Irakli Kandashvili, member of the executive council of Georgian Bar Association. TBILISI, DFWatch–Filing a lawsuit with the courts in Tbilisi might mean a long wait, due to a lack of judges and resources. People who file lawsuits in the Georgian capital might have to wait for years to see their case reach a conclusion. […]
Koba Narchemashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Koba Narchemashvili, who was interior minister at the moment when Eduard Shevardnadze was deposed as president in the Rose Revolution, was Tuesday nominated by Georgian Dream as majoritarian candidate for parliament. As commander […]
The Turkish government accuse Fethullah Gülen (pictured) of being behind last Friday’s failed coup attempt. Gülen’s movement runs a number of schools around the world. TBILISI, DFWatch–Turkish consul in Batumi Yasin Temizkan has called on Georgian authorities to close down a private school in the city because it is fostering terrorism. The Şahin schools are funded by the movement of Fethullah Gülen (pictured), a Turkish preacher, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A prominent member of the Free Democrats resigned from the party on Friday, stating that he doesn’t feel comfortable in politics. Philosopher Zaza Piralishvili stated that his leaving the party was not due to any conflict with other party members or having issues with its ideology. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia Monday rejected a bill to bring in stricter control of tobacco products. Resistance to the bill within the governing coalition proved too strong, as opponents believe it will create problems for business. Lela Sturua, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke by phone with his Turkish colleague Binali Yıldırım on Monday, and both confirmed that Kvirikashvili will visit Ankara for the first session of the Georgia-Turkey strategic partnership council on July 19. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two persons are injured after a shooting incident at noon Monday in front of the National Enforcement Bureau in Tbilisi. The enforcement bureau said the shooting was not related to them but a confrontation between private individuals. Witness […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian citizen who went missing after the terrorist attack last Thursday in Nice was confirmed dead on Monday, Georgia’s Ambassador to France Eka Siradze Delone told Interpressnews. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of Roman Ekmaliani, […]
Davit Usupashvili (IPN) TBILISI, DFWatch–The leader of the Republican Party says he and other party tops have received an offer from the ruling Georgian Dream to abandon their own party and join them ahead of the election, but they rejected the offer. In an interview with the newspaper […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s border crossings with Turkey at Sarpi, Kartsakhi and Vale are working normally after being partially blocked on Saturday morning due to the recent events in Turkey. A short statement by Georgia’s Revenue Service says passengers […]
Free Democrats leader Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Free Democrats, a party which withdrew from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition in 2014, on Saturday named its candidates for majoritarian MPs in the October 8 parliamentary election. The nominees were selected on Saturday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Groups demonstrated Thursday to ask the president to release a 22 year old man who is serving a one year prison sentence for possession of two grams of ecstasy. Kote Japaridze, the recipient of a presidential scholarship, was arrested […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in Georgia decided Saturday morning to seal its land border to its neighbor Turkey and cancel all flights into that country for the time being, out of concern for the safety of civilians. At the border crossing near Sarpi, only Turkish citizens are currently […]
The TV tower in Tbilisi was lit in the colors of the French flag on Friday in a show of solidarity after the terror attack. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One Georgian citizen is reported missing after the terrorist attack in Nice, the Georgian ambassador to France has confirmed. The man’s wife, who is not a Georgian citizen, is confirmed dead. Moambe, the evening news program on Georgia’s Channel 1, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Four Georgian citizens who were reported missing after the terrorist attack in Nice during the national celebrations July 14 have been found safely, the Georgian embassy said. The embassy contacted the missing persons and found […]
Dmitry Yermakov TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Hall is not planning to bring back the trams in the capital, despite a call from a member of Tbilisi City Council. City Hall will only considers it in a long-term perspective. Aleko Elisashvili, independent member of Tbilisi City Council, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–During the opening ceremony of the international conference ‘Georgia’s European Way’ in Batumi, prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili declared that ‘trillions of dollars’ will be accumulated in the city as a result of trade between Europe and China. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Kvirikashvili on Thursday expressed hope that Georgia will become a member of the European Union in the near future. He said this during the opening ceremony of the annual conference ‘Georgia’s European Way’ […]
TBILISI, Dfwatch–The Islamic State military commander Tarkhan Batirashvili, a native of the village Birkiani in Georgia’s Pankisi valley, widely known under his nom de guerre Umar Shishani, was confirmed dead by Amaq Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic State. […]
Tamar Chugoshvili. TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Dream Party on Wednesday announced its top 15 people on the party list for the parliamentary election in October. The list consists of eight women and seven men. There are no MPs or cabinet members among them. Three of them are deputy ministers. […]
Tina Khidasheli. TBILISI, DFWatch–It is still unknown who will replace Tina Khidasheli as defense minister, but local media name three possible candidates: Irakli Sesiashvili, Koba Kobaladze and Kakhi Kakhishvili. The decision will be made by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A new runaway was opened at Tbilisi International Airport on Monday. During the 12 weeks of construction work on the new runway, no flights were cancelled but some were rescheduled. The runaway was closed for ten hours […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Keti Tsikhelashvili, Deputy Minister for Reintegration and Civil Equality, will be the acting minister as Paata Zakareishvili from the Republican Party leaves his post in connection with the 2016 election campaign. Zakareishvili said on Tuesday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi is buying 143 new natural gas powered buses that are more environmentally friendly and accommodating to people with disabilities. But the ticket price will remain the same, City Hall assured us. The new 30-seat German-made […]
Johannes Hahn will visit Georgia on July 14. (ec.europa.eu) TBILISI, DFWatch–On 14 July, the EU commissioner for enlargement Johannes Hahn will visit Georgia. Mr Hahn will hold meetings with Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, minister of foreign affairs Giorgi Janelidze, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Two men from Pankisi valley in Georgia, one aged 26 and the 34, have been killed in Syria. The younger of them, Bekkhan (Beka) Tokhosashvili, was a native of the village Birkiani. Tokhosashvili left Georgia in 2014 and joined the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 caused slight shaking in the Georgian capital Tbilisi Tuesday afternoon. The quake occurred at 2:14pm local time and had its epicenter 10-15 km away from Dmanisi, a town in southern […]
Tina Khidasheli (Interpressnews) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Republican Party in Georgia announced on Tuesday at its members of the government are resigning. The ministers who will be leaving their posts shortly are Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli and Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Paata Zakareishvili. […]
Khatia Dekanoidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian government official who started a new career as head of Ukraine’s police force claims the government of her native country threatens to revoke her citizenship. Khatia Dekanoidze was education minister during President Mikheil Saakashvili, […]
“We’re bolstering our efforts on NATO’s southern flank,” U.S. President Barack Obama said. TBILISI, DFWatch–At the Warsaw summit last weekend, NATO agreed to strengthen its cooperation with Georgia to bolster its defense capabilities. In a joint statement signed by foreign ministers of member countries as well as Georgia, the countries write that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The referendum on early presidential elections in Abkhazia was declared invalid by de facto electoral commission due to low turnout. According to Abkhazia’s de facto Electoral Commission, slightly over one percent of eligible voters […]
Maia Rcheulishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia on Sunday arrested two persons in the management of the construction company Center Point and tried to arrest a third who was not at home. Two of them were arrested in the morning, while later representatives […]
Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia will continue its participation in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli said at the alliance’s summit in Warsaw. A meeting was held between heads of state from countries that participate […]
(Batumelebi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 17-year-old boy has drowned in the river Abashistskali in Martvili, western Georgia. The boy’s body was pulled out of the river Friday morning. Elguja Jamrishvili, head of the Underwater Federation of Georgia, who was searching […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian delegation to the NATO summit in Warsaw has presented a document signed by six political parties, reiterating their support for the country’s course toward a closer integration with the alliance. The document was signed […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi considers it unlikely that NATO will offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the Warsaw summit, which begins today, after a number of officials from member countries made it clear that it is not on the agenda. Georgian authorities believe […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office on Wednesday appealed a ruling in the Appeals Court to acquit the defendant in the murder of transgender woman Sabi Beriani. If approved, the case could go to the Supreme Court. […]
(Youtube.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Swiss-made bilevel trains have arrived in Georgia and will be servicing the Tbilisi-Batumi line starting later this month. The bilevel train cars are manufactured by Stadler and arrived in Tbilisi yesterday. A spokesperson for Georgian Railway […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The road through Dariali Valley is still closed because of further landslides after the June 23 incident. According to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, traffic will be restricted until July 7, as it can not be ruled out […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A few days prior to a NATO summit in Warsaw, Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding about defense and security cooperation between the United States and Georgia. […]
Raul Hajymba (Ria Novosty) TBILISI, DFWatch–The de facto president of Abkhazia Raul Hajymba (Khadzhimba) told Russian media that the murderer of Georgian IDP Giga Otkhozoria won’t be handed over to the Georgian side. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the attempts to hold a referendum about same-sex marriage has been rejected by Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) because the sponsors failed to collect the required 200,000 signatures. The CEC’s decision was unanimous. […]
The buses are a gift from the city of Istanbul. (Tbilisi City Hall.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi international airport is now serviced all night through by the regular daytime bus line number 37, Tbilisi City Hall informs. Before the new schedule on July 4, line 37 had been operating until midnight, like other municipal bus lines in the capital. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The speaker of Georgia’s parliament says people must know the truth about the suspected Istanbul bombing mastermind and his role in a mysterious shooting incident in Georgia in 2012. The same day, a member of government […]
Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two leading politicians in Georgia believe that Akhmed Chatayev, the suspected mastermind of the terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, was an ‘agent of the previous government.’ “It turns out that this prominent terrorist [Chatayev] was an agent […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An index that measures how well countries provide for basic human needs lists Georgia in 54th place, far behind most European countries. The most socially progressed country among 133 countries surveyed is Finland, according to the 2016 Social Progress Index. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of foreign visitors to Georgia went up 12.9% and the number of tourists 18.1% in the last six months, the National Tourism Administration said on Monday. The latest figures confirm that Georgia continues to attract more visitors. […]
The trains are cancelled due to infrastructure work between Ureki and Supsa. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several trains will be cancelled in western Georgia the next few days due to ongoing work between Supsa and Ureki. All tracks in Supsa and tracks connecting Ureki and Supsa will be closed from 06:00 on July 5 to 06:00 on July 6, according […]
Akhmed Chatayev in Tbilisi in 2012. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia and Georgia disagree about what citizenship the suspected mastermind behind the terror attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport June 28 has. Russia claims Akhmed Chatayev is not a Russian but a Georgian citizen. Georgia, on the other hand, […]
The Other Space Foundation and DF Watch invite journalists to participate in the contest ‘Leaders of Participation’ for the best journalistic work about participatory budgeting in the context of participatory democracy in Georgia. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A thunderstorm led to two planes being diverted from Tbilisi airport on Friday. One year ago, extreme flooding caused massive damage. DFWatch spoke to one of the passengers of a flight that should have landed in Tbilisi but was diverted […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union will begin offering visa-free short-term travel to Georgians in the end of September, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday during a visit to Tbilisi. Steinmeier said on Friday that the visa-free rules […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The road through Dariali Valley in northern Georgia will be open for traffic in about two weeks, Infrastructure Minister Nodar Javakhishvili said on Thursday. For the moment, the road connecting Russia and Georgia is cut off due to a landslide […]
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will come to Georgia and have talks with leaders and opposition, before heading for a NATO summit in Warsaw which begins July 8. Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili announced Kerry’s visit on Thursday during a dinner […]
Akhmed Chatayev. (Interpressnews.) Chatayev was missing his left leg and right arm as he appeared outside the court building in Tbilisi in December, 2012. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The terrorist attack at Istanbul Atatürk Airport on 28 June, which claimed the lives of 44 victims and three suicide bombers and left 239 people wounded, is believed to have been organized by Akhmed Chatayev, a Russian national […]
Zurab Bigvava. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two opinion polls show vastly different levels of support for the two main contenders in Georgia’s parliamentary election, scheduled for October 8. A poll conducted by Georgian Dream gives the party a lead of 35 percent, with the United National […]
(ICK.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 39-year-old man from Pankisi Valley in northeastern Georgia has reportedly been killed fighting on for the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The death of Omar Margoshvili, reported by Information Centre of Kakheti on Wednesday, […]
(ICK.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 22-year-old Georgian man is reported to have died in the Syrian war, fighting alongside one of the Islamist rebel groups. Information Centre of Kakheti (ICK) wrote on Tuesday that Aslanbeg Borchashvili was from Dumasturi, a village in Pankisi Valley […]
The bill’s author Gubaz Sanikidze says it is a humane act toward elderly people. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian parliament on June 24 passed an amnesty bill which will release female prisoners older than 65 and male prisoners over 70, if they are convicted of lesser crimes. The bill was proposed by the National Forum faction in parliament […]
Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli’s decision on Monday to end compulsory military service sparked a variety of negative comments from members of the ruling party, Georgian Dream. Khidasheli is a member of the Republican Party, […]
Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli on Monday controversially signed a decree ending compulsory military service with immediate effect. In April, Khidasheli said she expected the professional army system to be introduced in 2017. […]
(All photos: Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia airlifted 60 people to the border crossing at Larsi on Sunday. The travellers had been stuck in Kazbegi since Thursday night, when a mudslide cut off a section of road in Dariali Valley. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said around 60 people […]
Nana Lezhava, Imedi TV’s new news chief. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of the news division at Imedi TV was unexpectedly replaced on Thursday. News chief Maia Tabagari was moved to a post as consultant to the general director, while journalist Nino Lezhava (pictured) was brought in as her replacement, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian minister of internal affairs, Giorgi Mghebrishvili has claimed he has information that the suspect in the Khurcha killing could become ‘liquidated’ in a plot to discredit Georgia. “Abkhazia’s de facto Prosecutor’s Office appealed […]
The bill was proposed by Tamar Khidasheli (pictured) and Tamar Kordzaia from the Republican Party. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian parliament on Thursday rejected a proposal to criminalize sexual harassment in the work place and in public places. During the last year, about 50 complaints about sexual harassment have been filed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and two with the Ombudsman’s Office. […]
(OCCRP) By Occrp Bloomberg News is reporting that Patrice Lescaudron, a Credit Suisse Bank money manager who former Georgia Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili blames for the loss of over $US500 million, has confessed that he transferred $US3.5 million of client money to his wife’s bank account in Monaco and to the account of a company he controlled in Dubai. […]
Erosi Kitsmarishvili took part in the founding of Rustavi 2, one of the largest TV stations in Georgia, and served as ambassador to Russia during the 2008 war. In July 2014, he was found dead in Tbilisi with a gunshot wound to his head. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor General’s Office in Georgia said Wednesday it had solved the case about the politician and founder of the television station Rustavi 2 who was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound to his head in 2014. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–An employee of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees was detained by the State Security Service (SUS) under the charge of bribery. According […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Khelvachauri District Court issued a warrant for a suspect wanted in the case of an attempted femicide which happened on June 10. According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, […]
Tbilisi’s drivers have been allowed to park on sidewalks for years, but this will end in September. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–City authorities in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi are considering removing parking spaces that were allocated on the city’s sidewalks a few years ago. Pedestrians may look forward to having the sidewalks cleared of cars already from September. […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili with his wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze By Dave Bloss and Nino Bakradze OCCRP Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is now claiming he lost more than $US500 million due to mismanagement by Credit Suisse Bank and by directors of an offshore asset fund he controlled. […]
In April, Georgia forced an Abkhazian tourist exhibition to shut down at a tourism fair in Montenegro because it presented Abkhazia as an independent state. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ambassador to Italy, Kakha Sikharulidze, says the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia will not be allowed to open a cultural institute in Rome. The planned Abkhaz Cultural Institute in Rome is an initiative by the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs […]
‘Visa liberalisation for Georgia is not a distant matter,’ the German chancellor Angela Merkel stated during a joint conference with the Georgian prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Berlin on 15 June. […]
Irakli Okruashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili on Tuesday testified that ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered the beating of a parliament member to make an example of what would happen to others if they dared openly criticize him. […]
Former President Mikheil Saakashvili inspecting a Lazika infantry combat vehicle in 2012. TBILISI, DFWatch–The United Arab Emirates has signed a contract to buy military equipment worth USD 32 million from the Georgian state-owned company Delta. Delta’s former director Ucha Dzodzuashvili said the first batch of equipment […]
Temur Chkonia (right) discussing the opening of a new McDonald’s in Rustavi earlier in 2016. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian businessman may open the first ever McDonald’s restaurant in rival Armenia, Sputnik Armenia reports. The news agency reports that the opening of the first of the chain’s restaurants in Armenia was decided at a meeting […]
Reiner Haseloff. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–German Chancellor Angela Merkel might visit Georgia this summer, Interpressnews reports. The news agency is quoting Reiner Haseloff, the minister president of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, as he met Georgian media […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Central Election Commission on Sunday gave preliminary approval for one more referendum about same-sex marriage. This is the second referendum bid about this issue and if approved it will be held in parallel with the parliamentary […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Georgians were detained on Saturday by officers of the Russian FSB’s border service patrolling the perimeter of the breakaway region South Ossetia. Roin Zautashvili and his son Giorgi were detained for border violation in the village Bershueti […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union once again failed to reach an agreement on abolishing visas for Georgian citizens who want to enter the Schengen area. […]
Rustavi 2 lawyer Tamta Muradashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia upheld a decision by Tbilisi City Court to transfer ownership of the largest opposition TV station, Rustavi 2, to Kibar Khalvashi, a former owner. Khalvashi successfully sued claiming that Rustavi 2 was forcibly […]
Ganmukhuri is symbolic because it lies on the “Abkhaz” side of the border river Inguri. TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has revealed a plan to build a luxury hotel in western Georgia on the border with the breakaway region Abkhazia. He told journalists on Friday that he also has some other plans which he will disclose when they are approved. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s direct foreign investments in the first quarter of 2016 was 103 percent more than in the same period last year, Georgia’s National Statistics Office writes in a preliminary report. Investments in the first quarter amounted to USD 376 million. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Germany on Wednesday again blocked visa-free access to the Schengen area for Georgian citizens, with reference to police reports that Georgian asylum seekers play an important role in organizing burglaries. After the decision became […]
Kakha Kukava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s traditionalists have formed a coalition for the October 8 parliamentary election. The initiative came from the Alliance of Patriot, whose leader Irma Inashvili came close to winning a contested local by-election last year, fraught with accusations […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi’s embattled vegan café Kiwi is looking for a new location after neighbors complained about its environment and guests. One of the employees of the café told DFWatch that the owner two weeks ago barred them from putting tables outside, […]
IDPs from Abkhazia living in a Sanatorium in Western Georgia (DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the ninth consecutive year, the United Nations General Assembly on June 7 passed a resolution calling for the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the wars in Georgia in the early 1990s. The first resolution […]
Schulz wrote the Georgia has fulfilled all criteria for visa liberalization. (Twitter.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, on Wednesday used his Twitter account to voice support for Georgia getting visa-free travel with the Schengen area without delay. Mr Schulz’s statement comes shortly after EU states decided to delay […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is ranked 85th among 163 of the world’s countries in the latest Global Peace Index published by the think tank Institute for Economics and Peace. Seven more European countries scored lower than Georgia, including all of Georgia’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of activists rallied in Brussels on Saturday in support of Georgian and Ukrainian citizens being allowed to travel visa-free to the Schengen area. The rally came days after the European Union put the visa waiver program […]
Ivanishvili Tuesday met with TV journalists (2030) TBILISI, DFWatch–The former prime minister and businessman, Bidzina Ivanishvili discovered ‘a person of his dreams from the time of his youth’ in Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, he said during a press conference at TechPark on Tuesday. […]
Tamar Kordzaia (pictured) and Tamar Khidasheli proposed the femicide bill. (Photo published by Georgian Dream.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The human rights committee in parliament on Monday rejected a proposal by two MPs from the majority faction to make femicide a crime. It would have taken seven votes for the committee to approve the draft. Only three voted for it; […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Tbilisi arrested a man on Tuesday who is accused of murdering his wife the day before. The 36 year old man is charged with premeditated murder. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A woman was shot outside a hotel in Isani on the outskirts of Tbilisi on Monday. She was taken to hospital with serious injuries but later died at the hospital. The woman was working in the kitchen […]
Invisible Protest for May 17, 2014, Tbilisi, Georgia (DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch–Over half of Georgians think the state should protect the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and other sexual minorities, but four out of five want it to be illegal to demonstrate for LGBTI rights, according to a new survey by Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG). […]
Among the invited channels to interview Ivanishvili there are Maestro, Rustavi 2, Imedi, Kavkasia, GDS, Tabula (2030) Tbilisi, DFWatch – After negotiations between former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili and two opposition TV channels fails, the billionaire and Georgian strongman issues a statement inviting 10 major TV channel to a press conference. The conference is scheduled on Tuesday at Ivanishvili Sololaki residence at noon. […]
Meeting of civil society organizations to discuss Constitutional Court Bill. June 3. Tbilisi (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Civil society organizations brace for appealing revised constitutional court bill, and express their discontent with the final version of the bill that includes the president’s objections. President Giorgi Margvelashvili vetoed a bill on Constitutional Court on May 31, […]
International Rock Festival Tbilisi Jam Fest was disrupted on Saturday (photo: Edita Badasyan) Tbilisi, DFWatch – International Rock Festival was disrupted on Saturday on the Tbilisi outskirts after a power blackout that, the organizers believe, was probably arranged by the clergy. […]
Syvokon with his wife (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Ukrainian journalist, Pavlo Syvokon, 32, died in the Caucasus mountains near the townlet of Stepantsminda while climbing Mount Kazbeg, or Mkinvartsveri in Georgian (5,047 m ). According to the other climbers, […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – On Wednesday, European Union once again failed to agree on waiving visas for Georgian citizens within the Schengen zone, Reuters reported. Last minute objection from Germany, […]
PM (left) replaced Education Minister Tamar Sanikidze by Aleksandre Jejelava (center) (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili Friday announced resignation of the Minister of Education and Science, Tamar Sanikidze, and introduced a new candidate to the post, Aleksandre Jejelava, the Chairman of Management Academy. […]
Burchuladze: No one has ever cast doubt on my words, cannot be said of Mr. Bidzina’s words (IPN) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and famous Georgian operatic bass, Paata Burchuladze exchanged mutual accusations of lying. “I would advice Paata Burchuladze not to lie,” […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch - Hundreds of people, mostly youth, gathered at the government building in Tbilisi Thursday evening to protest ‘inhumane drug policy’ and demand decriminalization of the light drugs and to soften the drug legislation in general. The annual protest bringing together youth, politicians, journalists, NGO activists is held every June 2, since 2013. The main [...]
Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotatdze Tbilisi, DFWatch - Prosecution wouldn’t request pre-trial detention for the athletes involved in Kortskheli violence, Irakli Shotadze, Chief Prosecutor, said to journalists on Thursday. Instead, the Prosecutor’s Office would request a bail for six martial artists, charged with beating of opposition politicians and their supporters in Kortskeli, a village in [...]
Nika Melia (center) and Tengiz Gunava, MP, in Kirtskheli after the incident. (20300 TBILISI, DFWatch--The Ministry of Internal Affairs on Wednesday indicted six athletes for a violent incident about a week ago in Samegrelo, when several high profile opposition figures, including members of parliament, were severely beaten during the local municipal by-elections. In a [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi Zoo received 22 new animals on Monday. The animals were a gift from zoos in Germany and Belgium. There are seven South American coatis, two Indian porcupines and ten striped mongoose from Germany, while three blue wildebeest […]
Hiking club in Tkibuli (Tourism Administration) Tbilisi, DFWatch – 14.9 percent more people visited Georgia in May, compared to the same period last year, Georgian National Tourism Administration states in its monthly report released on Wednesday. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Ruling Georgian Dream coalition will not initiate motion to overturn presidential veto on the recently adopted law that significantly restricts power of Constitutional Court, Zviad Dzidziguri, Vice Speaker of the parliament, said on Wednesday. […]
(Rustavi 2) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Appeals court on Tuesday postponed hearing of Rustavi 2 case for Friday, June 3, and its CEO fears the same day the court will issue its decision in favor of the former owner, who, they believe, will strip the Georgia’s main opposition channel its independence. […]
The opening ceremony (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Teams from twelve stateless peoples and regions without international recognition will compete in a football championship in Abkhazia’s capital of Sukhumi, while ordinary Abkhazians express polarised opinions about the event. […]
Ivanishvili published a lengthy open letter on Monday, as promised (ipn) Tbilisi, DFWatch – ‘Certain representatives’ of the international organizations were ‘so deeply engaged in the lie machine’ of the previous government that assessment of the ongoing events in Georgia used to be written by the leaders of the United National Movement, rather than by foreign experts, asserts former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili in his lengthy open letter published on Monday by 2030, a news agency affiliated with him. […]
(Delta.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Crops were destroyed by a hailstorm in several municipalities of Georgia’s Shida Kartli province on May 26. In the hardest hit village Ebnisi the harvest was almost completely devastated. The local municipality is now estimating the cost of the damage. […]
Zviad Tkhelidze (GDS) Tbilisi, DFwatch – Zviad Tkhelidze, reporter at news program 2030 at the GDS TV, died as result of a tragic accident during his journalistic assignment on Saturday. […]
Paata Burchuladze during Independence Day celebrations, May 26. (Facebook.) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The newly former political party led by Paata Burchuladze, famous operatic bass, held a rally at Tbilisi central sports arena on Saturday […]
Georgian railway workers (ipn) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Annual unemployment rate in Georgia declined by 0.4 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to the new report published by The National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat). […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Police arrested an 18-year-old man, who allegedly stabbed two men, one minor, on possibly homophobic grounds. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The de facto leadership of South Ossetia issued a statement saying that the referendum on joining Russia would be conducted in 2017, instead of, as previously planned, in August this year at latest. […]
Sabi Beriani (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Tbilisi Appeal Court announced yesterday that it upheld the verdict of the Tbilisi City Court, which ruled in August 2015 that Levan Kochlashvili wasn’t guilty of the murder of the transgender woman, Sabi Beriani. […]
Oath taking ceremony on Freedom Square (DFWatch) As a tradition, an oath taking ceremony was held on Freedom Square, however for the first time it was also held in other places – in Kakheti, Samegrelo, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti and Adjara. Totally 432 recruits all over Georgia took an oath. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Investigators of Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine and masked and armed members of Security Service (SBU) conducted searches in the office and premises of Odessa Regional Governor, Mikheil Saakashvili’s adviser on Thursday. […]
The boycott declared by the UNM was preceded by a squabble during the plenary session. Tbilisi, DFWatch – United National Movement has announced its decision to suspend its activities in the parliament until all involved in violent incident in Kortskheli were punished. […]
Protests in TSU, March, 2016 (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The student movement Auditorium 115, which was set up in the beginning of March during the sit-in protests at the Tbilisi State University (TSU), informed on Tuesday evening that members of the student union tvitmmartveloba attacked one of its members. However, tvitmmartveloba claims it was a provocation. […]
Mikheil Saakashvili accuses Mr Ivanishvili of causing the death of Kakha Bendukidze by threatening to incarcerate him in a 4 m² cell Tbilisi, DFWatch – The former president of Georgia and the current governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region, Mikheil Saakashvili declared in an interview for Rustavi 2 that he’d return to Georgia and engage in the campaign before the parliamentary elections in October. […]
Noble Partner 2016 concluded in Georgia (US Embassy) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Joint Georgian-American-UK military exercise Noble Partner 2016 was finalized on Tuesday with tanks firing and helicopters simulating battlefield rescue of the wounded soldiers in Vaziani field, near Tbilisi. […]
Nika Melia (center) and Tengiz Gunava, MP, in Kirtskheli after the incident. (20300 Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Ministry of Internal Affairs investigates the violent incident in Kortskheli, Samegrelo under the 125th article of Criminal Law Code. So far, no-one has been arrested in connection to the case. […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili, his wife Ekaterine Khvedelidze, and PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili at the founding ceremony. (facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – A foundation was laid on Monday to the construction of a technologic institute, which the government vows, will be ‘the fifth largest in the world after the same kind of facilities in Italy, Switzerland, Japan, and Austria’. […]
Logo of Election Administration of Georgia. TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Electoral Commission (CESKO) announced the preliminary results of the by-elections to Sakrebulos (‘municipal assemblies’), which were held on 22 May in nine majoritarian electoral districts. […]
Photo: Graffiti at the Alyev’s statue were erased and round-the-clock police put on duty at the monument. (Meydan.tv) Tbilisi, DFWatch – On evening of May 10 two activists disappeared in Baku, Meydan TV reported. Then on May 12, the Khatai District Court placed Bayram Mammadov and Qiyas Ibrahimov under a four-month arrest for drug-related charges. […]
The Prosecutor’s Office in Ortachala, Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a statement released on Saturday, Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia laid out its version of the tragic event of May 19, and announced it would appeal to the court demanding detention in absentia of Rashid Kanciogli, identified as a person who allegedly […]
Nika Melia (center) and Tengiz Gunava, MP, (right) in Kirtskheli after the incident. (2030) Tblisi, DFWatch- Members of the opposition United National Movement, including several high profile figures at the party, were brutally beaten in Samegrelo on Sunday. The scuffle broke out in Kortskheli, a village near Zugdidi, administrative center of Samegrelo-Zemo […]
MP Tamaz Mechiauri left the ruling Georgian Dream coalition (ipn.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tamaz Mechiauri, an outspoken member of Georgian Dream, known for his anti-NATO and anti-gay statements, left the ruling party, yet retains the post as chair of parliament’s finance and budget committee until the next elections in the fall of 2016. […]
Russian-Abkhazian checkpoint between Khurcha and Nabakevi. (Sputnik) An ethnic Georgian man was fatally wounded by an Abkhaz border officer in an incident that occurred at the Khurcha-Nabakevi checkpoint at the de facto border with Abkhazia, inside the territory under control of Georgian authorities. The video (+18) from a surveillance camera distributed by Rustavi 2 [...]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The head of the Poti Police was dismissed for alleged of sexual abuse case on Wednesday. The alleged victim is a female police detective whose identity hasn’t been disclosed. […]
Sputnik Ossetia publishes photo provided by the witness. Tbilisi, DFWatch – Six Russian military personnel were killed and further sixteen suffered injuries in a bus accident in South Ossetia, Sputnik Ossetia reported. The accident happened today near the village of Kanchaeti on the […]
The carrier mosquito, Aedes, is present in Georgia, but the disease is not, NCDC representative was quoted as saying. Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia’s Black Sea coast is among the European regions which are at the highest risk of a Zika virus outbreak during late spring and summer, a statement made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) reads. […]
Street cleaners cleaning stairs from paint (Photo: Gurianews) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Stairs of a theatre in Ozurgeti, administrative center of Guria, Western Georgia, was painted in rainbow colors on May 17, International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), Guria news reported. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Environmental activists interrupted a speech by Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania on Tuesday during a session of the City Council, accusing him of being an ‘enemy of the city’. The activists protested the recent selling off of a part of the city’s botanical garden, […]
A small group of feminist and LGBT activists rallied in front of the Tbilisi City Court’s building demanding an immediate release of the detainees. (DFWacth) The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) marked internationally on 17 May once again sheds light on existing tensions between the LGBTQI community, the authorities, and the Church. [...]
Ucha Nanuashvili (Ombudsman.ge) The Public Defender of Georgia released a statement on International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), May 17, in which he deplores that “no effective measures have been taken for raising public awareness or establishing the culture of tolerance in the country.” “A timely, efficient and accountable investigation of hate crimes [...]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There were 611 cases of marriage involving a minor last year, compared to 665 in 2014, according to the latest figures from the Ombudsman’s Office. 95 percent of the minors were girls. The report says that there were 408 pupils in Georgia […]
Alasania: Free Democrats switch to ’emergency mode’ (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Free Democrats of former Defense minister Irakli Alasania announce a rally on Saturday to protest ruling of the Tbilisi City Court by which 5 officials have been sentenced to 7 years in prison each. Free Democrats will switch to ‘emergency mode’ […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Five Defense Ministry officials who were detained in 2014 on embezzlement charges and released on the basis of personal guarantees from several MPs, have been sentenced to 7 years in prison each by Tbilisi City Court on Monday. […]
group of Georgian feminist activists protest in front of Radisson Blu Hotel where the World Congress of Families (WFC) was held (DFWatch) A small group of Georgian feminist activists organised a protest in front of Radisson Blu Hotel in downtown Tbilisi, where the World Congress of Families (WFC) was taking place on Sunday. […]
Levan Vasadze’s speech during congress (DFWatch) The 10th edition of the World Congress of Families (WCF) opened in Tbilisi yesterday, bringing together conservative Christian activists from four continents. […]
Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who was elected as a leader of Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party on Saturday, told Imedi TV that he has candidates to replace ministers from the Republican Party in case they resign. A few weeks ago, […]
Exhibition of military equipment on May, 2015 (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia will mark Independence Day on May 26 in most of the cities and towns all over the country by organizing different events. […]
(DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first four months of 2016 was USD 3,287 million. This is 8 percent more than in the same period last year. […]
Jonjoli, or bladdernut, is a shrub used for cooking in Georgia Tbilisi, DFWatch – Jonjoli picking season began in Georgia, which means more Georgians will face detentions for crossing the “border” with breakaway South Ossetia, as on Friday Russian caught 9 inhabitants of Sachkhere district. […]
(State Security Service/Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Security Service on Thursday arrested a Georgian citizen for bribery and stealing silicon manganese slag. The Anti-Corruption Agency and the State Security Department of the State Security Service conducted a joint […]
Tatia Samkharadze (Taso Barnova) went public with the harassment accusations against Shalva Ramishvili on April 8, 2016. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Forensic Bureau has confirmed the authenticity of an audio file which appears to show that a well-known Georgian journalist threatened to ruin the career of an actress working for him if she did not sleep with him. Tatia Samkharadze […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The human rights of gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities are being less protected in Georgia, according to the organization ILGA, which monitors the situation internationally. International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex […]
Davit Kezerashvili, was questioned under caution by the Israeli Police’s fraud squad (Haaretz) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Gal Hirsch, an Israeli suspect in bribing the former minister of defence, Davit Kezerashvili, was questioned under caution by the Israeli Police’s fraud squad, Haaretz reported. Mr Hirsch was a brigadier general at the Israeli […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The head and other senior staff members of the Central Election Commission of Georgia have been accustomed to get enormous bonuses, according to the recent report by ISFED, a Georgian NGO focused on monitoring electoral processes in Georgia. […]
(Wine Agency) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia exported 45 percent more bottles (0.75 L) of wine in the first four months of 2016, compared to the same period last year. Increase in revenues in the same period is 15 percent. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A bust of Stalin was paint-bombed pink and later dismantled in the village Ateni in Gori, the hometown of Joseph Stalin, on Monday. The bust of Stalin was erected for the 71th anniversary of victory over fascism, on May 9. It was dismantled […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A 27 year old man was killed by an avalanche on Tuesday in Tusheti, in the northeast of Georgia. A 44 year old man was also injured and taken to the hospital in Telavi, in the Kakheti province. The victim was from the village Kistauri, near Akhmeta. […]
Giorgi Vashadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian politician who was deputy justice minister during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency has left the National Movement and plans to start a new party. Giorgi Vashadze is perhaps best known for having overseen the reform known as […]
Auditorium 115 was formed during the student protests at Tbilisi State University in March. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The student movement Auditorium 115 plans to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court demanding to amend several regulations in the law about higher education. Members of the organization which was created during protests […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–On May 9, Georgia marked the 71st anniversary of Victory Day, the day Nazi Germany surrendered to the Soviet Union. As usual, there were events all over Georgia. World War II veterans came to the memorial in Tbilisi’s Vake Park, where […]
Irakli Shotadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s top prosecutor says no-one is charged in the case of four compromising sex videos of politicians which were posted on the Internet. Speaking at a conference about juvenile justice reform on Friday, Chief Prosecutor […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Irakli Alasania, the former defense minister who was fired after some of his staff were detained for embezzlement, Friday issued an ultimatum: If the court finds the detainees guilty, he will mobilize people and launch protest rallies […]
Rally against Panorama (DFWatch, 2015) TBILISI, DFWatch–24 non-governmental organizations and several opposition parties plan a rally against former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili on May 7. The venue is near the office of GDS TV, on Kojori road on the southern […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The French right wing politician has been tentatively announced as a speaker at the conference which will bring together conservative activists from four different continents to Tbilisi. The French right-wing MP, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Strong hail affected parts of Kakheti and Shida Kartli yesterday, destroying early crops in a number of villages. Villages in Gurjaani and Kvareli regions of Kakheti suffered most, […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia Thursday charged two former officials with torture and property appropriation of a businessman, who was murdered later. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The number of troops is not important, what’s crucial is to have a professional army, as Georgia will never be able to win any war by the number of soldiers, Minister of Defense Tina Khidasheli said in a talk show 2030 at GDS pro-governmental TV channel Wednesday evening. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Representatives of ten NGOs and one media outlet issued a statement in which they urged the government to ban twelve Russian TV channels in Georgia. The activists, roughly half of them former officials […]
American heavy military equipment arrived to Georgia (Ministry of Defense) Tbilisi, DFWatch – American tanks and armored vehicles arrived for joint American–British–Georgian military exercises to be held between 11–25 May. American heavy military equipment arrived to Georgia for a joint […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Patriarch Ilia II has endorsed a controversial ‘pro family’ congress to be held in Tbilisi in May and is expected to deliver a keynote speech. The leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II gave his blessing to the 10th World Congress of Families which will be held in Tbilisi on May 15-18, […]
43% of the population of Kvemo Kartli is Muslim, 40% in Achara , and 12% in Kakheti (DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch–The 2014 census sheds light on issues related to ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities in Georgia. The size of all ethnic minorities fell drastically. While Georgia has lost 15% (658 thousand) of its population since the 2002 census, the number […]
An anti-gay protest May 17, 2014. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Public discussion about amending the constitution to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman are over and parliament will start discussing the bill next week. The amendment will determine marriage as a voluntary […]
Tamar Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two MPs from the parliamentary majority have proposed adding to the Criminal Code a separate offense called femicide, which is the premeditated murder of a woman on the basis of her gender. The bill sets punishment […]
Levan Berdzenishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–MPs from the parliamentary majority in Georgia accuse members of the National Movement of hindering the process of achieving visa-free travel with the Schengen area. Georgian Dream members claim that two MPs from the former […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Over a hundred people in Kobuleti, a town on the Black Sea coast, have surrounded the house of a 65 year old man who they claimed wanted to rape an 11 year old girl. People gathered outside the house and attempted to break in. They demand […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–20 sheep were killed when a police car plowed into their flock near Dedoplistskaro in eastern Georgia a few days ago. Information Center of Kakheti reported that the incident happened on Sunday on the central highway in the village Gamarjveba, […]
Jemal Beridze (Facebook) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian media reported about three cases of homophobic violence which took place last month in Tbilisi. The Facebook user, Jemal Beridze wrote on 23 April that he was assaulted by three unknown attackers for wearing an earring. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–There are 223 deserted villages in Georgia, according to the census conducted in 2014 and published last week by the National Statistics Office (GeoStat). In 2002, when the previous census was conducted, […]
Many workplace accidents have happened in the mining town Chiatura in western Georgia. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–42 people died at work in 2015, while 82 people were injured, the public defender informed on May 1, the International Worker’s Day. According to his statement, in 108 cases, a criminal investigation was launched, but it was halted in 42 of the cases. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–One more Georgian soldier is reported to have died in the war in Ukraine. Revaz Tsiklauri was reported dead late on Sunday. Tsiklauri died in the town Abievkaa, near Donetsk. A facility he was in was shelled. Tsiklauri was from the village Lapankuri, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Five people were arrested April 26 for attempting to sell radioactive uranium for USD 3 million. Savle Matiashvili, investigator at the counterintelligence service of the State Security Service, said at a briefing on Thursday […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Quincy Jones, Macy Gray, the Prodigy are some of the artists to visit the Black Sea Jazz Festival in Georgia in July. Director of Eastern Promotion, which organizes the festival, said on a press-conference on Thursday that the festival will be held in […]
(IRI) Georgia’s governing coalition has almost been caught up by the former ruling party, according to the latest poll by International Republican Institute (IRI), published Friday. […]
Tbilisi, DFwatch – Population of Georgia declined by 15 percent from 4.372 million in 2002 to 3.714 million in 2014, according to the data released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on Thursday. […]
Turkish border crossing at Vale. Wikimapia Tbilisi, DFWatch – The information about the alleged transfer of 15 acres of land from Georgia to Turkey, which went viral on Georgian media, was untrue. Yesterday, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah published information about the alleged land transfer between Georgia and Turkey. […]
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Wednesday pardoned 95 prisoners in connection with Orthodox Easter. The pardon decree was issued on April 27, and 69 of the pardoned prisoners have already left jail, according to Zviad Koridze, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The EU’s plans to allow visa-free travel for citizens of Georgia may be postponed, the Georgian speaker of parliament said Monday. Davit Usupashvili blamed members of the party of former President Mikheil Saakashvili of lobbying against visa […]
Georgia earned the highest score of 49 points (0 is best, 100 is worst) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia took the 96th place among the world’s 199 countries and regions evaluated in the latest edition of the Freedom of the Press report prepared annually by Freedom House. Georgia earned the highest score of 49 points […]
Tsikhetgora in Pshavi. Photo credit: Alexander Bainbridge / Wikipedia Commons TBILISI, DFWatch–Pshavi, the historical and cultural province of eastern Georgia, might soon be granted the official status of a Protected Landscape. Pshavi is located in the mountains of Mtskheta–Mtianeti region alongside the Aragvi River, on the way to the historical […]
(Imedi TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Groups from different universities in Georgia demonstrated in the streets of Tbilisi on Tuesday, mainly demanding education reform, but local media wrote that many of the students didn’t know what the goal of the event was. The […]
(geotimes.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–An activist for the National Movement claims that several officials at the Rustavi City Hall, including the deputy mayor, insulted and beat him Monday night. Mamuka Chikovani, head of the UNM’s branch […]
Body found in a barrel buried underground (Channel 1) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The extradition procedures have already been started, but yet it is not known when or whether Greece will extradite the suspect. “I cannot tell you more details,” DFWatch was told at MIA press office. the suspect Giorgi Kuparadze is at the hospital […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Students at Tbilisi State University (TSU) protested on Monday against what they call a ‘police regime’, demanding that law enforcement bodies stop threatening their families and that the so-called ODRs are removed from publicly owned universities. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Eros Ramazzotti dedicated his concert in Tbilisi on Sunday to the American singer and songwriter Prince, who died April 21 at the age of 57. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s National Judo Team won the European Judo Championship in Kazan, Russia. In the final competition, the Georgian male judo team won 3:2 against the Russian team. The victories were won by Nugzar Tatalashvili, Avtandil Chrikishvili […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president and current governor of Odessa, told a Georgian TV channel on Sunday that he is confident of victory for his political party in the parliamentary election in October, and afterward […]
Photo by MFA of Latvia TBILISI, DFWatch–Foreign ministers of Europe’s northern and eastern countries call on EU member states to go ahead with a plan to allow 90 days visa-free visits for Georgian and Ukrainian citizens. On 21–22 April, a meeting of foreign ministers of Baltic, […]
Abbas Atillay (RFE/RL) by OCCRP Soon, it will have been a year since reporters for OCCRP and other organizations took a long, hard look at what is going on inside Azerbaijan’s prison system. Last June, journalists from the US joined colleagues from the Caucasus region and eastern […]
Montenegrin police covered the exposition with tarp following Abkhazia’s refusal to remove it from the fair (Chamber of Commerce of the de-facto Republic of Abkhazia) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia filed an official complaint with the authorities of Montenegro, as a result of which Montenegrin police shut down an Abkhazian tourism exposition. The Abkhazian exposition was a part of an international […]
Khurvaleti, one of the villages where the cemetery is on the other side of the fence. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The frozen conflict over South Ossetia will prevent many people in the border areas from visiting their family graves this Easter. As the observance of Orthodox Easter starts today with Palm Sunday, many will be unable to go to cemeteries […]
Youtube / Rep. Steve Russell Tbilisi, DFWatch – Republican Steve Russell called for sanctions against representatives of the Georgian government for attempts at rigging the upcoming elections. Steve Russell, 53, representative of Oklahoma, delivered a speech in the United States House of Representatives, […]
