(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi does not recognize the referendum in Crimea, according to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry Sunday evening. The statement says the referendum was conducted as a result of Russian pressure of armed forces and in violation […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Supporters and opponents of the referendum in Crimea clashed in Tbilisi Sunday. A group called “Eurasian Choice” tried to hold a demonstration on Cholokashvili Street in front of the old Russian embassy building at 15:00, but were pushed away […]
Giorgi Targamadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Movement, has left the party, after it began planning to form a coalition with Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement. Targamadze, a former TV journalist, said at a press […]
The ancient Sakdrisi site. (Culture Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–RMG Gold, a company which owns mines in the south of Georgia, was Friday given permission to start mining work in Sakdrisi. According to German and Georgian scientists, the site is an ancient mine with a rich history. Deputy Culture Minister Alexandre Margishvili […]
Alania TV later turned into PIK TV. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A parliamentary commission in Georgia has exposed how one television station was operating for years without a license during Saakashvili. The channel, Alania, was found to have close links to the government while Saakashvili was in power and though […]
Locals in Khobi, Georgia, accuse Jehova’s Witnesses of stoking separatism because they are using the minority language Megrelian. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Friday, about 100 Orthodox Christians demonstrated in Georgia against Jehovah’s Witnesses constructing a congregation center in their town. The Witnesses began building a Kingdom Hall in the western town of Khobi about a week ago. Today, opponents were […]
Data Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian counterintelligence chief who is currently wanted was today convicted in absentia for abuse of power. Data Akhalaia, whose whereabouts are unknown, was head of the Constitutional Security Department (CSD). He was on trial for […]
Antti Turunen, UN Secretary General’s Representative for Georgia, who was part of the delegation. (Photo by OSCE/Dieter Nagl.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Representatives of the United Nations, OSCE and European Union this week paid a two-day visit to South Ossetia and met with members of the breakaway region’s delegation to the Geneva talks. The delegation consisted of co-chairs of the talks, which […]
The maternity ward at Gali hospital was renovated with the help of UNDP. (Frame from UN’s video report.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The United Nations is ready to finance projects in Abkhazia with USD 15 million this year. Resident Coordinator for the UN Development Program in Georgia, Niels Scott, told this to de facto President Aleksandre Ankvab, according to Apsnypress. […]
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania (left), and Italy’s Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti. (Photo by Georgian Ministry of Defense. ) TBILISI, DFWatch–Italy and Georgia will strengthen their defense cooperation, according to a press release published by Georgia’s Ministry of Defense. Irakli Alasania, the Georgian defense minister, on Thursday met his Italian colleague Roberta Pinotti during a visit […]
The top investment sector in 2013 was energy. Here Enguri dam. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia received USD 914 million in direct foreign investments in in 2013. This is 0.3 percent more than in 2012, according to preliminary figures from Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat. According to the figures, direct foreign […]
Nika (Nikoloz) Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the out-of-power National Movement party has designated its candidate for Tbilisi mayor by direct appointment. Nika Melia, a relatively unknown former official in the capital, was directly appointed, as the party chose not to conducted a […]
Sergey Bezrukov. (Kremlin.ru.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A theater play featuring Russian actor Sergei Bezrukov has been canceled in Tbilisi, because of his support for Russia’s policy toward Crimea. The background is a petition signed by artists living and working in Russia who support President Putin’s […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia offers investors a favorable environment and a market of potentially 900 million people, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said during the Georgia-Israel Business Forum. Gharibashvili mentioned that a common system of allowances with 8 countries, […]
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania with Georgian soldiers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may move one step closer to joining NATO as a result of the Ukraine crisis. If Russia annexes Crimea, NATO will offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP), Russian daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday. The paper based its report on sources […]
City authorities have hired an emirates company to tear down the old Soviet style blocks and build new ones (amiralace.blogspot.com) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian capital plans to dismantle its so-called Khrushchovkas, a type of low-cost apartment blocks that were built in Tbilisi during the Soviet Union. The project will be carried out by an investment holding company based in […]
Zurab Abashidze (left), the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The direct talks between Georgia and Russia have been postponed again. Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia should have met on March 4-5, […]
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili emphasized the importance of strengthening local governments and proposed building more public service centers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is starting a pilot project to introduce electronic government, or e-government. Representatives of the Justice Ministry on Monday presented an action plan for 2014-2018 named ‘digital Georgia’ which has 11 priority areas. The goal is […]
Gogi Topadze, one of the parliamentarians who authored the bill. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may change the rules for VAT taxation and abolish advantages for importers of certain categories of goods. Parliament has started reviewing the draft, but the National Movement criticizes it and says they believe members of the ruling […]
The strike began February 14 and is to demand better work conditions and rehiring workers who were fired. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Negotiations have started in a Georgian village where the population has been on strike to protest the treatment of workers in the gold mines. A mediator appointed by the Ministry of Health held a first round of negotiations in Kazreti in the southern […]
President Obama and Gharibashvili when they met last month at the White House. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Barack Obama writes in a letter that he hopes to meet Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili at the third Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague 23-25 March. The US president’s letter to Gharibashvili, published on Monday, […]
Alexi Petriashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s State Commission for NATO Integration on Monday approved the annual national program (ANP) for 2014, which will be presented to NATO. Alexi Petriashvili, Minister of Euro and Euro-Atlantic Integration, chaired […]
Fans of Kutaisi’s football club FC Torpedo ran onto the field and attacked the visiting players. (Photo published by Dinamo Tbilisi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A match of Georgia’s National Football Championship in Kutaisi between old rivals, local FC Torpedo and Dinamo Tbilisi, was interrupted by the riot of Torpedo fans who flooded the field and attacked Dinamo players and their fans. The score was 2-0 in […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Adjarian villagers who on Saturday protested construction of a hydro-power plant and were dispersed by the police achieved agreement with the government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. Negotiations started at 03:00 am in the morning […]
Seven hundred villagers clashed with two hundred police in Ghurta. (Video still from Adjara TV’s report.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia Saturday broke up a protest in a village where a Norwegian company wants to build a hydro power plant. About two hundred policemen were mobilized to break through a road block put up by villagers in Ghurta, in the south western Adjara […]
Irakli Shikhiashvili, head of Tbilisi City Council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council decided to write the 2014 budget themselves, after refusing twice to pass drafts proposed by City Hall. The capital’s executive government is staffed by people from Saakashvili’s National Movement, but the city council is dominated […]
Two German and two French citizens died in Ushguli, a village in the north of Svaneti, Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four tourists have died in an avalanche in Ushguli, a village in the Upper Svaneti region, north in Georgia. According to the local government in Mestia, two German and two French tourists have died. One French tourist survived. His health is in no […]
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili said the debate about the Ukraine resolution was one of his most difficult days in parliament. TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia Wednesday passed a resolution condemning Russia’s deployment of military forces in Crimea, which it says is a threat to all of Europe. The resolution says Georgia became a victim of Russian military aggression in the war in 2008, […]
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili claims former President Mikheil Saakashvili is being used as an adviser by the new interim authorities in Ukraine. Appearing on a TV show Wednesday evening, he warned Ukrainian leaders not to trust the […]
A Russian helicopter of the type Mi-8 flew over an area near Gori in Georgia Thursday. (Photo by U.S. Department of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian military helicopter violated Georgian air space on Thursday. The helicopter, which was of the type Mi-8, flew over an area in the vicinity of the towns Gori and Kaspi, according to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, the helicopter took […]
Kakha Kozhoridze, one of the campaigners. (Video still from the new ad by This Affects You Too.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A campaign in Georgia which played an important role ahead of Saakashvili’s unexpected election defeat in 2012 has been revived. The campaign This Affects You Too is being brought back to life in order to fight against illegal surveillance by […]
From the Chiatura miners’ strike in November 2012. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The strike among mine workers in western Georgia is continuing. Workers in the coal mines in Chiatura demand better conditions and higher salaries, both of which they were promised over a year ago at the end of an extensive protest. […]
Goga (Giorgi) Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has brought in new charges against a lawyer representing former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Prosecutors have already charged Goga Oniani, a former police official, with harassing a man printing t-shirts […]
Vegetable prices had a projected annual growth of 46.6 percent in February, according to GeoStat. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Vegetable prices are on course to a 46.6 % projected annual increase in Georgia, new figures from the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, show. Georgia’s monthly inflation rate was 0.2 percent in February, according to the new report. In February […]
Michelle Obama and Rusudan Gotsiridze. (Photo published by the US Embassy.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rusudan Gotsiridze, Bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, has been given the International Women of Courage Award 2014. The award ceremony was held in Washington DC. Gotsiridze received the award because of her merits in promoting […]
Twelve refugee families living in a derelict hospital building in Zugdidi in July, 2013. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–37 percent of children in Georgia live below the poverty line, according to a new report by UNICEF. Child poverty increased 2 percent in 2013, compared to 2011. Georgia has the second highest rate of inequality in Europe, the organization writes. […]
Old parliament in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili has started working at the old parliament building in Tbilisi. The speaker explained it was only the first step in a gradual moving process. “Parliament will be moved back to Tbilisi step by step,” he said, […]
President of Turkey Abdullah Gül. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The presidents of Georgia and Turkey have spoken on phone about the latest events in Ukraine. President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and the Georgian President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, underlined the importance of supporting the territorial integrity […]
Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia says negotiations with the European Union about the schedule and procedures for signing the Association Agreement must be finished in March. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said this after meeting with Štefan Füle, European Commissioner […]
Some carried Ukrainian flags. (Maestro TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several hundred people demonstrated Monday near the de facto border with South Ossetia, to highlight the recent resumption of installation of barbed wire by Russian soldiers. The demonstration was held in the village Atotsi, near the town Kareli. […]
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s defense and foreign ministers on Monday spoke by phone with Ukraine’s acting defense and foreign ministers. In the phone conversation, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze expressed deep concern about the events taking place […]
Emzar Kvitsiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Emzar Kvitsiani, who was accused of organizing a mutiny in Kodori Valley and has been wanted since 2006, has been detained as he arrived at Tbilisi airport. Tbilisi City Court placed him in pretrial detention. Since 2006, police have been offering […]
Laurent Fabius (left) and Frank-Walter Steinmeier when they announced the trip in January. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of France and Germany and an EU commissioner have postponed their visits to Georgia due to the latest developments in Ukraine. EU Commissioner Stefan Fule should have visited Georgia on Monday while Laurent Fabius and Frank […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council will hold a special session on March 7 to once more put the city’s 2014 budget bill to a vote. City Hall has sent a draft budget to the council for the fourth time, but the council failed to approve it. The capital has remained […]
The demonstration started outside Ukraine’s embassy and continued across the street at the former Russian embassy. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people demonstrated in support of Ukraine on Sunday outside the Ukrainian embassy in Tbilisi. Some came carrying Ukrainian flags and some were dressed in yellow and blue. Their posters bore slogans like “Save Ukraine”, “Russia go […]
Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says Russia’s actions in Crimea are a brutal intervention in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state and calls on the international community to not allow a new conflict to escalate in Europe. The Georgian […]
‘Jurisdiction continues underground,’ the poster on the right says. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several hundred people gathered outside the government building in Tbilisi on Friday to demand better protection of workers’ rights. Workers are on strike several places in Georgia. In Kazreti, the entire village is protesting against a mass […]
EU Commissioner Stefan Fule (right) during a previous meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili in Brussels February 3, 2014. (Government photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Commissioner Stefan Fule is planning a visit to Georgia next Monday and Tuesday. According to his press office, the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy will meet with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian and Russian negotiators Zurab Abashidze and Gregory Karasin have postponed their planned meeting until March 14. Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations and Karasin, Russia’s […]
Davit Kezerashvili was Georgia’s defense minister during the 2008 war with Russia over a breakaway territory. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–France has refused to extradite former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili to Georgia. Kezerashvili is charged with acquiring a large amount of money and for receiving a bribe while he was minister. He is also implicated in the Imedi TV case, […]
Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili was Thursday sentenced to four years and six months in jail in a case concerning the dispersal of a peaceful anti-government rally on May 26, 2011. Tbilisi City Court has been reviewing the case for […]
Used cars for sale at Rustavi car market near Tbilisi. (rustavi.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover was USD 761 million in January 2014 according to precise data published by Georgia’s National Statistics Department, GeoStat. This is 15 percent more than in 2013. Export was USD 224 million, which is 14 percent […]
US Secretary of State John Kerry next to his Georgian counterpart, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Photo published by the Georgian government.) TBILISI, DFWatch–US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Georgia in spring 2014. Kerry said after a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Wednesday that he is looking forward to coming to Georgia and that the trip might take place in spring. […]
Giorgi Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has released the lawyer of a former defense minister against a 20 000 lari (USD 12 000) bail. Goga Oniani, a former high police official during Saakashvili who now is a lawyer representing the ex-minister Bacho Akhalaia, is charged […]
Razor wire is one of the measures Russian border guards are using to enforce the de facto border. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers have resumed the installation of warning signs and barbed wire at villages near the border with the breakaway region South Ossetia. A sign warning about the de facto border was installed in the village Ghogheti near Kareli on Tuesday. […]
Lasha Tordia, Director of the State Audit Office. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is creating a temporary commission to monitor the financing of political parties. The new body will be staffed by people from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will be based at the State Audit Office. Its general director, Lasha […]
Giorgi Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has ordered the detention of a lawyer for former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Giorgi Oniani is charged with abuse of power, falsification of evidence about especially grave crime and purposeful unlawful […]
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and US President Barack Obama. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Monday met with US Vice President Joe Biden at the White House. President Barack Obama later joined the meeting. Topics included the US-Georgia strategic partnership, the prospects for Georgia’s integration […]
Zurab Abashidze (left), the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The next meeting between Russian and Georgian negotiators might take place on March 4 or 5. Zurab Abashidze, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, told Interpressnews that the meeting will be held in Prague. At this […]
The ones who died in the fighting in Kiev were remembered in Tbilisi on Sunday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians gathered at the old parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday to pay tribute to those who died during the recent clashes in Ukraine. Activists also started a campaign to collect money to pay for treatment of those who were wounded. At least […]
Mine workers in Chiatura. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 600 miners in western Georgia have gone on strike, demanding that the management fulfills a promise made during a strike last year. In Chiatura, eomployees at Itkhvisi, Shukura, a factory and a mechanical workshop warn that if their demands aren’t met, about […]
Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The speaker of parliament in Georgia says there are currently no threats against the country. Gubaz Sanikidze, a member of parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition, said Friday that ‘it will be Georgia’s turn after Ukraine’ and begged the […]
Minibus drivers in Rustavi demand that the competition is postponed at least three years. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Minibus drivers in Rustavi southeast of Tbilisi are on strike. They are protesting against the competition for transport by City Council and demand to delay for three to five years the competition for inner city and Tbilisi-Rustavi transport. […]
Gvantsa Chkhivadze wanted to tell the Georgian president that there is a war for Ukraine, which is also a war for Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One lone woman demonstrated in support of Ukraine in front of Georgia’s parliament on Friday. Georgians are showing solidarity in a number of ways after the bloodbath in Kiev. Gvantsa Chkhivadze, who represents Movement for Independence and Euro- […]
Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili tomorrow begins his first United States visit since assuming office. Gharibashvili, who is accompanied by several of his cabinet ministers, said at a government session on Thursday that it will be the first top […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says no government has ever been forgiven for using weapons against its own people. Margvelashvili said he was shocked by seeing footage from Thursday's events in Ukraine. “Events are developing in a tragic way in Ukraine, and we are completely shocked by what [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 21. Davit Kipiani, a young National Movement activist, was found dead at Khreshchatnik. His bullet proof vest had two bullet holes after he was hit by a sniper. Mikheil Saakashvili, the former […]
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has decided to commit its military forces to the European Union’s rapid reaction force in the Central African Republic from May. The violence between Christians and Muslims which began more than a year ago is at risk […]
The foreign affairs ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, respectively: Maia Panjikidze (left), Elmar Mammadyarov, and Ahmet Davutoglu. (Georgian MFA.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey met on Wednesday in Azerbaijan’s second largest city Ganja to discuss regional cooperation. Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said they talked about the 2013-15 action plan, which […]
Member of Parliament for Georgian Greens, Giorgi Gachechiladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Member of Parliament Gia Gachechiladze on Wednesday left the parliamentary majority, the Georgian Dream coalition. Gachechiladze is a member of the Greens Party, which is not a member of the Georgian Dream coalition, but he represented the coalition […]
Elene Gedevanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian figure skater Elene Gedevanishvili Wednesday ended up in 17th place in the Sochi Olympics. The 24-year old competed in the short program against 30 athletes at Iceberg Skating Palace. Gedevanishvili received 54.70 point from the jury. That […]
One Georgian is among the 26 who have died in violent clashes in Kiev the last few days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 18 during clashes between activists and Interior Ministry troops. Zurab Khurtsia, 54, was one of 26 people who have died since the violence reignited two days ago. Besik Shamugia, head of the association […]
Sabina Talibova. (Photo: Newcaucasus.com.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Sabina Talibova is an ethnic Azerbaijanian living in Marneuli. Some time ago, she became involved in several non-governmental organizations which are working to engage women more in employment and politics. DF Watch talked to her about problems […]
Member of Parliament Giorgi Vashadze said the National Movement are still discussing within the party what to ask Margvelashvili about. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement party’s members of parliament might not attend the Georgian president’s state of the nation address, which takes place in parliament in Kutaisi on February 21. UNM members say they have not yet made a decision about whether […]
Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is planning to create a new agency that will work on religious issues. Minister of Reconciliation and Equality Paata Zakareishvili on Tuesday explained that the new body will implement a recent initiative by the government […]
Nino Tsiklauri in the giant slalom competition Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian alpine skier participating in the Sochi Winter Olympics competed on February 18 and finished in 49th place. Nino Tsiklauri is one of four Georgians taking part in the Games, and was flag bearer for the Georgian team. Tuesday, she competed […]
Tbilisi Mall. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover increased 15 percent in January, 2014, compared to the same period last year. The total turnover was USD 761 million. This is according to preliminary data published by Georgia’s National Statistics Department, […]
Sixteen firefighters are on strike in Tbilisi against what they claim is a corrupt leadership. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–16 firefighters in Tbilisi are on a strike to demand the resignation of the head of the emergency service, Temur Giorgadze. The firefighters, who have been on strike for six days, claim that Giorgadze hires his friends and relatives, is corrupt and […]
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili proposes to raise the threshold for winning in the first round of local elections to 50 percent. Gharibashvili, who represents the Georgian Dream coalition, suggests having a 50 percent threshold also in mayoral […]
The two defendants, Vano Merabishvili (left) and Zurab Chiaberashvili, at an earlier court appearance. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili used an employment program as a way to campaign for the National Movement party ahead of the October 2012 parliamentary election. This is the conclusion of Kutaisi City Court in a trial that has […]
Nana Kakabadze (seated, right) and other members of the group Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights in January, 2013. Most complaints against Georgia have been about prisoner abuse. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of complaints against Georgia at the European Court of Human Rights has been reduced by 70 percent. On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice published information showing that there were 375 complaints against Georgia at the Strasbourg-based […]
Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Public Defender’s Office in Georgia calls on the Interior Ministry to react to the violation of the rights of a Georgian citizen who last month was prohibited three times from leaving Georgia. Saikhan Muzayev complained to the office on January 20 […]
Municipal bus drivers in Batumi have been on strike for five days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Bus drivers in Batumi have been on strike for five days, demanding higher salary and the dismissal of the director of Batumi Autotransport Ltd. Two of the protesting drivers, Nugzar Gvianidze and Nika Sikharulidze, are on hunger strike and live […]
Biometric voter’s lists is something the opposition has been wanting for a long time, said Zviad Dzidziguri, Member of Parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Dream coalition promises that there will not be fraud in the upcoming local elections, as the voters’ list is being checked by use of biometric data, which will prevent names from appearing two or more times. Georgian Dream, both the coalition and the party with the same […]
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili will hold his first annual address to parliament on February 21. Outlining the content of his speech already on Friday, Margvelashvili announced he wants to focus on values and Georgia’s ‘strategic vectors’; […]
Bacho Akhalaia in Tbilisi City Court in February, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia has upheld a decision by Tbilisi City Court to partly acquit former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia in the so-called prison riot case. Tbilisi City Court acquitted Akhalaia in part of the case, but sentenced him to three […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia climbs 17 places on the latest Press Freedom Index and is listed in 84th place among 180 countries. The index measures the level of freedom of information in different countries and is published annually by Reporters Without Borders. […]
Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili (left) and President of Hungary, János Áder. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili Friday met Hungarian President János Áder. The two discussed economy, Georgia’s integration with Europe and relations with Russia. Usupashvili is in Hungary together with a Georgian delegation […]
Ryan Grist, Deputy Head of EUMM. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former British army captain who in 2008 accused Georgia of starting the South Ossetia war has been appointed as deputy head of the EU Monitoring Mission to Georgia (EUMM). In 2008, Ryan Grist was in charge of a group of foreign observers who were […]
Deputy Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia will make the switchover from analog to digital television on June 17, 2015. Deputy Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili on Friday presented the concept for how to make the switchover. He said the process will have positive results for both […]
Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia wants to increase the punishment for engaging in illegal surveillance to seven years in jail. Presenting the draft bill on Thursday, Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze said that in past years, human rights were violated […]
Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–543 refugee families have been given apartments for one lari a piece from the government. Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze said on Thursday that the apartments are in Tbilisi, Rustavi, Mtskheta, Borjomi, Chiatura, Kutaisi, Tskaltubo and Batumi. […]
NATO’s Knud Bartels (left) and Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States will finance Georgia’s participation in NATO Rapid Reaction Force, Defense Minister Irakli Alasania says. The NATO Military Committee visited Georgia on February 11 and 12. The delegation was chaired by Committee head Knud Bartels. […]
Grigory Karasin, Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Negotiators for Georgia and Russia are to discuss the possibility of holding a top level meeting between the presidents of the two countries. Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, said on Wednesday that his next meeting with […]
Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, Acting Mayor of Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The city of Tbilisi’s elected representatives have again failed to approve a new budget for 2014. 17 assembly members supported the new draft prepared by City Hall, 22 voted against. 24 votes were required for the budget to pass. December 29, the […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili (left), and President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. (Photo published by the Georgian president’s administration.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says Georgia and Azerbaijan support each other in territorial integrity issues. Both countries have lost control over parts of their territory to small de facto governments with little or no international […]
Head of NATO Military Committee, Knud Bartels (left) and President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Photo by Georgia’s Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Wednesday hosted Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, which is currently visiting Georgia. Defense Minister Irakli Alasania, Chief of Joint Staff, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze, and […]
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says he is ready to have direct dialogue with Russian leaders. Gharibashvili’s statement was a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said on Monday that he is willing to meet with President […]
Marine Mizandari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Tuesday approved the dismissal of First Deputy Culture Minister Marine Mizandari. Culture Minister Guram Odisharia asked for his deputy’s dismissal on February 5. Gharibashvili yesterday signed the […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili will visit Azerbaijan for the first time on February 12. Margvelashvili will meet with President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday. He will also meet with Azerbaijan’s prime minister and speaker of parliament. […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president says he will ‘carefully and seriously analyze’ a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about a possible meeting between the two of them. When Georgian journalists attending the Sochi Winter Olympics asked Putin about […]
Marine Mizandari (left) and Guram Odisharia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Culture Minister Guram Odisharia has dismissed his deputy, Marine Mizandari, claiming that she wasn’t able to work in a team and that they had different views. Mizandari herself claims the reason for her dismissal was a disagreement over […]
President of the Romanian Senate, Crin Antonescu (left), and Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, David Usupashvili. (Photo published by senat.ro.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Romanian Senate Monday passed a resolution supporting Georgia’s efforts toward integration with Europe and NATO. Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili, who is visiting Romania with other Georgian politicians, was attending the senate as […]
Geguti prison camp. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several prisoners at Geguti prison in Georgia have been taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries. Doctors say their health is in no danger. For several days, about 800 prisoners have been on hunger strike at the prison, which is in the west of the country. Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, who visited the prison camp on Monday, said 46 prisoners have self-inflicted injuries, but some of the prisoners who were taken to hospital in Kutaisi were feeling bad because of hunger. […]
Avtandil Chrikashvili. (Photo by Georgia’s Sports Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Avtandil Chrikashvili won a gold medal at the Judo Grand Slam Paris 2014 tournament. Two other Georgians, Amiran Papinashvili and Varlam Liparteliani, won silver medals. Chrikashvili defeated competitors from Netherlands, France, Japan […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Olympic Committee has complained to the International Olympic Committee about a Russian athlete’s biographical details. The website of this year’s winter games incorrectly indicated that Marika Pertakhiya, who represents Russia […]
Some offered free hugs, kisses and more. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the last two weeks, environment activists have been standing watch day and night in Vake Park in Tbilisi, to prevent the construction of a new hotel. The hotel will be built where an old restaurant called Budapest is located. It has been private property since 1994, but […]
Georgian Speaker of Parliament, Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–On Monday, Georgia’s speaker of parliament begins on a five day tour of Romania and Hungary. Speaker Davit Usupashvili will arrive in Romania on February 10 and hold meetings with the speaker of Romania’s senate and parliament, as well as with […]
The controversial map with Abhkazia and South Ossetia covered by fog. TBILISI, DFWatch–When Georgia was presented during the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi yesterday, the two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia appeared covered by fog on a map used in the on-screen graphics. Georgians were concerned about the […]
Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 800 prisoners are on hunger strike in a prison in Geguti in western Georgia, Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili says. Nanuashvili said after meeting with prisoners on Friday that about 800 are on hunger strike demanding that the Prosecutor’s Office […]
Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Energy Minister Friday lashed out against the public defender and accused him of lying about not wanting to meet the population in a mountain valley poised to be flooded by a giantic hydro power dam. The Khudoni hydro power project will […]
Georgia’s National Statistics Department has updated the list of items used to measure consumer prices. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–11 new products including a guitar have been added to Georgia’s consumer basket, and four products were removed from the list. The consumer basket is a theoretical collection of items used to define the consumer price index or inflation rate […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council will review the 2014 budget bill on February 12. The council failed to approve the budget on December 29, and for more than a month, Tbilisi has had no budget. City Hall has warned that it will cause extensive problems for […]
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former speaker of parliament in Georgia claims that the government of then President Mikheil Saakashvili planned to attack the breakaway region Abkhazia in 2008. Nino Burjanadze, who was one of the leaders of the Rose Revolution in 2003 and now […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO Military Committee will visit Georgia on February 11-12. General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the Military Committee will chair the visit and it will be hosted by Vakhtang Kapanadze, Head of Georgia’s Joint Staff. February 11, the head of the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–In and around the Georgian breakaway region South Ossetia, disagreement over a de facto border may place further burdens on ordinary people around the time of the Winter Olympics. The reason is that the region’s border guards are tightening security […]
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left), NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and State Minister for Euro-Integration Alexi Petriashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The new Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says NATO ambassadors gave him positive signals at Wednesday’s meeting of the NATO-Georgia commission in Brussels. Gharibashvili said the ambassadors told him the new government has strengthened […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli says he thinks there is a 25 percent chance that Georgia will become ‘another Dubai’. Ivanishvili said this at a press conference on Tuedsay, where he presented his new non-governmental […]
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili launched his new non-governmental organization ‘Citizen’ on Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli on Tuesday presented his new organization which he says will help develop civil society. The new non-governmental organization (NGO) is called ‘Citizen’ and was registered 12 days ago, Ivanishvili explained […]
Bazaleti Lake, one of the tourist destinations near Tbilisi. (Photo: Mari Nikuradze.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There were 14.1 percent more visitors to Georgia in January 2014 than in the same month last year, according to the Interior Ministry. The ministry publishes monthly reports with statistics over the number of visitors, in categories defined by the purpose of the […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president’s annual address will be held either on February 19 or February 21, the speaker of parliament says. According to the Constitution of Georgia, the president must once a year visit parliament to present a report about important […]
Georgia’s Olympic team took the oath before leaving for Sochi. (Photo published by Georgia’s Olympic Committee.) TBILISI, DFWatch–As Georgian athletes are making their way to the Russian city Sochi to take part in the Winter Olympics, they have just held their own oath ceremony in Tbilisi. On Monday, alpine skier Nino Tsiklauri held one corner of the Olympic flag as she read out the athlete’s oath in a ceremony held at the office of the Georgian National Olympic Committee in Tbilisi. She will be flag bearer for the Georgian team. […]
Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Energy Ministry in Georgia says the government is taking into account the requests of villagers in Khaishi and has halted surveying work in their village. The construction of the massive Khudoni hydropower station in northern Georgia […]
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili met with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to speak about EU-Georgia cooperation, Georgia’s integration process with the EU. Another topic was the deal with the EU Georgia approved […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–On Monday a concert was held in Tbilisi to protest against the Culture Ministry’s delaying the process to review the status of the ancient Sakdrisi gold mine, which according to German and Georgian specialists is more than 4500 years old and should […]
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili was Monday released on bail by a French court, under condition that he wears an electronic bracelet. The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office says the judge decided that Kezerashvili cannot leave France and must […]
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpresnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The trial about a brutal police dispersal of protesters on May 26, 2011, continued at Tbilisi City Court Monday with testimony by Nino Burjanadze, one of the leaders of the protest. While Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement, was in court giving […]
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule. (Government photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s Brussels trip continued Monday with a meeting with EU Commissioner Stefan Fule. The two spoke about the ongoing reforms in Georgia and the country’s closer integration with Europe. Gharibashvili said […]
Vakhtang Khmaladze, head of parliament’s judiciary committee. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A biometric election list may not be ready for the upcoming local elections in Georgia, which will be held in June, 2014. Election lists have been subject to disputes for a long time, especially during the National Movement government, when there were claims that […]
Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will visit Brussels February 3-5. He will meet with Commissioner for European Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. The Georgian prime […]
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) at the Munich Security Conference. (Official photo. TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says Georgia should assure Russia that its aspirations to become member of NATO and the EU is not a threat to Russia. He said this in a speech during one of the sessions at the Munich Security Conference. The PM said […]
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DWatch–President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili will next week hold his first annual address to parliament. He says this year’s speech will have a completely new format, compared to earlier. The constitution says the president must hold a speech to parliament once a year. […]
Firefighters are trying to prevent the flames from reaching a gas pipeline. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three acres of a nature reserve is on fire in Kobuleti, a coastal town in the Adjara region. According to a reporter for the news agency Interpressnews, the fire is close to the juice processing plant in Kobuleti and firefighters say it is close to populated areas. A gas pipe in the area […]
Giorgi Arbolishvili, spokesperson for Jehova’s Witnesses in Ozurgeti. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–When strangers attacked a car and a house where Jehova’s Witnesses are meeting in Ozurgeti, Georgia, on January 1, it was not the first such attack. Two years ago, strangers broke the windows of Kingdom Hall in Ozurgeti. The perpetrators were […]
Minister of Internal Affairs Alexandre Chikaidze personally ensuring the DVDs are destroyed Friday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–45 DVDs and two hard drives were destroyed at the Interior Ministry on Friday, which included footage obtained through illegal surveillance. Alexandre Chikaidze, Minister of Internal Affairs, said that the commission tasked with studying the illegally […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Traffic is prohibited on the Gudauri-Kobi section of the road from Mtskheta to larsi via Stepantsminda due to the avalanche danger. The Environment Ministry warned about possible avalanches in this section of road. According to the Road Department, […]
Lasha Tughushi, one of the members of the commission, says the interior ministry has kept about 28 000 files, or 789 hours, of a surveillance archive, mostly of a political content. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Interior Ministry still stocks about 28 000 computer files with recordings that were part of a system of political surveillance obtained through illegal means. Only a few of the files will be destroyed – those which contain material of an intimate nature. […]
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A prosecutor in France does not want to extradite Davit Kezerashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia, who was detained in France in October, 2013. Georgia has charged the former minister with abuse of power and receiving more than USD 12 million […]
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze (left), Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo published by Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has visited Israel to meet with his colleague Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. The meeting with Peres was about the good bilateral relations between the two countries and confirmed an intention to deepen […]
The unofficial economy is not part of GeoStat’s rapid monthly estimates. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s estimated real GDP growth rate was 8.4 percent in December 2013, compared to the same month in 2012, according to preliminary data published by the National Statistics Department, GeoStat. According to the estimate, real GDP growth […]
Leonid Tibilov, president of the breakaway region South Ossetia. TBILISI, DFWatch–The de facto president of South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov, has dismissed the government. About a week ago, Tibilov said that the government of Rostik Khugaev was unable to fulfill its duties in regard to South Ossetia’s social and economic […]
People from Khaishi on Wednesday blocked a road to prevent surveying work for the gigantic Khudoni hydro power dam. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–People from the Svaneti mountain village Khaishi Wednesday demonstrated against the construction of a gigantic hydro power dam that will wipe out their community. Demonstrators blocked the road to Jvari-Mestia with stones to interrupt land surveying […]
An Istanbul-Tbilisi flight was cancelled, and a plane already in the air returned to Istanbul. Several other flights were delayed today. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four flights were delayed at Tbilisi airport on Wednesday due to fog. A flight to Istanbul was delayed several hours. A plane arriving from Warsaw was unable to land at Tbilisi airport and instead landed in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city. […]
Tbilisi City Court heard further witnesses in a trial about the brutal dispersal of demonstrators in Tbilisi on May 26, 2011. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four more witnesses were heard on Tuesday in a trial about the violent police dispersal on May 26, 2011. The witnesses were Zaza Papuashvili, Soso Jachvliani and Luka Kurtanidze, who represent the People’s Assembly, and Beka Javakhadze from the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The lion tamer who was attacked by a lion last Thursday has died in the hospital. The circus worker remained in intensive care, but doctors could not save him. The 23-year-old lion tamer was from a Ukrainian circus troupe and entered the cage to do […]
Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili demands to be subjected to a lie detector test to prove he is telling the truth when he says he was threatened by the chief prosecutor. Merabishvili claimed he was taken from his cell at night, brought to an […]
A coal mine in Tkibuli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A man has died in an apparent accident in a coal mine in Tkibuli, a town in Georgia’s mid-western Imereti region. Tariel Kasrashvili, a shift leader, died at 16:00 on Tuesday. He was transporting coal inside the Mindeli mine when he fell and died on […]
Georgian Public Broadcaster is still without a functioning supervisory board. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia has again failed to approve new board members for the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). Groups claim this shows there is a lack of will to free the broadcaster from political influence. January 23, parliament approved only one […]
Then Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels Nov. 14, 2012. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen writes in his latest annual report that Georgia has made good progress in implementing the reforms required to meet its standards. Rasmussen writes in his 2013 report, which was published on Monday, that NATO […]
A newborn at the Georgian Church’s maternity ward in March 2011. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia proposes to automatically give Georgian citizenship to a child who was born through in vitro fertilization if none of the parents’s home countries recognize it as its citizen. The Ministry of Justice explains that the new […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After waiting more than two years, ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is finally a Georgian citizen. The businessman had his Georgian citizenship revoked by then President Saakashvili in October 2011, shortly after he declared that he would […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili is in consultations with the speaker of parliament about the date of his annual address to parliament. The Georgian constitution says that the president must visit parliament once a year and present a report about […]
The victim, a medical student from Iraq, was taken to a hospital in Kutaisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A student from Iraq was beaten in the Georgian city Kutaisi on Saturday. Local media writes that he was attack because of his origins. The student was brought to the hospital and will have to remain there for several more days. Unknown assailants […]
Saikhan Muzayev. (Georgian Public Broadcaster.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Some of the Chechens in Pankisi Gorge close to the Russian border say they are blackmailed and harassed by Georgian counterintelligence. Saikhan Muzayev, a former Russian and Arabic translator for the Refugee Ministry, said at a press […]
Prison No 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia wants to make it legal to use pepper spray, batons and dogs in prisons for security reasons. Today, if a prisoner poses a danger, he may be chained or placed in a restraining jacket. The government has drafted a bill with […]
“The responsibility for this whole tension is the Ukrainian government’s,” says Lasha Tughushi, head of the National Platform. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An umbrella organization uniting more than a hundred non-governmental organizations in Georgia on Saturday issued a statement expressing concern about events in Ukraine. The statement, which is signed by more than 60 groups that are members […]
People gathered in Zugdidi to show support for those Ukrainians who are struggling for closer integration with Europe. (Photo: Odishi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tens of people Saturday gathered in Zugdidi, a town in western Georgia’s Samegrelo region, to express solidarity with people in Ukraine. The crowd brought with them Ukrainian flags and Georgian flags and posters saying Freedom to Ukraine, Victory is […]
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. (World Economic Forum.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt says he hopes Georgia will sign the Association Agreement with European Union in August. Bildt met with Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Ghrabishvili in Davos during the World Economic Forum and said afterward that […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has created a consulting group named the Security Council that will work on issues concerning Georgia’s internal and external safety. The council has almost the same duties and responsibilities as the National […]
A trial is underway in Georgia to determine guilt for the violent dispersal of protesters on May 26, 2011, which led to several deaths. TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in Georgia on Friday questioned witnesses and participant in a demonstration on May 26 in 2011, which was violently dispersed by the police causing several deaths. One of the participants, Gia Burjanadze from the People’s Assembly, recalled […]
Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili (left) met representatives of the Muslim community. (Photo: Public Defender.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Muslims in Georgia say they are being pressured by law enforcement bodies. Clerics from the Muslims community January 22 met with the Public Defender. According to the Ombudsman’s office, the meeting dealt with problems they are experiencing and […]
Prosecutors in Georgia have slapped one more charge on Data Akhalaia, who remains abroad. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia on Friday presented further charges against a former top intelligence official under Saakashvili. This again puts the spotlight on Data Akhalaia, who served as head of the domestic intelligence service in Georgia, […]
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has founded a non-governmental organization called Citizen. Details are scarce, but it is known that Ivanishvili himself will head the new organization and that its goal will be to strengthen civil society in the country. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A lion attacked a lion tamer in Tbilisi on Thursday, after the end of the night’s performance. Monday night, a lion tamer from a group of Ukrainian performers entered the lion’s cage to do some cleaning, and that was when the animal attacked. Roman […]
Georgian parliamentarians Thursday expressed concern about the violence in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as people continued to rally outside the old parliament in Tbilisi to show support. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia on Thursday passed a resolution expressing concern about the use of force against peaceful citizens in Ukraine. 118 representatives voted for, none voted against. The minimum number of votes to pass such a resolution is 60. […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Government ministers in Georgia are to be given bonuses according to their performance. Government officials receiving high bonuses was a controversial issue during the previous government. The problem is that under Georgian law, only the salary […]
Georgian lari continues to drop in value. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian lari continues to fall in value and hit 1.7817 against the US dollar on January 23. The fall started in early November and continued gradually from a level of around 1.67 lari against the dollar the month before. The lari rate has also […]
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili expresses concern about Russia moving the border into the territory of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia. A few days ago, the Russian Federation and de facto government of Abkhazia made a decision […]
Several hundred people gathered in front of the old parliament building in Tbilisi Wednesday to show support for Ukraine after the violence in Kiev, (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Wednesday evening, several hundred people demonstrated at the old parliament building in Tbilisi in support of Ukrainians who want integration with Europe. Students, journalists, politicians, artists, singers and others filled the square in front […]
The atmosphere was constructive at the field meeting at Ergneti Tuesday, the European Union’s observers said. (Photo: EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) met in the village Ergneti on Tuesday. Representatives of Georgia’s Interior Ministry presented footage of Russians installing barbed wire and fences in villages close to the demarcation line […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has left for Switzerland to participate in the 44th World Economic Forum in Davos. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze, Director […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili appointed a new chief prosecutor on Monday. The country has been without one for almost a month. The new chief prosecutor is Giorgi Badashvili, a 32 year old graduate from Georgian Technical […]
A crowd of thousands led by Orthodox priests on May 17, 2013, violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Human Rights Watch criticizes Georgia in its World Report 2014 for not having done enough to protect the rights of religious minorities and LGBT. When it comes to religious rights, the organization points out that the Muslim minority has experienced […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The NATO Military Committee will visit Georgia February 11-12. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said at Tuesday’s briefing that the visit is important, because it means that the military cooperation with NATO is on a new level. “Reforms implemented […]
Prison torture in Georgia is one of the things Human Rights Watch reviews in its latest world report. TBILISI, DFWatch–Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticizes Georgian authorities for not clarifying what criteria they used when cleaning up crimes committed by officials under the previous government of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. “The authorities did not explain […]
Center for Strategic Research and Development examined fifteen types of milk products, and ten of them turned out to contain vegetable fat. (for.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Food companies in Georgia are selling modified milk products with misleading labeling, according to Center for Strategic Research and Development. The center examined fifteen types of milk products, and ten of them turned out to be modified. They […]
National Movement MP Giorgi Vashadze did not break the law when he called Joseph Kay a fraud, the court ruled, but the case continues. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court struck down a previous court ruling to fine Member of Parliament Giorgi Vashadze for libel against the businessman Joseph Kay. Kay is the investor who for a few months owned Imedi, a formerly government-critical TV station that played an […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The TV tower in Tbilisi went briefly dark Monday because of disagreement over the city’s budget, but the flashing light show lit up again late at night. The lights that have become the most visible landmark in the Georgian capital, were turned […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia demands to restore the list of strategic assets. The list was abolished a few years ago by the National Movement government and defined assets like railways, dams and pipelines, that have special importance for the country’s […]
The River Psou. (Photo: elephantr.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia has created a temporary border zone in the disputed Georgian region Abkhazia. The measure is said to be temporary in connection with the Winter Olympics in nearby Sochi. According to the Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Russia has moved its […]
The Tbilisi TV tower has gone dark at night because of a budget gridlock in the city. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi’s most visible landmark, the Mtatsminda TV tower, has gone dark at night, because of the the city’s failure to pass a budget for this year. City Hall decided to switch off the light show on the tower because of the City Council’s […]
Sopo Janiashvili, an aide to the Georgian president, was attacked in Ankara on Monday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An aide to the Georgian president was attacked in Turkey on Monday during an official visit. The attack took place in Ankara, just as a meeting between Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili and Turkish President Abdullah Gül was about to start. […]
Farmers in Kobuleti have thrown away mandarins that rotted while they were waiting to bring it to the factory. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Farmers in Kobuleti, a small town on the Black Sea coast, have thrown away part of their mandarin harvest because it rotted before they managed to sell it to the factory. The farmers say frost destroyed their mandarin and they just have to throw it […]
Prison No 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Sunday pardoned 54 prisoners. Two of them are minors, and one is a woman. The pardoning took palce in connection with Epiphany, a holiday usually celebrated on January 19. It is regular practice for the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States will give more than USD 62 million in aid to Georgia in 2014. Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says the extent of U.S. aid was decided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year of 2014, which was passed by the House […]
The presidential residence in Avlabari, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has discovered that the palace Mikheil Saakashvili used as official residence for many years had a gas pipe installed which made it able to consume gas illegally without a counter. The glass domed presidential residence towers […]
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Audit Office in Georgia has fined the party led by opposition figure Nino Burjanadze, Democratic Movement, 65 000 lari (USD 36 600) for not declaring its finances in the election campaign. The State Audit Office, previously known as […]
Georgian Minister of Justice, Thea Tsulukiani. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government Friday published an agreement between the previous government and the family of deceased businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili about Imedi TV. The settlement agreement, which is published on the Ministry of Justice webpage, was […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will lead the Georgian delegation at the annual Munich Security Conference in two weeks. Mikheil Saakashvili, who stepped down as president three months ago, has been representing Georgia in recent […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says it is necessary to correctly evaluate the political risks of McDonald’s and Coca-Cola entering the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia. Gharibashvili Thursday said at a press conference that he will discuss […]
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia plans to adopt rules that will regulate what type and mark of cars officials will be allowed to have according to their rank. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili presented the initiative during a more general press conference […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Hunters in Georgia have discovered an illegal slaughterhouse close to the village Kumisi, not far from the capital Tbilisi. The hunters claim donkeys are secretly killed there and cut in a way as not to recognize the origin of the meat. Later it is […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Hungary has recognized Georgia’s neutral passports, which are issued to people living in the breakaway territories Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Hungary made a decision on November 29, 2013, and it came to force yesterday. The so-called neutral […]
Sukhoi SU-27. (Photo: merlion86.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia rejects reports that Russian military jets recently violated Georgian airspace. A few days ago, local media reported that five Russian SU-27s and one IL-76 crossed Georgia on January 10 and landed near the Armenian capital […]
Jemal Paksadze. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Muslims in Georgia will from now on have two muftis instead of one. This was decided at a session of the Administration of Muslims of all Georgia on January 9. Jemal Paksadze, who used to be the Mufti of all Georgia, from now on will be mufti of […]
The World Bank expects Georgia to have over 6 percent growth in 2014. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The World Bank expects Georgia to have 6.3 percent economic growth in 2014. The estimate was published in the Bank’s Global Economic Prospects 2014, which reads that the prognosis for economic growth in Georgia in 2014 is 6.3. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The president and the secretary of the Venice Commission will visit Georgia on January 16. Gianni Buquicchio and Thomas Markert will meet with Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili on Thursday and members of the constitution commission, which is […]
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government plans to create an Entrepreneurship Development Agency to spur the growth of business. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said this on Wednesday during a meeting with representatives of the business […]
Acting Mayor of Tbilisi, Sevdia Ugrekhelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Hall asks the City Council to solve the problem of approving the 2014 city budget. The Council failed to approve the budget on December 29, which means that City Hall is only allowed to spend up to one twelfth of the size of last year’s […]
Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prison Ministry in Georgia says it did not notice anything interesting while looking into claims made by former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili that he was taken out of his cell at night and threatened by the chief prosecutor. The ministry’s […]
