were injured in Tbilisi on Monday as far-right activists attacked the LGBTQ Pride parade. There were incidents several places in the capital. The main targets of the attacks were journalists and cameramen for several opposition TV stations that are considered "propagandists for liberalism." [...]
(Adjaratv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is relaxing or lifting the two Covid-19 measures that have irritated the population the most. PM Irakli Gharibashvili said on Tuesday that the government is lifting the nightly curfew from July 1, although restaurants and cafes, as well as other entertainment establishments will be open only until midnight. At the same time, Gharibashvili [...]
Giorgi Gakharia and Bidzina Ivanishvili (Facebook/GeorgianDream) TBILISI, DFWatch--The founder of Georgia’s ruling party has publicly dispelled rumors that he is secretly supporting the former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia’s new political party. In a letter published on Monday, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili called Gakharia a "traitor" and categorically ruled out collaborating with the party he founded. Gakharia, who [...]
Locals gather at Sakulia cemetery after the clash. TBILISI, DFWatch--At least two people were injured as protesters clashed with police in a village near Tskaltubo Tuesday evening. The clashes broke out as special forces arrived in the village of Sakulia in order to arrest a 29-year-old man for involvement in protests against the Namakhvani hydropower project. [...]
Paata Imnadze (1tv.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch--With the tourist season approaching, Georgia is thinking about opening its land borders. "Discussions are already underway and the border will probably be opened," said Paata Imnadze, Scientific Director at National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, which is the main body handling the pandemic in the country. Everything has been [...]
Levan Vasadze with his followers threatening to set up vigilante patrols against LGBT activists in Vere Park in Tbilisi, 2019. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--After years of denying his intention to go into politics, the conservative millionaire Levan Vasadze finally announced on Thursday that he is launching a public movement. "I’ve made a very difficult decision in my [...]
Rescuer workers at Guli Glacier. (Emergency Management Agency). TBILISI, DFWatch--A foreign tourist has died in a climbing accident in the Svaneti highlands, according to the Emergency Management Agency of Georgia. Officials did not name the deceased but indicated it was a citizen of Switzerland. Local media reported that the death was caused by a fall into [...]
(Sputnik-Abkhazia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Russia has sent its first batch of the Sputnik V vaccine to Abkhazia, where people will start receiving the jab after the May 9 Victory Day celebrations. The Russian vaccine against the coronavirus will only be administered in one location, Sokhumi Republican Hospital. Initially, only medical staff, teachers, government employees and law enforcement officials [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--In light of rising concerns about the Covid-19 situation in the country, Georgia may tighten its existing restrictions or bring in tougher measures. The government will hold a meeting with specialists on Wednesday, where a final decision will be made, the health minister said. The epidemic is getting worse, and with more than 10,000 active [...]
European Council President Charles Michel. (Twitter.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The European Union on Sunday made another attempt at breaking the political deadlock in Georgia, offering a compromise that envisions the release of perceived political prisoners as well as early parliamentary elections. The EU earlier suggested Georgia's factions agree to the release of UNM leader Nika Melia and Giorgi [...]
Archil Talakvadze (Imedinews). TBILISI, DFWatch--The ruling Georgian Dream party has unilaterally signed an EU-mediated compromise agreement intended to overcome the political crisis in Georgia, which addresses one of the two main demands of the opposition. “Today, the Georgian Dream publicly signs a document created under the auspices of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, [...]
Rescue workers at the Enguri River (RFE/RL) TBILISI, DFWatch--Four people were found dead on the banks of the Enguri River on Wednesday. The four are believed to have drowned as they tried to cross from Abkhazia to Georgian-controlled territory bypassing Russian border guards and Abkhaz customs officers. Rescue workers found the bodies of three people Wednesday [...]
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has 65% approval rating among Georgians. TBILISI, DFWatch--A recently retired prime minister is one of Georgia's most popular politicians, according to a new survey published by the International Republican Institute (IRI) on Monday. Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned in February citing disagreement with his party colleagues over the detention of UNM leader [...]
Christian Danielsson addressing the media after the failed talks. TBILISI, DFWatch--EU-mediated negotiations to end the political crisis in Georgia have once more ended in failure. The compromise proposed by EU envoy Christian Danielsson was rejected Tuesday evening by both the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) and the group of opposition parties led by United National Movement (UNM). [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s vaccination effort has run into a roadblock, as many people are skeptical of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is believed to have caused the death of a 27-year-old nurse a week ago. The attitude toward the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech is more positive, although the available supplies of it are limited. A large [...]
(Facebook/გახარია.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on Monday that he has not left politics, without further explanation, leaving people guessing as to what he might have meant. "I am not leaving anything, not even politics," Giorgi Gakharia wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. But when asked by reporters, he did not explain [...]
(Government of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is not halting its use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine after a 27-year-old female nurse suffered anaphylactic shock and went into a coma on Thursday after receiving the jab. "We recently heard a report about AstraZeneca from a strict European regulator. It is recognized as a safe vaccine that has far more [...]
Irakli Garibashvili meeting with Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (Facebook/Government of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s prime minister on Tuesday rejected the two main demands put forth by the opposition, thus prolonging the country’s four and a half months long political crisis. "The next parliamentary elections will be held in 2024," Prime [...]
Enguri Bridge. (DFWatch.) GALI, DFWatch--Gali residents demand the opening of the checkpoint on Enguri Bridge and the lifting of the five-day quarantine for travelers that have been tested for Covid-19. Locals told DFWatch that because of the quarantine requirement, many people have resorted to a dangerous route, wading through the surging Enguri river at the so-called [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--The two armed Russian service members advanced 500 meters into territory controlled by Georgia and fired warning shots in an attempt to seize a local resident in the village Khurvaleti, about 50km northwest of Tbilisi, an eyewitness told Radio Tavisupleba. Khurvaleti is located at the southern tip of the breakaway region South Ossetia, whose de [...]
Bera Ivanishvili (left) and Irakli Garibashvili. (Newposts.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Audio recordings aired by an opposition TV channel in Georgia have caused outrage and demands for the prime minister’s resignation. The recordings, aired Saturday on TV Pirveli, appear to show Georgia’s current PM Irakli Garibashvili and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili's rapper son Bera discussing with Anzor Chubinidze, [...]
(Avianews.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia expects air traffic to increase sharply as Covid-19 related restrictions on regular flights are lifted, to reach a level this month seven times what it was in August last year. By summer, the number of flights per week may reach 200, a 20-fold increase, the Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said Thursday at [...]
Policemen guarding the entrance to parliament during an opposition protest on March 2, 2021. (RFE/RL) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s opposition have decided to scale back their protest rallies, citing a wish to not give the ruling Georgian Dream party an excuse to stall the talks initiated by the President of the European Council. The decision was made at [...]
Opposition supporters rallied in front of the government office in Tbilisi. (Newposts.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--A police raid of the headquarters of Georgia’s largest opposition party and the arrest of its leader Tuesday morning has further deepened the political crisis in the country. Nika Melia, leader of the United National Movement, was dragged out of the party building [...]
A school building in Sida, another village in the Gali region. (DFWatch.) GALI, DFwatch--In the village of Tagiloni in the Gali district of breakaway Abkhazia, there has been an explosion of cases of an illness locals suspect to be Covid-19, following a burial feast held ten days ago. Locals reached out to DFWatch, to appeal for [...]
Irakli Garibashvili speaking at Georgian Dream headquarters during his nomination. TBILISI, DFWatch--The opposition in Georgia breathed a sigh of relief Thursday, as Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation and the MInistry of Internal Affairs postponed the arrest of Nika Melia, leader of the largest opposition party in the country, UNM. Opposition leaders had spent the [...]
