DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s government has revived talks on introducing unemployment insurance, a social safety net that is standard across much of the West but has never been implemented in the country. The idea has circulated for years without concrete steps, but parliament is now working on a draft law and consulting with business … Read more
TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s ruling party has made a sharp U-turn just weeks before crucial local elections, announcing that it will invite international observers from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to monitor the October 4 vote. The decision, confirmed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday evening, comes after … Read more
TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s justice system is on dangerous ground, says security analyst Andro Gotsiridze, warning that politically driven courts could destabilize the country and hand Russia exactly what it wants. In an interview with Interpressnews, Gotsiridze commented on recent verdicts against around a dozen protesters convicted of assaulting riot police during last winter’s … Read more
TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s controversial ‘sabotage’ case has widened, with prosecutors freezing the bank accounts of 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), up from seven when the probe first began. The groups are accused of aiding last year’s post-election protests, which spiraled into street clashes in Tbilisi. Officials now say evidence shows that some NGOs purchased … Read more
TBILISI, September 6 – Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has appealed a court ruling that cleared doctor Giorgi Akhobadze of drug trafficking charges. Akhobadze was acquitted on August 6 and walked free after a Tbilisi City Court judge found him not guilty of possessing large amounts of illegal substances. Akhobadze was controversially arrested in December 2024 after … Read more
TBILISI, September 6 – Two of Georgia’s best-known opposition figures, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, walked free on Friday, after being pardoned by President Mikheil Kavelashvili. Both men are leading figures in the Lelo party, and had been serving prison sentences since June for defying a parliamentary investigation into the country’s turbulent political past. Their … Read more
TBILISI, September 6 – Protesters marched from Melikishvili Avenue to the steps of parliament on Rustaveli Avenue last night, blocking traffic on the city’s main thoroughfare. The demonstrators are demanding two things: the release of those detained during recent rallies and assurances that upcoming parliamentary elections will be fair. The march began outside the newly … Read more
TBILISI, September 6 – Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against 32 people accused of being members or supporters of the so-called “thieves-in-law,” a Soviet-era criminal network still active in parts of the region. According to investigators, the accused organized illegal meetings known as “thieves’ gatherings” to settle financial disputes on behalf of crime bosses, … Read more
TBILISI, September 6 – 26 World Cup qualifying campaign with a narrow 3–2 home defeat to Turkey in Tbilisi. The visitors struck early, with Mert Müldür scoring in the 3rd minute. Just before halftime, Kerem Aktürkoğlu doubled Turkey’s lead, and he added another in the 52nd minute to complete his brace. Georgia responded through Zuriko … Read more
TBILISI, September 4 – Opera singer Paata Burchuladze is calling for what he describes as a “national assembly” on October 4. The opera singer-turned-political activist who now leads the “Rustaveli Avenue” movement says two million invitations have already been printed and will be handed out across the country. Each invitation will double as a mandate … Read more