DFWatch staff 
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 have been created specifically to target us. Since the election campaign, up to 20 such pages have been created,” Eka Gigauri, head of Transparency International Georgia, said on Wednesday. “All … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Four people were killed and seven people injured when an explosion rocked a block of apartments in uptown Tbilisi Wednesday evening. Among the injured is one child, whose condition is serious, health minister Davit Sergeenko said. The explosion is thought to have been caused by a natural gas leak in a flat in Didi … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s two breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Friday declared a quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the influenza virus H1N1 from Georgia proper. The quarantine will last for two months and not 20 days, as previously reported. In practice, a quarantine means an almost total ban on entering and … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–13 people have died from flu in Georgia since the start of this flu season, the country’s health minister said on Thursday. The number of hospitalizations due to influenza diagnosis has increased to 845 from the previous 616. 44 patients are intensive care at different hospitals throughout the country, Health Minister Davit Sergeenko said. … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Sokhumi plans to announce a 20 day quarantine and close Enguri checkpoint, the sole passage between Georgia proper and breakaway Abkhazia, locals familiar with the situation told DFWatch. Although breakaway officials claim no instances of H1N1 influenza virus have been reported so far in Abkhazia, DFWatch has witnessed at least dozens of instances of … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office (POG) has launched a criminal investigation of the country’s largest bank for alleged money laundering. The opposition calls the case an attack on unwanted business institutions. On Wednesday, POG summoned and questioned Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, the chairman and deputy chairman of TBC Bank’s supervisory board. The bank is … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–At least 10 people have died in Georgia the last few weeks due to complications after contracting with the flu, health officials have said. The National Center for Disease Control and Public Health cited data showing that the seasonal epidemic is on decline, but there has been a wave of public concern as the … Read more
AKHALGORI, DFWatch–South Ossetia has postponed for a month the coming into force of a new regulation which makes it harder for Akhalgori residents to cross the de facto border. On December 26, Tskhinvali adopted a new regulation which makes it much harder to cross the de facto border between Akhalgori and Georgia proper. The regulation … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–A record number of people crossed Enguri bridge on New Year’s Eve this year – in both directions. The queue spanned almost the entire length of the 1km long bridge which connects territory controlled by Georgia’s central government and breakaway Abkhazia. “No one has seen such a thing here. The border guards say thousands … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia is to consider a proposal by a far-right group to ban the wearing of burqa and niqab in public. The bill was proposed by Emzar Kvitsiani, a member of parliament from the socially conservative political party Alliance of Patriots. The party is often accused of having pro-Russian sentiments, but party … Read more