TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister has become State Minister for Euro-integration. Thornike Gordadze replaced Giorgi Baramidze, former minister for Euro-integration, who left the position in order to participate in the upcoming parliamentary […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities asks the de facto leadership of Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia to explain what a statement about demolishing Georgian villages means. Leonid Tibilov, de facto president of South Ossetia, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Former AC Milan player who left football to go into politics was planning to hold a friendship match with Milan in Georgia as a symbol of him leaving, but Georgia refused to make a stadium available for the match. Kakhi Kaladze, who now is a partner […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A spokesperson for President Mikheil Saakahsvili says the president is thankful to a delegation from OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly which recently criticized conditions here before the election. The experts visited Georgia in order to the study the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Israel has recognized Georgia’s so-called neutral travel documents, according to the ministry on reintegration issues. Neutral travel document and neutral ID are a system for issuing passports and identity documents to the population of Abkhazia and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia claims the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly is spreading incorrect information provided by lobbyists of a certain party. A delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Thursday released a statement […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A delegation from the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) which is in Georgia to observe the election says Georgia’s law enforcement bodies lack objectivity. The observers mainly criticize the State Audit Office, saying they act on the basis […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Observers from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) are now in place in Tbilisi and have started monitoring events leading in preparation for the parliamentary election. ODIHR will publish its final report two months […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s National Enforcement Bureau postponed the enforcement of fines that have been issued to political parties which are members of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition. June 27, seven political subjects in the coalition were were fined […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A journalist and a cameraman were beaten while investigating the illegal cutting of trees in eastern Georgia. Journalists Vasil Dabrundashvili and his cameraman Bacho Buliskeria, who work for the production company Studio GNS, visited the town Akhmeta […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili says the ruling party will have several 21 year-old candidates on their list for the upcoming parliament elections. Saakashvili today met students who have a summer job in the small Black Sea coastal town […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s national basketball team yesterday defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina in a qualification match for Eurobasket 2013. The final score was 96:95. Georgia started first round with significant advantages scoring 20 points, but the opposing team […]
Two officials in the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in a new statement express concern about how Georgia’s authorities are enforcing a set of new tough campaign finance rules. The regulations were ushered in late in 2011, after the appearance […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Opposition businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is challenging Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia’s October 1 parliamentary election, has announced himself as candidate for prime minister. The announcement comes one day after Saakashvili’s National […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Another cleanup effort has started in villages in the east of the former Soviet republic of Georgia following another hailstorm. Meanwhile, people reeling from the losses after the last storm, which caused massive damage. Thousands of houses were […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia has placed the speaker of parliament on the top of its party list, which probably means he will keep his post if they win. It also said the current prime minister is their prime minister candidate after the election. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The largest opposition bloc in Georgia has decided to join the code of conduct for political parties. The rules were the brainchild of the campaign This Affects You Too, and the 17-point document outlines rules of conduct for political parties […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – 15 acres of forest has burned down in eastern Georgia despite two days of attempts at extinguishing it. The fire occurred in the village Artana, which is 21 km from Telavi, the largest city in the Kakheti region. Beech, hornbeam and chestnut trees […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The largest opposition bloc in Georgia was denied to register under the number seven on the ballot in the upcoming parliamentary election. Representatives of the Georgian Dream coalition say that they have asked the Central Election Commission […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Nodar Khaduri from the opposition Georgian Dream says the coalition doesn’t have money, because the government seized the party’s accounts. He calls on the population to donate to Georgian Dream, only to not give money, but posters and t-shirts with […]
A 17 year old Georgian girl plans to swim across the Dardanelles with her hands and feet tied on August 30, the ten year anniversary of Henry Kuprashvili carrying out the feat in 2002, setting a Guinness record. Kuprashvili is the girl’s instructor. This style of […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Another storm hit the former Soviet republic of Georgia Sunday in what has become the most stormy year in recent memory. The storm completely or partly destroyed the harvest in villages in a number of regions in the east of the country. Sunday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The largest opposition coalition in Georgia will no longer be allowed to receive donations from persons who partly or fully receive financing from its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili or companies related to him. The State Audit Office informs that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Riccardo Migliori, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, will arrive in Georgia for the election period, together with a delegation from the OSCE. According to parliament’s press office, the delegation will arrive on August 19 and hold […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The inter-agency commission tasked with monitoring the election process calls on local governments not to place party symbols in their offices, as this is a violation of law. Tamar Kintsurashvili, a member of the commission, said on Monday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Police have arrested a man accused of beating a cameraman working for an opposition affiliated media outlet. The man has been sentenced to twenty days in jail. The incident took place August 15 in front of the municipality building in […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Central Election Commission has signed a memorandum with seven local non-government organizations (NGOs) and the inter-agency commission about usage of administrative resources during the election period. The signatory […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian archeologists have discovered ruins a basilica type three-nave church from the fifth or sixth century in eastern Georgia. The ruins cover an area 40 meter long and 16 meter wide, and were found in Kakheti, on the right bank of River Duruji, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The leader of the largest opposition coalition in Georgia has asked to launch an arbitration case with the Georgian state at the World Bank. On August 15, the 14-day term ended for the government to admit it committed illegalities and to achieve […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s trade deficit continued to increase from January to July 2012, but the country’s foreign trade turnover increased by 18 percent compared to last year and amounted to USD 5 761 million. Georgia’s national statistics department GeoStat […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Dream coalition Thursday opened a tent in the Samtskhe Javakheti region, because the locals refused to let them rent an office. The coalition has had problems with rent offices before. It blames the government, saying it does not […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition Georgian Dream coalition continues to name its majoritarian. This time the candidates for the High Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. The nominees are mathematician Amiran Mamuladze in Khulo, doctor […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A cameraman for an opposition affiliated media outlet was today beaten by a local employee of Lanchkhuti town. His camera was broken in the incident. It happened while a journalist and a cameraman from info9 were standing outside the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s National Statistics Department GeoStat says direct foreign investments grew 37 percent in 2011 compared to 2010. The total amount of direct foreign investments last year was USD 1 117 million. According to GeoStat, direct foreign […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian Dream, the strongest competitor to the party of Presidential Mikheil Saakashvili, calls on foreign diplomats and international organizations in Tbilisi to react ‘correctly and adequately’ regarding ongoing political processes in Georgia. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Public Defender requests to give the owners of confiscated property the right to appeal the seizure. The current Criminal Procedure Code does not allow someone to appeal such action by authorities. The ombudsman’s office now says that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian athlete has returned to London after a dramatic escape, in order to sue his country’s Olympic delegation, saying he has become a victim of “politicized sport”. Betkil Shukvani, a 23 year old Georgian sportsman, was defeated by […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian government has started paying compensation to people affected by a hailstorm almost a month ago. People in about 40 villages lost their harvest, livestock, a majority of houses are roofless or totally destroyed. Today, local media […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition party Georgian Dream continues to run into trouble about the location for its rallies around the country. This time a rally is planned for Rustavi, a town 20 km south of the capital, but city hall turned down the application to use […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s National Communications Commission (GNCC) Monday published data about the implementation of the must-carry and must-offer principles. 193 642 subscribers are now able to watch Channel 9, an opposition affiliated TV channel, which was […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The leader of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition and his partner, a former AC Milan player, are ready to give more money to the state to assist people who suffered losses due to a hailstorm on July 19. The storm seriously damaged villages in […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia took seven medals as the London Olympics drew to an end; one in Judo and six medals in wrestling. 35 Georgian athletes competed in this year’s Olympics, winning one gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Lasha Shavdatuashvili, a 20 year […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The United States will make a significant emphasis on monitoring the election campaign in Georgia, and pay special attention to observing the vote counting process after the election. This is according to a statement by Irakli Alasania, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – It is still unknown when international observers will start monitoring the election in Georgia. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 1, but long-term observsers have not yet arrived in the country. Local rights groups have for months […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Philip Dimitrov, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, expressed concern about a recent visit by Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Tskhinvali. Medvedev visited Tskhinvali on August 8, on the fourth anniversary of the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court once more issued a fine to Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvi. The case was brought by the State Audit Office, which accused the businessman of illegally donating to his own party and fined him 20 243 827 lari, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – An ancient wall has been discovered during rehabilitation works in the center of Tbilisi. The oldest layer of the fence dates back to the fifth century C.E., but the castle fragments, which are perfectly retained, were built between the twelfth […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – 16 Georgians have been fined by Tbilisi City Court for donating money to an opposition party. The court fined supporters of Georgian Dream five times the amount they had donated. Among those fined are the director of Cartu Bank and 7 employees who […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The bank accounts of the director and seven employees of Cartu Bank were seized today. The bank is known as being connected to the opposition Georgian Dream bloc. Nodar Javakhishvili today told journalists that the seizure has connection to a […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The financial monitoring service of Georgia’s state audit office accuses Bidzina Ivanishvili and his partner, a former professional football player, of withdrawing money from their own accounts, and calls on both of them to return the money to […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A report sent out by a Georgian news agency led to controversy Tuesday. GHN’s report said that after Russia became involved in the war in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008, it legally brought military equipment into the region. This report was read […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Refugees from the 2008 Russia-Georgia war forced a journalist from Maestro TV to leave their settlement by throwing stones at her. Khurvaleti is a small village in Gori municipality, where there are cottages for refugees from the Tskhinvali war four […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Four Russian climbers have been rescued from Svaneti, a mountain region north in Georgia adjacent to the greater Caucasus range. The four were found after a two days search, in an area cut off by a rockslide. One of the climbers had injured a leg, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Prices for all types of fuel have gone up 5 tetri in Georgia, which is a two percent rise. The Oil Product Import Union explained the price rise with increased burning of fuel in summer, which always increases the prices of oil products internationally. Earlier, the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The monthly number of visitors to Georgia continues to increase. The small country noted a 54 percent growth of visitors during the first seven months of 2012, compared to the same period last year. 2 211 201 foreigners visited Georgia in this […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – There are 3 621 256 voters in Georgia, according to Central Election Commission’s (CEC) preliminary data, which was published today. According to the CEC, there are 84 election districts in the country. The majority of voters,155 502, are from […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – In Georgia, the government’s main competitor, Georgian Dream, claims that they support fair and free elections and accuses the government of attempting to provoke civil confrontation. Georgian Dream released this statement on Monday as a response […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A company connected to the largest opposition bloc in Georgia has had its property sold at a public auction. Meanwhile, the National Enforcement Bureau is replacing the company’s management. Burji Ltd, which has links to billionaire Bidzina […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Police have taken possession of a car belonging to Zurab Zviadauri, a Georgian who won gold in judo in the 2008 Olympics and now is a supporter of the opposition. Zviadauri was stopped yesterday while on his way to Batumi to attend Sunday’s mass […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Iran is suspending the agreement with Georgia about visa free travel in connection with a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement. Georgian citizens who wish to travel to Iran from August 5 to September 1 will need a visa. Georgia’s Foreign Affairs […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saturday morning the deadline passed for when cable companies in Georgia will have to transmit three small government-critical TV channels which for years have been unable to reach a broader audience, because cable networks have kept them off. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Georgian athlete says he might have been subject to political harassment at the London Olympics. July 28, the Georgian sportsman Betkil Shukvani lost against an Australian in a judo match and then unexpectedly left the Olympics […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The prison ministry on Thursday reported that a prisoner has died at No 18 hospital. According to the ministry, the prisoner was convicted on June 19, 2012, for possession and sale of drugs. The cause of death is given as heart attack, the most […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – By decision of Tbilisi City Court the bank accounts of Georgian Development Research Institutes (GDRI) were seized. The leadership of the organization doesn’t know the reason, but suspect that it is because of a donation from Bidzina Ivanishvili. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saakashvili’s potential nemesis, the businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, has lodged a an arbitration case against the Georgian government. Maia Panjikidze, spokesperson for Georgian Dream coalition, said at a briefing Wednesday that the law […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia will hold parliamentary elections on October 1, 2012. Manana Manjgalade, spokesperson for President Mikheil Saakashvili, said this at a briefing on Wednesday. She said the president is sure that the October elections will be yet another […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Another opposition sympathizer in Georgia has had his bank account frozen. By decision of Tbilisi City Court, all bank accounts belonging to former Deputy Security Minister Lasha Natsvlishvili were seized. Currently, Natsvlishvili is not a member […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Witnesses say one of President Saakashvili’s escort cars was involved in a car accident on the highway near Gori, which left a driver of another car dead and four others injured. Witnesses say one of the president’s escort cars crashed into […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – While the opposition affiliated Cartu Bank was temporarily under state management recently, USD 50 million was taken in loans. The bank, which is associated with President Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvili, plans to go to court […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A fire in Georgia has burned down more than one thousand hectares of land in the eastern Vashlovani National Park. The environment minister said the reason for the fire, which started on Monday at about 17:00, was negligence. It has now been […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former footballer, now opposition campaigner Kakhi Kaladze has been deprived of the right to appeal the seizure of his bank accounts. This news was relayed by Shalva Tadumadze, a lawyer for the former AC Milan player. Tbilisi City Court […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A member of the Georgian Dream coalition’s campaign team Monday started a rally in front of Bank of Georgia in Lanchkhuti, a small town in the western Guria region. Shota Pirtskhalaishvili is one of over twenty opposition campaigners who claim that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Ombudsman says the blackmailing of a journalist working for the opposition affiliated Channel 9 TV contains the signs of a crime. Journalist Nodar Chachua, who used to work for one of the three pro-government channels, says he was […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Most Georgians who live illegally abroad may not be able to vote in the upcoming elections, after Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Minister made the rules for qualifying as a voter stricter. There are no precise data about Georgian citizens living illegally abroad, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch –Georgia has lost its 17th soldier in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. The Georgian Defense Ministry informs that Givi Pantsulaia, born in 1984, died Saturday at Gori Military Hospital. “Corporal Givi Pantsuala received injuries […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – 22 Georgians have become victim of human trafficking in Turkey. Georgian media reports that Lasha Navareli, a mediator, promised the men, who are from the village Alaverdi near Zestaponi, that they would be employed in Turkey with a salary […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Organizers of the London Olympics have stepped into a diplomatic minefield after mistakenly referring to two athletes born in Georgian breakaway republics as Russians. On the official website of the London Olympics, Deni Tsargushi is described […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A former public servant who joined an opposition party was released later Friday evening. The Interior Minister said that Zaza Sopromadze was not arrested, but was only called in to the Prosecutor’s Office as a witness. Police came […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian professional footballer who ended his career to join politics has appealed the seizure of his bank accounts. But the appeals court says it will process the appeal “without an oral hearing”, which means that there will not be a […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Construction workers rallied in Kutaisi today at the site of the new parliament building they have been employed with constructing, demanding to get paid. The workers refuse to work until they get their salaries, which they claim they haven’t been […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court accuses a former football player turned opposition activist of money laundering and has seized his bank accounts. Maia Panjikidze, spokesperson for Georgian Dream, said that leveling such accusations against Kakhi Kaladze, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s National Statistics Department notes growth in the country’s foreign trade turnover in the first half of 2012. Growth is 17 percent more than the same period in 2011 and equals USD 4 866 million. Georgia is importing more than […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Media workers in Georgia Thursday delivered another appeal to the Chief Prosecutor’s office, asking to revoke the seizure of satellite dishes belonging to Maestro TV. The campaign first appealed to the prosecutor on July 23. This time, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A bill to amend the 2012 budget to free money for cleanup work and compensation after a storm July 19 has been passed by parliament in Georgia. The total size of the budget, more than 7 billion lari, has not been changed. Instead, money has […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A former high-ranking member of parliament who was appointed new head of the audit service promises that he will be fair, independent, professional and objective. Lasha Tordia was appointed to the position after the former head, Levan Bezhashvili, left […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – “Everything which is not secret, is public”. This is how the Georgian finance minister answers the opposition, who demand to know what the reserve funds have been spent on. The two reserve funds, one controlled by the government and the other by […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – An elderly woman who tried to approach President Saakashvili to tell him about her family’s problems, ended up being dragged away from the TV cameras and locked in a cellar Tuesday. The incident happened in Tsaishi, a village near […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanisvhili yesterday gave 80 million lari to the state. This is about USD 48 million. He says the government has denied him of all other ways to help the disaster struck population, and therefore he decided […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The head of parliament’s committee on human rights will replace the head of the audit service. Davit Bakradze, Speaker of Parliament, announced the decision Tuesday during a visit to Abasha, small town in the Samegrelo region. The audit service […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – In Georgia, the main opposition bloc Georgian Dream accuses the government of having recklessly spent the state reserve funds, set apart to handle disasters. According to law, the two crisis funds, one controlled by the government and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia has started negotiations with the EU about liberalization of visa rules. Today, the EU Commission’s Director General for Development met the Georgian deputy foreign minister in Brussels. According to Georgia’s foreign ministry, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvili says he does not trust the government’s official data about the amount of losses due to an extreme storm on July 19. Ivanishvili says his opposition Georgian Dream coalition is […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia has set aside 162 million lari to deal with the losses because of last week’s storm. The money is to be taken from other parts of the state budget. Finance Minister Dimitry Gvindadze explains that a special fund […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The head of Georgia’s audit service today resigned in order to help people affected by the storm in Kakheti last week. Levan Bezhashvili has held the position since 2008. Monday, he announced his decision to resign, on the fifth day […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Police in Georgia has arrested one member of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition after he hit a female employee of the local government in Gurjaani, a town in eastern Georgia which was hit by a storm. Information Center Kakheti reports that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The entire cabinet in Georgia is personally taking part in cleanup work in villages affected by hail storm on July 19. In around 40 villages that were hit, 2 200 houses were left roofless, according to local government. Some villages are […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government in Georgia will add points prepared by non-government organizations to the declaration of acting regulations for elections. But it is still unknown whether Georgian Dream will join this declaration or not. Even though […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court Wednesday fined six representatives of the main opposition movement USD 200 000 for donating money to their own political movement, Georgian Dream. The court made its decision under mediation of the State Audit Service, which […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A working group of ambassadors in Georgia calls on the government to extend the term of the temporary must-carry and must-offer principles to beyond election day. UNDP on Wednesday released a statement after the meeting of the working group […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Moscow suggests that Tbilisi solves its own problems with democracy and human rights, before giving advise to Russia about saving democracy. This is a statement of Alexander Lukashevich, spokesperson for the Russian Federation’s Foreign […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvili has named 12 more majoritarian candidates to stand for election from regions outside of Tbilisi. The Georgian Dream coalition has until now named 40 majoritarian candidates. The rest, including […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The international law firm Skadden is going to represent the Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili in his struggle as opposition politician. Yesterday, he met David Herlihy, head of Skadden’s London office and Gregory Craig, head […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Another eight thousand satellite dishes belonging to Maestro TV has been seized by the police. The seizure comes in addition to an action by the prosecutor’s office on July 11, when tens of thousands of satellite dishes were seized from Maestro. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Three Georgian Dream activists were arrested July 16 on suspicion of bribery. According to the Justice Ministry, one of the suspects, Merab Kachakhidze, transferred 7 000 lari to the chair of the Conservative party’s branch in Mtatsminda […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A Russian general says there won’t be another war with Georgia, thanks to military bases stationed in the two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “There will not take place a recurrence of conflict in the Caucasus,” said Vladimir […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Batumi City Council has replaced the director of the local dolphinarium after security guards entered the facility Monday. The dolphinarium in Batumi was reopened on the initiative of the local government after 20 years of non-functioning. This […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Campaigners in Georgia welcome an initiative by the government to make political actors commit to not use or incite violence during the election campaign. The campaign This Affects You Too thinks that such an agreement between political parties […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Media workers in Georgia demonstrated Monday in support of a TV company. They were protesting the seizure of thousands by the Ministry of Justice of satellite dishes belonging to TV company Maestro. The background is a marketing push by […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia June 29 moved a police checkpoint a few hundred meters into Russian-controlled territory in the South Ossetian breakaway region. The EU has been mediating talks on the ensuing controversy. The checkpoint was moved from the village Mereti […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The main opposition bloc in Georgia mobilized 15 000 people Sunday in Gori, the town closest to the capital which was occupied by Russia in the 2008 war. Georgian Dream front man Bidzina Ivanishvili promised to normalize relations with Russia […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian government is to start providing police security during opposition campaign events. The opposition Georgian Dream was Thursday driven out of the village Karaleti by a stone-throwing crowd. 13 people were hospitalised, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Police in Georgia say they have arrested five suspects after violent clashes between government supporters and opposition activists Thursday led to thirteen people being hospitalized. Among them is the bodyguard of former AC Milan […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Kahketi Information Center Friday morning reported that a 19 year old solider had died from a gunshot wound to the head. Later the same day, the Defense Ministry confirmed the death of Koba Makharashvili in a short statement, which said that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – After Georgian authorities took over Cartu Bank in a criminal forfeiture process, the interim manager has fired the entire old management. Vladmer Ugulava, who now controls the bank on behalf of the government, yesterday fired both […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A street fight broke out Thursday during an opposition meeting in a Georgian village. The scuffle involved both journalists and others being beaten. The opposition Georgian Dream coalition was visiting Karaleti, a village close to the breakaway […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Saakashvili’s main competitor Bidzina Ivanishvili has announced 15 majoritarian candidates that will stand in single mandate districts around in the different regions of Georgia. During rallies in May, the Georgian Dream coalition announced 19 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The State Audit Service has intervened in the activity of the TV company Maestro, demanding information about advertising agreements and money transfers with Georgian Dream and Komagi foundation, which is also affiliated with the Georgian Dream […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – German media reports that Georgians are among the suspects in a bust against shop-lifters in the city of Bielefeld in Germany. The suspects are Georgian and Ukrainian. Several people have been convicted. A man of about 29 from Ukraine stole perfume […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A chlorine leak in Tbilisi July 3 has claimed one death as 18 year old Lasha Narimanidze died from poisoning. The leak happened in the evening from tanks in the Tbilisi suburb Lilo. It poisoned up to 80 people. Lasha Narimanidze was in a serious […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Bulgaria has sided with Georgia in a dispute over how to allow the civilian population in Georgia’s breakaway regions travel abroad. Two regions broke away from Georgia during the breakup of the Socviet Union, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, leading […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The former Soviet republic of Georgia is to become a supplier of goods the U.S. military. Georgian Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili announced the news Tuesday during the opening of a conference on Georgian-American cooperation in Batumi. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A group of French senators on a midsummer visit Tuesday toured close to a village which was taken by Russia in the 2008 war. The senators’s trip took them to the surrounding area close to the village Akhalgori. The village was renamed Leningor […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Media in Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia report that the head of the investigation department at the de facto South Ossetian Prosecutor General’s office has been murdered. Roland Chitayev was reported kidnapped on Monday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly Monday passed a resolution about Georgia, which uses the term ‘occupation’ about Russia’s military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The resolition also calls on Russia to live up to the terms of the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Heavy rain caused flooding in several parts of Georgia Tuesday. In Kutaisi, the second largest city, first floors and basements are under water. In Batumi, a defective drainage channel let to rivers of water in the roads. Local media in the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Vice Speaker of Parliament was today elected as one of the vice presidents of OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly. OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly are gathered in Monaco to elect a president and vice presidents. Riccardo Migliori, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Two ministers who where switched around in a government reshuffle are taking their staff with them. Former education minister Dimitry Shashkin is the new defense minister, and officials from the education ministry are now following after him. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has offered to send rescue teams to Russia to help the flood victims in the Krasnodar region. Manana Manjgaladze, spokesperson for Georgian President said on Sunday that the president expresses his deep […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court on Sunday fined seventeen opposition supporters USD 700 000 for illegal campaign donations. In local currency, the exact size of the fines are 1 202 000 lari, collectively. The State Audit Service, which is entitled to track […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly July 9 is to adopt a resolution which for the first time calls the presence of Russian military in Georgia’s breakaway regions an occupation. The resolution deals with the current situation in Georgia. The ten point […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Two of the four who were imprisoned following a street fight at one of opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili’s campaign rallies have been released. The scuffle took place on June 26 in Mereti, a village near a Russian-Ossetian check point. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi City Court handed out fines totalling USD 6.7 mill Friday and Saturday. A company was found guilty of lending 45 cars to the opposition for free, and fined USD 5.2 mill, while that company and another was fined USD 1.4 mill for letting them […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The State Audit Service, which used to be called the Chamber of Control, has seized property and bank accounts of a company which they say belongs to opposition billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. The audit service also determined seventeen people […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A 22 year old woman has died at a maternity hospital in Telavi, a town in Eastern Georgia. Khatira Ukanova delivered a baby by Caesarean section on July 2. Three days later she was let go home, but yesterday she was submitted to hospital because […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Chair of Kristali Ltd, the company responsible for a chlorine leak on Tuesday, was Friday sentenced to pre-trial detention. July 3, a chlorine leak in the Lilo district of Tbilisi poisoned around 80 people. Georgian Water Company said it was […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The brother of Interior Minister Bacho Abkhalaia, Data Akhalaia, has been appointed to the post of deputy defense minister. He was head of the Interior Ministry’s Constitutional Security Department. Data Akhalaia resigned after it became known […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s Holy Synod appeals to the government not to make it obligatory to have ID cards with micro chips, but confirms that it’s not dangerous to use such cards. The Georgian government last year introduced a new kind of ID cards, and aims at […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A journalist from an online media outlet financed by Channel 9 has been stalked for a week by a group of up to ten people with video cameras asking her weird questions. Ekaterine Dugladze is a journalist at info9.ge, a new website financed by Channel 9, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch –European Council President Herman Van Rompuy says the upcoming elections will be a crucial indicator of the progress Georgia has made on its path to reform. He thereby added his voice to many figures in the international community who continue […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A court in Moscow has placed three persons into pre-trial detention until August 21, accused of killing a former Georgian general. Roman Dumbadze sided with the rebels during a stand-off between the region Adjara and Tbilisi authorities, a […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Two government-critical TV stations in Georgia are to start broadcasting from the same studios. The two are Channel 9, run by associates of Bidzina Ivanishvili, front man of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition, and Maestro TV, a small, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The UN General Assembly July 3 passed a resolution calling for internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia and so called South Ossetia, Tskhinvali region, to be let to return home. It was a humanitarian resolution, addressing demographic […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A chlorine leak in Tbilisi yesterday evening poinsoned more than 80 people. One person is in a comatose condition. The leak happened around nine in the evening at a private industrial area in the Lilo district on the southern edge of the capital. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The government’s action plan ‘More Benefits to People’ is entirely based on social issues. This is now sparking criticism from experts and government opponents. The first promise new Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili made was to give each family […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Another central figure in Georgia’s Interior Ministry resigns, after recent changes in the government. Shota Utiashvili, former head of the Ministry’s Department for Analysis, today announced his decision to leave. He did not say who will be his […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Germany’s Christian Democrat party calls for democratic elections in Georgia in October. In a press release entitled Ensure Fair Elections in Georgia, the CDU’s faction in the Bundestag calls for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to take […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – One of China’s largest companies, Hualing Group, has bought a 90 percent share in Georgia’s Basis Bank. Xinjiang Hualing Industry & Trade (Group) Co. Ltd., Basis Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development today held a joint press […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s former defense minister has been appointed new interior minister. The former education minister will take his place, and the former rector of Police Academy will be new education minister. Bachana (“Bacho”) Akhalaia will take the position […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s new prime minister Vano Merabishvili has already started making promises, as only three months are left until the parliamentary elections. In a speech Monday in the Gldani district of Tbilisi, near a construction site of a vocational […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s new prime minister Vano Merabishvili today presented his employment minister, which is a new post. “I have initiative to set up specific Employment Ministry, which will take care to solve problems of employment. A database of unemployed […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia will host UEFA Super Cup in August 2015. This will be the first time Georgia is host country for an UEFA event. According to the Georgian Football Federation, the decision was made in Kiev on Saturday at a session of the executive committee. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Again, a field meeting meant to defuse tension in the conflict region Abkhazia has broken down before it even started. The meeting should have been held June 27, and was to have brought together operative leaders from the warring parties of 2008 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s president Mikheil Saakashvili says he is appointing Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili as new prime minister. Saakashvili announced the decision from his presidential palace in Tbilisi shortly before 19 local time Saturday. Imedi TV broke […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Heavy rain led to flooding in Georgia’s western Samegrelo region, causing material damages. Blocked roads prevented cleanup work some places. Interpressnews reports there is a difficult situation in eight villages in Samegrelo. There is damage to […]
TBILISI, DFWatch - Georgia's foreign debt has increased by USD 128.9 million since fourth quarter of 2011 and is now USD 11.4 billion. The National Bank today published data over the country's foreign debt for first quarter in 2012. USD 3.8 billion of the total amount is public sector debt, which is 33 percent of the [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch – One day after President Saakashvili met regional governors and told them to guarantee that the election process is exemplary, a fistfight broke out during an opposition event near a Russian checkpoint north of Gori. The fistfight on Tuesday was […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian parliament today passed the new law which is meant to make television more diverse ahead of each election. A campaigners have been advocating the must-carry and must-offer principles for months, and two weeks ago the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tbilisi Appeals Court upheld the city court’s decision in the case of opposition billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s citizenship. This means he is still without a citizenship of his native Georgia, and he will be barred from standing for election or engaging […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is coming on another visit to Georgia in September, less than a year after his last visit here. This is proof that Georgia-NATO relations are strengthening, Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister Giorgi […]
TBILISI, The International Republican Institute (IRI) is sending a long-term observer mission to Georgia, which will arrive on July 18. Resident Country Director Andrea Keerbs says the IRI will have both long-term and short-term observers from the U.S. and Europe. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Thursday called in the press to outline what America is contributing to organizing the coming parliamentary election. Initially, addressing the current split between two major blocs, the ruling National Movement party […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – President Saakashvili says Georgia’s integration with Europe is an irreversible process, and he is sure that there will be achieved a free trade agreement in next 16-18 months, creating tens of thousands jobs. In this near future, Saakashvili said […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian police have arrested two members of the opposition Georgian Dream movement for having tried to “recruit” an intelligence officer. A statement published on the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ website says the two are charged with abuse of power, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Tina Khidasheli, one of the leaders of the opposition Georgian Dream coalition says the government is preventing Georgian Dream from conducting an election campaign. Tbilisi City Court fined the Georgian Dream coalition’s constituent parties 2 383 097 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Russia will leave South Ossetia and Abkhazia sooner than anyone can imagine, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says. The comment came during a summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation which took place yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign trade grew by 19 percent in the first five months of 2012, compared with last year. Final figures from GeoStat show that total foreign trade turnover was USD 4 059 million, out of which USD 961 million is export and USD 3 097 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A scuffle broke out Tuesday while opposition billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili was campaigning in a small village near Gori. His opposition Georgian Dream movement says the scuffle was caused by pro-government vigilantes, but the ruling party says […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Several groups in Georgia Tuesday demonstrated against ongoing torture in the country’s prisons. 140 prisoners died in prison during 2011 year, 40 percent of them had injuries on their body. The number of suspected cases of mistreatment gets longer […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Poland will send observers for the parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Polish observers will come as part of the EU, OSCE and Council of Europe’s separate observer missions. Earlier, a Georgian lawmaker from the ruling party said Russia might […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A group of internal refugees in Georgia today sat down in front of parliament and began a hunger strike. Their protest is being organized by the opposition party Future for Georgia and their demand is to have their living quarters legalized. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A draft law to let small and independent TV stations get national distribution contains a loophole. The text of the draft law became public Tuesday and shows that ‘technical’ problems will free cable companies from their obligations to carry all channels. ‘Technical […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia once again draws attention to an unprecedented Russian military exercise that is planned for September and will for the first time take place insidethe two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. A foreign ministry spokesman Monday said, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia will enforce media diversity, but only for sixty days, according to a new draft law. The draft envisages passing a law that will secure the population diverse access to TV channels. Currently, most of the population only have access to channels […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – NATO’s Deputy Secretary General is to visit Georgia on June 28. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Jalaghania announced at a briefing in Tbilisi Monday that Alexander Vershbow will arrive for a two day visit to participate in a defense and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A legislative initiative to provide for more diverse media in Georgia continues to gather support as the EU Ambassador says he supports it. At a meeting at the Central Election Commission today, EU Ambassador to Georgia Philip Dimitrov said it gives […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition in Georgia claims the Saakashvili regime fired 50 policemen because of their political views, but the Interior Ministry denies it and says the policemen left because they refused to go along with a restructuring plan. At a press conference […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia says it is ready for dialogue with Georgia in case someone else than President Saakashvili comes to power. “We need pragmatic interlocutors, such as Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Alasania, for dialogue with […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A group of experts from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has arrived in Georgia to prepare a report about the election period. According to NDI’s Georgia office, the delegation will hold meetings with the government, candidates, leaders […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The recent criticism against Swedish telecom giant Teliasonera’s cooperation with totalitarian regimes in the former Soviet Union has prompted the company to start a new program for ensuring that human rights are observed. -We denounce all human rights […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A leading lawmaker in Georgia has modified a statement he made yesterday, that the government will support a proposal from democracy campaigners. Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze yesterday said he and the ruling National Movement party will vote […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has been fined USD 45 million but refuses to pay, says he doesn’t own shares in any Georgian companies. According to Ivanishvili’s official Facebook page, he says he no longer owns shares in Cartu Bank nor in any other […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Police in Georgia Thursday entered the offices of a company affiliated with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire who is trying to mount a challenge to President Saakashvili in a parliamentary election in October. Police went into the offices of Elita […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian authorities are starting to seize the property of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Article has been updated.) A prosecutor has ordered thousands of satellite receivers seized, while another office is preparing to forcefully collect a USD […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A new report by the U.S. State Department paints a dire picture of victims of human trafficking in Georgia. The 2012 report, which covers 186 countries, states that Georgia is “a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Two of the largest mining companies in Georgia have been taken over by Russian owners. The owner of Madneuli and Quartzite, GeoProMining, June 14 published a statement which says that the two companies have been sold for USD 120 million. But the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Four months away from an important election, the ruling party in Georgia has passed a new law which frees socially vulnerable families from paying fines for not having paid electricity, natural gas, bus ticket and other fines. The law came into […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.8 percent in first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year, according to Georgia’s National Statistics Department (Geostat). Extending the estimate one month, Geostat director Zaza […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – In the first five months of 2012, Georgia increased its trade with other countries, but had a significant negative trade balance. The trade deficit in the period January-May 2012 was USD 2 136 million. This is 53 percent of the foreign trade […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Spanish police have busted a ring of suspected Georgian burglars. The website Crime Scene Spain reports that police suspect the ring of having broken into homes and stolen valuables. Among sixteen people arrested, four were women. One was from […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A computer programmer who went missing more than a week ago has returned to his home. Mamuka Jibladze (54) disappeared on June 11. After two days, his family called police to report him as missing. The Interior Ministry started a search operation and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Monday the deadline ran out for opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili to pay a USD 45 million fine. Tbilisi City Court issued the fine in a lawsuit raised by the Chamber of Control’s party finance audit agency. Originally, the fine was 149 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The United States might might provide military assistance to Georgia’s air and sea defenses. According to a common statement by the U.S. and Georgia as part of the strategic partnership established in 2009, the U.S. might contribute to […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The outgoing US Ambassador to Georgia criticized the lack of diversity in Georgian television before an important parliamentary election. Ambassador John Bass criticized the current state of affairs in Georgia, saying citizens today only have […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – A former employee of the Education Ministry went missing seven days ago. The disappearance happened at 2 o’ clock in the afternoon. Mamuka Jibladze (54) wrote something called the CAT algorithm for the ministry; a program for translating exam […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition Georgian Dream movement Sunday held its third rally, this time in a small town in western Georgia. About 20 000 people gathered in Ozurgeti, a town in the Guria region. Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili in his speech said […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian opposition financier Ivanishvili’s Channel 9 has launched an Internet news service, with scores of reporters around the country’s regions. As less than four months are left until a decisive parliamentary election, the main opposition bloc […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – New questions are raised about the Saakashvili regime’s methods to secure election victory as two of his most trusted officials met in secrecy with a private insurance company. Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri and Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava met […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition financier Bidzina Ivanishvili’s TV station was subject to further difficulties Saturday as his distributor was physically attacked by a government employee. Global TV, which is the only cable company currently carrying Ivanishvili’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The Appeals Court in Tbilisi will June 21 hear the appeal of Bidzina Ivanishvili, after he lost his case to reclaim his Georgian citizenship. The court made this decision on Friday. President Mikheil Saakashvili revoked wealthy opposition […]
TBILISI, DFWatch – The appeals court in Tbilisi has decreased reduced to half a fine issued to the opposition billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Article has been updated.) Lawyers working for Ivanishvili say the businessman still will refuse to pay the fine and […]
