Monday, December 8, 2025

Sweden steps back from demanding Georgia recognize same-sex marriage

TBILISI, August 6 – Retracting an earlier demand, Sweden’s Jessica Rosencrantz said while EU treaties guarantee full legal protection for all minorities, including LGBT people, candidate countries such as Georgia are not required to legalize gay marriage in their national laws. Rosencrantz, who is minister for EU affairs, corrected remarks by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf … Read more

Georgia freezes bank account of opposition party linked to German ambassador

TBILISI, August 6 – An opposition party in Georgia says its bank account has been seized, in what it claims is political retaliation linked to the scandal surrounding Germany’s ambassador. Lelo party secretary general Irakli Kupradze said the National Bureau of Enforcement, under the Ministry of Justice, had notified the party of the freeze. He … Read more

Ukrainians stranded at Russia-Georgia border launch hunger strike

TBILISI, August 6 – Five Ukrainian nationals who are stranded at the Dariali border crossing have launched a hunger strike, claiming they were denied entry and held in inhumane conditions by Georgian border guards. One of the group, Sergei Larko, told Ekho kavkaza that he has been stuck at the crossing for nearly a month, … Read more

Protesters rally on Tbilisi’s main street on eve of editor’s verdict

TBILISI, August 6 – A protest march under the slogan “Don’t You Dare!” made its way from Tbilisi’s Philharmonic Hall to the national parliament on Monday, as supporters rallied for detained journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli and activist Nino Datashvili. Organized primarily by women, the demonstration featured banners warning against what participants described as the return of … Read more

Georgia set to release explosive report that could pave the way for banning opposition party

TBILISI, August 5 – Georgia’s parliament is preparing to release a 430-page investigative report in early September, just weeks ahead of local elections, which could serve as a pretext for banning the largest opposition party. The document, compiled over six months by a special parliamentary commission led by Tea Tsulukiani, probed alleged abuses carried out … Read more

Parliament speaker blasts German ambassador’s landlord for tax irregularities

TBILISI, August 5 – Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday evening sharply criticized the landlord of German Ambassador Peter Fischer over tax irregularities—fueling ongoing political controversy involving the high-profile diplomat. The comments marked another escalation in the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s public campaign against Ambassador Fischer, whom senior officials accuse of sympathizing with opposition … Read more

Two private schools in Tbilisi accuse investor of sabotage

TBILISI, August 5 – Founders of two leading private schools in Georgia have escalated a legal dispute with an investor, accusing him and his associates of serious misconduct and calling for a criminal investigation. According to founders Natia Janashia and Davit Tsetskhladze, both the British-Georgian Academy and Tbilisi British International School are at risk of … Read more

Georgia deports 22 foreign nationals as part of immigration crackdown

TBILISI, August 5 – Georgian authorities have deported 22 foreign nationals from 11 countries, citing violations of immigration law. The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the deportations followed a series of “complex operations” carried out in recent days across the country. Those deported include citizens of Iraq, Russia, Iran, India, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Jordan, … Read more

Media founder facing verdict in police assault case Wednesday

TBILISI, August 5 – A Georgian court will deliver a verdict on August 6 in the high-profile case of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who is charged with assaulting a senior police officer during a protest earlier this year. Amaghlobeli, the founder of newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January after slapping a police chief in … Read more

Georgians struggling with slow and expensive internet

TBILISI, August 5 – A recent World Bank study reveals significant problems of high cost and lagging quality of internet service in Georgia, compared to other countries in the region. According to the findings, published by Georgia’s Communications Commission, the median fixed internet download speed in Georgia was just 20 Mbps in July 2024, compared … Read more