Author: DFWatch staff - Page 180

Activists claim police are planting drugs on government critics

March 23, 2017 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–The daughter of the president of Georgia claims police framed her friend because he has been involved in political work for the president. It used to be an oft-heard story during the Saakashvili presidency: regime critics who are set up by police planting drugs in their pocket. But now activists raise the alarm and say police are … Read more

11-year-old girl killed by car in Tbilisi

March 22, 2017 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–An 11 year old girl was killed in a car crash on the outskirts of Tbilisi on Tuesday.

The tragic accident occurred in the morning hours Tuesday on Aghmashenebeli Lane on the northern outskirts of the city.

The car, presumably a BMW,

Houses damaged, trees overturned by overnight storm in Tbilisi

March 21, 2017 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Strong wind hit Tbilisi Monday evening, uprooting tens of trees and damaging houses and street signs.

Monday night at 10pm, the wind reached a speed of up to 32 meters per second in the capital. This qualifies as a hurricane,

Eight more detained as blame game continues after 'parking fine riot'

March 19, 2017 by DFWatch staff

Blant continues to be shifted after a riot outside the police station in Batumi March 11, 2017. — (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police detained eight more people on criminal charges on Saturday as the blame game continues for last weekend’s violent riot in Batumi.

Altogether, the number of detainees has now reached 100, all of them men, the local newspaper Batumelebi reports.

Hungarian tourist killed by avalanche in Georgia

March 18, 2017 by DFWatch staff

A screenshot from Imedi TV showing the tracks where the victim skied along with a group of tourists near Gudauri.

TBILISI, DFWatch–A Hungarian tourist died in an avalanche in Georgia on Friday while skiing near Gudauri, a mountain resort north of Tbilisi.

Authorities did not identity the victim beyond describing him as a man aged around 40.

The accident occurred when a group of tourists

Spanish police detain 48 in raids against Georgian robbery gangs

March 17, 2017 by DFWatch staff

police_in_spain_search_house_robbery_gang — (National Police Corps of Spain.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Spanish police have arrested dozens of Georgian nationals suspected of home burglaries in an elaborate operation said to be targeting ‘the Georgian mafia’.

The police released information on Thursday but operations were carried out earlier,

Six more arrests in wake of Batumi 'parking fine riot'

March 17, 2017 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested six more people on Thursday who are suspected of having been involved in a riot in the Black Sea city Batumi last weekend that started with a disagreement over a parking fine.

The six are expected to appear in court on Friday.

Two drug arrests of UNM-linked youth raise calls of politicized justice

March 16, 2017 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–Two young men related to government critics were arrested in Tbilisi on Tuesday on drug charges. Their mothers think it was politically motivated.

One of the detainees is the son of Khatia Dekanoidze, a justice specialist who introduced Georgian experience with police reforms to Ukraine

Sen. McCain encourages Georgia to preserve pluralistic media

March 15, 2017 by DFWatch staff

Georgian court’s decision regarding Rustavi 2 looks like ‘an attempt to silence opposition voices’, US Senator John McCain said to Voice of America’s Georgian service. “I am deeply concerned that the Georgian Supreme Court’s decision regarding Rustavi 2 appears to be an attempt to silence opposition voices in the press and curtail the country’s vibrant, … Read more

Rioters will be strictly punished, Georgia's interior minister warns

March 13, 2017 by DFWatch staff

Clean up work after Batumi riot — Clean up work after a riot Saturday night and Sunday morning in Batumi. (Interpressnews.)

Those responsible will be strictly punished, Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili warned. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Most who were detained in a riot in Batumi, Georgia have now been released, but the interior minister warned that they will be strictly punished.

Seven people are still incarcerated after a court placed them in preliminary administrative detention,