DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, DFWatch–American, British and Dutch ambassadors are visiting southern Georgia today to observe the runoff presidential election in the region which has a long history of manipulation and violence during elections. Ross Wilson, acting US Ambassador to Georgia, Justin McKenzie Smith, the UK Ambassador and Dutch Ambassador Jos Douma have visited the village of Kumisi … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s runoff election for president on Wednesday gained an unexpected drama after the opposition candidate’s strong showing in the first round. One day ahead of the vote, polls indicate a close race. Although the constitution adopted by Georgian parliament in 2017 deprives the president of most powers, both camps, Georgian Dream and United Opposition, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A regional official in the United Opposition is in a critical condition after being stabbed outside his house, five days ahead of the runoff election for president. Two persons implicated in the murder attempt are ‘associated with Georgian Dream’, the opposition claims. Georgian Dream and the authorities vehemently denied having any ties with the … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Breakaway Abkhazia is fastening its grip on Georgian schools in Gali, local teachers told DFWatch. Sokhumi suspects that the schools in this southern district with a predominantly ethnic Georgian population are violating a relatively recent policy to only allow Russian as the instructional language up to 7th grade, and instead teaching in Georgian. “We … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has unofficially given Gali residents a green light for smuggling cigarettes, likely as part of the election campaign, according to locals DFWatch spoke to. They have received explicit messages from Georgian law enforcers, they said. “Everybody knows each other here, almost all law enforcement knows who smuggle cigarettes. For the past … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A 30 year old woman and her 9 months old son died in an explosion in an apartment block in Tbilisi Thursday morning, the emergency management service reports. The explosion occurred at around 11am in the eastern Ponichala district and was reportedly caused by a gas leak. Several other people were also injured, including … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian border forces have begun installing reinforced barbed wire fence through the village Dzukaantkari (Dzukata) near Gori, as part of a gradual demarcation around the breakaway region South Ossetia. The new and ‘more solid’ type of fences are replacing the old fences that were installed in 2009 and run right through the center of … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the persons reportedly sending presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili and her family members death threats has been identified and the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched a criminal investigation into the case. “The person who threatened Salome Zurabisvhili and her family members is a member of a military unit which carries out military operations … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Salome Zurabishvili, the presidential candidate supported by Georgia Dream, calls on the police to respond after reportedly receiving deaths threats from ex-soldiers with links to the opposition National Movement. The threats were also directed at her son and daughter. Zurabishvili, who narrowly won the first round of the presidential election, said she also alerted … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–None of the political parties in Georgia’s presidential election campaigned in the conflict zone, according to locals DFWatch spoke to in Gali, the southern district of breakaway Abkhazia. This is unlike previous elections, when the ruling party had local campaign workers out among the population promising various benefits, a resident of the village Tagiloni … Read more