DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, September 23 – Civil society and media groups in Georgia have escalated their battle against the so-called “Russian law” to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), filing several cases based on an argument that the legislation violates democratic freedoms. 16 media outlets, 120 NGOs, and four individuals filed their joint complaint on October … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Police in Moldova say they have detained 74 people accused of preparing violent unrest during the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections, after raids around the country. According to the Moldovan National Police, officers carried out 250 searches on September 22, just days before the vote scheduled for September 28. Authorities allege the … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Azerbaijan has extended its special quarantine regime, keeping land borders closed until January 1, 2026, despite the World Health Organization declaring the global COVID emergency over last year. Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed the latest decision, which prolongs measures that were due to expire on October 1, 2025. According to government … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Georgia’s famed wine-making region of Kakheti is reporting a smooth grape harvest this year, with tens of thousands of tons already processed. According to the National Wine Agency, as of September 22 winemakers in Kakheti have processed 84,000 tons of grapes without disruption. The region, in eastern Georgia, is the heart … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Unusual images of the Black Sea shoreline near Batumi have caught public attention after days of torrential rain left the water discolored and full of debris. Nino Chkhobadze, head of the Georgian Greens/Friends of the Earth, said the strange appearance was most likely caused by swollen rivers washing massive amounts of … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Police in Georgia are investigating a shooting in the southern town of Marneuli after a man was wounded by gunfire and taken to hospital. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the case is being treated under Article 117 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which covers the intentional infliction of serious injury. … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Georgia’s appetite for cars keeps growing, with both imports and exports up sharply this year despite new US tariffs that industry watchers feared would squeeze the market. From January to August 2025, Georgia imported 148,859 vehicles worth $2.42 billion, up nearly 9% from the same period last year, according to the … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – The opposition Lelo party says it will deploy cameras at every voting precinct in Tbilisi so that no one can vote at a station where they are not registered. The party’s mayoral candidate, Irakli Kupradze, said they expect the October 4 vote will not be fair and vowed to “fight on … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Dozens of Georgian civil society groups say the government has begun a new wave of repression, using a controversial law on foreign funding to target their work. In a joint statement released by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), twenty non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of weaponizing … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – In Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region, heritage activists have carried out a major cleanup of the 13th-century Pitareti Monastery, a national cultural monument threatened by age and earthquake damage. The project was led by Movement for Cultural Heritage, a civic initiative that for five years has been organizing bi-annual campaigns to clear … Read more