Sunday, December 7, 2025

Georgia freezes NGO bank accounts over protest funding claims

TBILISI, August 27 – A Tbilisi court has ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to several of Georgia’s most well-known organizations, after prosecutors alleged they helped fund violent street protests. The groups targeted include the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Social Justice Center, Sapari, the Georgian Democratic Initiative, the Civil … Read more

Georgia cracks down on brothels, 12 arrested

TBILISI, August 27 – Police in Georgia have arrested 12 people, including both Georgian and Chinese citizens, in a crackdown on prostitution in the capital Tbilisi and the western Samegrelo region. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the arrests followed 24 hours of coordinated raids on 13 establishments, which were shut down. Investigators said … Read more

Tbilisi mayor accuses West of pressuring Georgia to open ‘second front’ in Ukraine war

TBILISI, August 27 – Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, who is running for a third term, claimed on Monday that Western partners once tried to pressure Georgia’s government to open a “second front” of the Russia-Ukraine war. Kaladze told reporters on Tuesday that unspecified Western politicians launched ‘threats, blackmail, and insults’ aimed at pushing Georgia into … Read more

Ombudsman calls to curb hate speech ahead of Georgia’s local elections

TBILISI, August 27 – With local elections a little over a month away, Georgia’s public defender, Levan Ioseliani, has called on political parties and politicians to avoid hate speech. He warned that both insults and slander are creeping into the campaign, though he did not cite specific cases, saying he will make an assessment closer … Read more

Georgia’s currency reserves hit USD 5 bln, a record

TBILISI, August 26 – Georgia’s foreign currency reserves have surpassed USD 5 billion for the first time, according to the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). Since January, the NBG has added about USD 1.3 billion to reserves through market interventions. July alone brought a net purchase of USD 416.9 million, the strongest monthly figure so … Read more

65 Ukrainians stuck at the Russia-Georgia border flown home

TBILISI, August 26 – Dozens of Ukrainians who had been stranded for weeks in a buffer zone at Georgia’s northern Dariali border crossing have finally been sent home. Georgian officials confirmed that 65 people were transferred to Tbilisi International Airport and flown back to Ukraine on a chartered flight via Moldova. The group included 10 … Read more

11 protesters face up to 6 years in jail as Georgia begins trial

TBILISI, August 26 – Eleven protesters are facing trial in Tbilisi today on charges of “group violence,” stemming from last year’s pro-EU demonstrations near Parliament. The accused include public figures such as actor Andro Chichinadze and comedian Onise Tskhadadze, among others, all charged under Article 225, Part 2 of Georgia’s Criminal Code—an offense punishable by … Read more

Georgia replaces security chief after just four months

TBILISI, August 25 – Georgia’s ruling party has nominated Mamuka Mdinaradze, a senior lawmaker from Georgian Dream (GD), to lead the State Security Service (SUS), one of the country’s most sensitive institutions. The move follows the abrupt resignation of Anri Okhanashvili, who had only held the post since April. Parliament is expected to confirm the … Read more

Tbilisi marks Ukraine’s independence day with giant flag

TBILISI, August 25 – In Georgia’s capital, activists marked Ukraine’s Independence Day by marching through Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue with a giant Ukrainian flag. The event began at the statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko before participants moved toward parliament, carrying both Georgian and Ukrainian flags. The march was a show of solidarity between the … Read more

Georgia woman accused of murder says husband stabbed himself

TBILISI, August 25 – A 25-year-old woman charged with killing her husband in Tbilisi says she confessed only after police pressured her during questioning, according to her lawyer. The suspect was arrested on August 22 after her husband died from knife wounds. Police say she stabbed him during a domestic dispute and opened an investigation … Read more