DFWatch staff 
TBILISI, December 12 – Georgia’s parliament speaker blasted non-governmental organizations on Friday, describing the NGO system as a harmful export from the West to Eastern Europe’s fledgling democracies. Speaking on Friday, Shalva Papuashvili said the NGO model imposed on developing countries represents what he called “the greatest evil” created by the West in post-Soviet democracies. … Read more
TBILISI, December 12 – Tbilisi flips the switch on its main Christmas tree on Friday night, opening the city’s New Year village at First Republic Square, a new location that comes after last year’s holiday site became embroiled in political conflict. According to Tbilisi City Hall, the central tree will be lit at 20:00 on … Read more
TBILISI, December 12 – Georgia’s State Agency for Religious Affairs has sent a public greeting to the country’s Shia Muslim community on the occasion of the birthday of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. In a statement released on Friday, the agency noted that Shia Muslims mark the day as a religious holiday. Within … Read more
TBILISI, December 11 – A new global ranking of supermarket egg prices has put Georgia near the middle of the table but still at the top among its immediate neighbors. The data, published by the price-comparison platform Numbeo and reported by BPN, shows how much the cost of a standard 12-egg carton varies across 101 … Read more
TBILISI, December 11 – Europe’s human rights court has ruled that Georgia was responsible for several violations during and after the breakup of a riot in June, 2019 dubbed the “Gavrilov Night”. The court found Georgia at fault for excessive police force, botched investigations and breaches of free speech and assembly, while also confirming that … Read more
TBILISI, December 11 – The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) on Wednesday denounced the actions of one of Georgia’s best-known opposition figures, who is currently in pre-trial detention and faces up to 15 years in prison. In a December 10 post on X, the European liberal umbrella group said it does not … Read more
TBILISI, December 10 – Georgia is preparing to file a complaint against the BBC, accusing the UK’s public broadcaster of spreading false information about police crowd-control tactics during anti-government protests a year ago. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the first step will be an appeal to the UK’s media regulator, but that, if needed, he … Read more
TBILISI, December 9 – A long-running project to build a customs terminal at the Enguri crossing in Abkhazia has moved into its final phase, according to Ekho Kavkaza. Astamur Aksalba, presented as the head of a local transit and logistics company, said construction is about 80 percent finished and that Sukhumi is “hypothetically ready” to … Read more
TBILISI, December 9 – Georgia’s government has set out a bold plan to streamline the way buildings look across the country, from old town districts to new developments. A new decree on building aesthetics explains how the system will work. The government will publish a national guide that municipalities can use when shaping their planning … Read more
TBILISI, December 9 – Georgia’s parliament speaker and jailed opposition figure Aleko Elisashvili have entered a fierce public feud over the meaning of the word “terrorist”. Elisashvili, a former independent MP who recently aligned with the Lelo–Strong Georgia coalition for local elections, was arrested after a dramatic pre-dawn protest at Tbilisi City Court on 29 … Read more