Friday, December 5, 2025

Watchdog claims 180 cases of pressure against journalists in 2025

TBILISI, October 8 – A new report from Transparency International Georgia (TIG) claims that attacks, intimidation, and restrictions against journalists have sharply increased in 2025, with over 180 cases recorded between January and September, more than half in the last five months. The watchdog says this marks a worsening environment for independent and critical media, … Read more

October 4 clashes hurt protest movement: Analyst

TBILISI, October 8 – The violent unrest that broke out in Tbilisi on October 4 dealt a heavy blow to the reputation of Georgia’s protest movement, according to EU policy analyst Kakha Gogolashvili, but he believes the ruling Georgian Dream party will struggle to brand all forms of opposition as violent or extremist. Speaking on … Read more

22 now held after ‘attempted coup’ in Georgia

TBILISI, October 8 – Georgia’s Interior Ministry announced Wednesday that four more people have been arrested in connection with the violent unrest that erupted in Tbilisi on October 4, bringing the total number of detainees to 22. Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze told reporters that the arrests were made under court orders as part of … Read more

Russia starts mass deportation of foreign truck drivers

TBILISI, October 8 – Russia has begun mass deportations of foreign truck drivers, including those from Central Asia, in what experts warn could soon affect Georgian haulers crossing the same border. According to the Transport Corridor Research Center (TCRC), Russian authorities are detaining foreign drivers at roadside parking lots and deporting them if they overstay … Read more

Former prison chief found dead in Georgia

TBILISI, October 8 – The former director of Gldani prison in Tbilisi, Davit Gogoberishvili, has been found dead with a gunshot wound, Georgian media reported Wednesday. According to Interpressnews, Gogoberishvili’s body was discovered inside a garage, and early reports suggest he sustained a fatal wound from a firearm. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that … Read more

Georgia’s protest fallout widens with 13 new arrests

TBILISI, October 7 – Tbilisi’s City Court has ordered pre-trial detention for five opposition figures accused of orchestrating violence during the October 4 protest in the Georgian capital, which authorities describe as an attempted “coup.” Those detained include opera singer and activist Paata Burchuladze, former chief prosecutor Murtaz Zodelava, opposition politicians Irakli Nadiradze, Paata Manjgaladze, … Read more

Brown marmorated stink bug is now permanent in Abkhazia

TBILISI, October 7 – A pest that first appeared in Abkhazia about eight years ago has now become a permanent local species, Abkhaz authorities say, but its threat to harvests has faded, officials add. Vladimir Geria, head of the Plant Protection Service at Abkhazia’s de facto Ministry of Agriculture, told Apsnipress that the insect known … Read more

Accused opera singer says he urged calm, not violence

TBILISI, October 7 – Famed Georgian opera singer turned activist Paata Burchuladze, one of the main figures detained over the failed October 4 “peaceful revolution,” told a Tbilisi court Tuesday that he was trying to prevent violence, not incite it. Burchuladze, founder of the “Rustaveli Avenue” movement, said that during the unrest near the presidential … Read more

Georgia’s Catholics celebrate Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

TBILISI, October 6 – Georgia’s Catholic community celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Monday, with the country’s State Agency for Religious Issues extending official greetings to the Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus and its parishioners. The feast, known locally as Savadis Ghvtismshoblis Dghesastsauli, honors the Virgin Mary under the title of … Read more

Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey boost rail links to connect Asia and Europe

TBILISI, October 6 – A new push to link major rail corridors across the South Caucasus and Turkey could soon give the region a powerful boost as a trade bridge between Asia and Europe. Azerbaijan Railways chairman Rovshan Rustamov said that the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway and the planned Zangezur Corridor will together form a “unified … Read more