DFWatch staff 
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
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
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
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, 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
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
TBILISI, August 24 – Georgia’s ruling party says it does not expect the European Union to suspend the country’s visa-free travel, but admits September could bring announcements from Brussels that stir public anger. The European Commission has set August 31 as a deadline for Georgia to comply with eight reform demands, ranging from judicial independence … Read more
TBILISI, August 24 – Eight Georgian opposition parties met Saturday to discuss a common vision on national security, with Russia’s presence on the country’s northern border looming large in the debate. The meeting was the initiative of the small pro-EU Federalists party, and dealt with what kind of defense strategy Georgia needs in light of … Read more
TBILISI, August 22 – Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s fifth president, has re-emerged in public life after a summer pause, appearing at an opposition rally in Tbilisi Friday. The former president hinted she might resume her political activity, but gave no further details. Zourabichvili has tried twice to rally Georgia’s fragmented opposition with joint action plans, first … Read more