DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, September 23 – Georgia has started printing ballots for its upcoming local elections, scheduled for October 4. The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that a total of 3,897,500 ballots are being printed at four printing houses in Tbilisi. Observers from election monitoring organizations are also present to oversee the printing of voting papers. Inspecting … Read more
TBILISI, September 23 – Medical experts in Georgia argue that the dominance of private companies has hurt the quality of care. Business leaders insist government run hospitals are unnecessary. Healthcare specialists say Georgia’s system has been in crisis for years, forcing many patients to seek treatment abroad. Private investors own most of the country’s hospitals, … Read more
TBILISI, September 23 – A Georgian journalist facing trial has been nominated for the European Parliament’s top human rights award. Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the independent news outlets Netgazeti and Batumelebi, was put forward for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought at a joint session of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs and development committees, … Read more
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