Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Compromise about minaret will create new inter-religious council

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“Give us freedom of faith” says this poster. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Agreement was reached by Muslim and Christian leaders in Georgia on Thursday about what to do with a minaret which was removed from a mosque earlier in the week.

The Georgian Orthodox Church — the Patriarchate — and the organizations Muslims of

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New inquest into how Saakashvili regime trained Chechen rebels

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Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili Thursday announced a separate inquest into the Lapankuri border skirmish in August 2012, which claimed the lives of fourteen people.

Nanuashvili told Interpressnews a new inquest is necessary because more than a year has

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Victims families don't want Saakashvili to score points on them

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Khatuna Kortava says her nephew was a victim of the Saakashvili regime. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Saakashvili’s National Movement is meeting resistance in its efforts to play the crime card in the election campaign.

“No-one should be led by Saakashvili to try to score political points in my child’s name,” says Khatuna Kortava, aunt of Levan Kortava,

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Saakashvili calls Ivanishvili a "zoo director" for releasing prisoners

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President Mikheil Saakashvili (left) compared Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to a zoo director for releasing prisoners. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili called Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili a “zoo director” and compared persons released in an amnesty to animals.

Saakashvili said he usually gets a warm welcome in Batumi, and was surprised when there was a demonstration

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Former prison minister: 'I didn't know about abuse until Oct 2012'

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Dimitri Shashkin yesterday said he didn’t know there was abuse in the prisons until October 2012, although nine prison staff were reprimanded in 2011 after the Council of Europe exposed systematic mistreatment. (Maestro.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The exiled Saakashvili ally Dimitry Shashkin returned to Georgia on Wednesday to answer questions about the abuse in the prisons.

Shashkin was among many officials in the former regime who fled the country after the National Movement’s election

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Demonstrations continue after dismantling of minaret

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The Public Defender calls for an immediate investigation of the violence during a demonstration against the dismantling of a minaret in southern Georgia. (Samkhretis Karibche.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–All the people detained while protesting against the dismantling of a minaret at a Mosque in the village Chela, in southern Georgia, have now been released.

Meanwhile, the protests continue in the village and support rallies are held in the capital

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