DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, August 28 – A number of groups in Georgia have hit back at a government decision to freeze the bank accounts of seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs), calling it a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent and drawing parallels to Russian-style repression. In a joint statement, 53 civil society and media groups declared “full support … Read more
TBILISI, August 28 – Georgia is facing international criticism after a Tbilisi court froze the bank accounts of seven major civil society groups, citing an ongoing investigation into alleged “sabotage” and material support for violent unrest. Prosecutors say the NGOs helped fund protective gear and supplies for demonstrators during last year’s clashes outside parliament, framing … Read more
TBILISI, August 27 – It caused an outcry on Wednesday when authorities froze bank accounts belonging to seven organizations after prosecutors accused them of channeling donor funds toward violent protest activities. The groups themselves denounced the charges as baseless and politically motivated. The court decision was made under the new ‘foreign agents‘ law, which came … Read more
TBILISI, August 27 – Another candidate has joined the race for becoming mayor of the capital. Iago Khvichia, leader of the libertarian-leaning party Girchi, was nominated on August 26 following party primaries. He will compete against incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD), opposition-backed joint candidate Irakli Kupradze, and Zurab Makharadze from … Read more
TBILISI, August 27 – A handwriting analysis conducted by Georgia’s National Forensics Bureau has confirmed that a farewell letter found in the pocket of former Adjara regional leader Tornike Rizhvadze was indeed written by him. Rizhvadze survived a gunshot wound to his chest in July in what investigators say was a suicide attempt. The new … Read more
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
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, 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
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
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