Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says many of Channel 9’s journalists were not professionals. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says journalists and employees of TV9 made a mistake when they closed down the channel immediately after his statement. “Journalists didn’t come to TV9 from BBC and CNN. Many of them weren’t professionals; [they] […]
Prison Minister Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prison Minister Sozar Subari on Friday responded to accusations made by the National Movement yesterday that the government has allowed the mafia to make a comeback in Georgian prisons. Prisoners with influence over other inmates, called supervisors, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A mosque is going to be built in a village in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region. Badrudin Ibragimov, Chairman of National-Cultural Autonomy of Avar in South Caucasus, told Intepressnews that at the moment, the project is acquiring all the necessary […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Eleven non-governmental organizations which work on election issues will Friday name their candidate to fill the vacant position as chairman of the Central Election Commission. The NGOs plan to propose Tamar Zhvania, a project manager at […]
Dinamo Tbilisi lost 0-5 to Tottenham Hotspur in Tbililsi Thursday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Dinamo Tbilisi lost Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur 0-5. The play-off match for UEFA Europa League was held at Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi. Tottenham scored in the 13th minute and added one more goal in the first half. By the end of [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement blames the government for allowing the mafia to run the prisons in Georgia. Mikheil Ghurtskhaia, spokesperson for the Prison Ministry, does not deny that criminals have power in the prisons, but told DF Watch that when UNM was in […]
Tottenham players training in Tbilisi before Thursday’s match. (Tottenham Hotspur website.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Dinamo Tbilisi plays against Tottenham Hotspur at 20:00 today at Dinamo stadium in Tbilisi. The London team arrived in Georgia on Tuesday and left the airport without comment. Practicing matches were held at Dinamo stadium. The match is part of the […]
Giorgi Mebonia. TBILISI, DFWatch–A recruit has died at a Georgian military air base near the capital Tbilisi. According to the ministry, the incident happened on Wednesday at a checkpoint while he was on duty. The body of the deceased, Giorgi Mebonia, has been taken to the National […]
Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri has sent out a special statement to ministry employees that makes clear what restrictions they must follow regarding election campaigning. The statement concerns the Code of Conduct for public servants and includes […]
Batumi is getting ready for three days of electronic music. (Festival handout photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s sea resort Batumi is hosting a three-day summer festival of electronic music starting Thursday. Batumi Summer Set Festival runs from August 22 to 24 and will host many well-known names in the genre. Among the headliners are Denmark’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Bank of Georgia was subject to an armed robbery in downtown Tbilisi late on Wednesday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was tight-lipped about the details, beyond noting that an investigation has been launched and criminal experts are studying the […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili is feeling bored sitting in his office. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili plans to open an education center for viticulture, wine-making and vine care in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, where he owns a house and vineyards. Speaking in front of journalists at his palace in Tbilisi Wednesday, […]
Mikael Botkoveli, head of the press office at the Patriarchate. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Church, the Patriarchate, has suspended a priest who recently claimed that the Prosecutor’s Office pressured him to give testimony against former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Mikael Botkoveli, head of the press office at […]
Ex-prisoners are queueing outside the presidential palace after Saakashvili promised to clear their records. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former prisoners and people on probation crowded outside President Mikheil Saakashvili’s palace in Tbilisi after he offered to pardon them and clear their criminal record. The president said August 19 that people who are probationers or have […]
Davit Chkhitunidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian man is in hospital in a serious condition after being beaten while in detention awaiting his extradition to his home country. The man, Davit Chkhitunidze, was detained at Athens airport on August 14 as he was preparing to fly to Turkey, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is in 55th place of 178 countries on the Failed States Index for 2013. This is a slight improvement position compared to previous years. On top of the list are Somalia, Congo, Sudan and South Sudan. The least failed countries are Finland, […]
From left to right: Levan Natroshvili (TI), Lela Taliauri (GYLA), Irina Imerlishvili, MP, and journalist Rusiko Machaidze. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–DF Watch organized a round table on election issues with representatives of two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition. They discussed amendments to the election legislation and also problems which […]
Minister of Justice, Thea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s interagency commission for free and fair elections on Monday held its first session. It was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice. The commission was created ahead of last year’s parliamentary election to prevent […]
TV 9 director Luba Eliashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several persons have already expressed interest in buying Georgia’s Channel 9, which yesterday stopped functioning. The TV station’s director Luba Eliashvili said to employees gathered outside its office building that several persons already have […]
Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A majority of Tbilisi City Council has voted for expanding the city budget by 17 million lari (USD 10.2 million) to 740 million lari (USD 445 million) — a four percent increase. Mayor Gigi Ugulava from the former ruling National Movement party […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–TV9, a channel affiliated with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, went off air on Monday. It had earelier announced that it would close on September 1. The news program at 21:00 was its final broadcast, with News Director Luba Eliashvili saying goodbye […]
Landslides have been accelerated by the heavy rain, says Valerian Chitashvili, governor of Guria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several families have been forced from their homes in Ozurgeti, in Georgia’s western Guria region, due to a landslide. Valerian Chitashvili, governor of Guria, told journalists that two days of heavy rains in the region accelerated the landslides […]
Luba Eliashvili, head of Channel 9’s news division. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Channel 9, a TV company affiliated with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is to be closed from September 1. Luba Eliashvili, chairman of the TV company’s news division, explained that for the last ten months they have been looking for new owners […]
Nino Evgenidze is Executive Director of the Economic Policy Research Center. We often hear pre-election promises of various political parties that envisage increasing pensions to equal the subsistence minimum. Such promises enjoy a positive reaction from society, however the necessity of a pension reform in the country is underestimated and is […]
The flood struck the village Ureki in the middle of the tourist season. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–22 families are cut off from the outside world due to flood in the village Chanchati, in Georgia’s western Guria region. Gulnara Chichua, government trustee in the village, told journalists that the flood also has affected other villages in Guria, […]
Police cars in Duisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A conflict of unknown nature has developed between Kists and local Georgian youth in Pankisi Valley, which lies in the northeast of Georgia, at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. No-one is injured, but the situation is tense and the Interior […]
The flood water was one meter high and rising, locals said Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Black Sea resort Ureki was flooded after heavy rain on Sunday. Part of the population is leaving the place and requesting help from the government. Tens of houses were flooded, and a landslide has blocked the roads. Kote Sharashenidze, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court releasing six policemen on bail who were detained for fabricating evidence to build a case against Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s father-in-law, Tamaz Tamazashvili. The six are charged with planting a weapon on […]
Irakli Okruashvili in Tbilisi, January 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili was Saturday briefly detained by French police after a scuffle with another Georgian politician, former MP Merab Samadashvili. The scuffle took place at Nice airport. Okruashvili was later released by airport police. […]
Bacho Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Law enforcers are considering another charge against former Interior Minister Bacho Akhalaia and want to question him about the murder of Sandro Girgvliani in 2006. Tbilisi Prosecutor Maya Mtsariashvili told journalists that in the course of the […]
“Of course I didn’t know,” Khatuna Kalmakhelidze said on Friday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia Friday summoned the former prison and defense ministers to question them about the torture in the prisons during the Saakashvili regime. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, it has found, after a number […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–OSCE’s long term observers for the upcoming presidential election will arrive in Georgia on September 16. Maia Panjikidze, Foreign Affairs Minister, on Friday told journalists that Georgia has received a positive response from the NATO Parliamentary […]
Newly elected TSU rector Vladimer Papava (left) and his predecessor Aleksandre Kvitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Vladimer Papava, an economics professor who was economy minister during President Shevardnadze in the 1990s, has been elected as rector of Tbilisi State University. Papava was supported by ten of the board’s 12 members, the remaining two voted for Irma […]
Data for January-July of previous years. (GeoStat.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Foreign trade turnover in January-July 2013 fell by 2 percent compared to the same period in 2012, according to preliminary data from Georgia’s National Statistics Department, GeoStat. The total foreign trade turnover in the first seven months […]
Minister of Internal Affairs, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s interior minister says the dirty Soviet-style archive of compromising surveillance videos illegally amassed by the Saakashvili regime will be destroyed in the ‘next few days’, but the date remains unknown. Interior Minister Irakli […]
FDI in Georgia in 2012, broken down by sector. Preliminary data. (Source: investingeorgia.org.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Direct foreign investments in Georgia fell by almost a fifth in 2012, compared to 2011, according to data from the National Statistics Department (Geostat). In 2012, the total amount of foreign investments was USD 912 million. This is five percent […]
Zurab Kharatishvili, for years head of the Central Election Commission, left his job to become a politician. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Zurab Kharatishvili, head of the Central Election Commission in Georgia, on Thursday explained that he resigned in order to go into politics and may even run for president. On Monday, Kharatishvili applied to parliament for permission to leave as CEC head. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Students at Tbilisi State University are planning a protest on Friday against the system of having the 12-member academic board of the institution elect a rector. Organizers say it is not right that only 12 persons decide this, when there are more […]
Minister of Agriculture Shalva Pipia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is subsidizing the grape harvest with 25 million lari (USD 15 million) in the form of cheap loans to wine companies. This is a threefold rise, compared to previous years. Explaining the increased stimulation of the wine […]
President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–“The war didn’t start between Georgians and Abkhazians – this war was imposed on our people, that’s why we will win together – Georgians and Abkhazians,” President Mikheil Saakashvili said 21 years after the Abkhazian War started. The war […]
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said the UNM’s call for a crisis meeting was election PR. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A planned meeting between two top people in the main political blocs in Georgia has been scuttled by a disparaging remark by one of the sides. Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili from the Georgian Dream coalition, and Davit Bakradze, the National […]
Giorgi Gabedava was detained Tuesday at the trial of Bacho Akhalaia, who by many is seen as responsible for the prison torture. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–National Front member Giorgi Gabedava, who was detained yesterday at a rally outside Tbilisi City Court, was today released and given a 100 lari (USD 60) fine. He was charged with petty hooliganism and admitted guilt. During the hearing, Gabedava […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has charged an citizen of Uzbekistan for human trafficking. The suspect, Nargizbegim Nakhmanova, born in 1984, is charged in absentia for four different violations, according to the Interior Ministry. Apart from […]
The Oncological Clinic in Tbilisi. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hospitals which are owned by Aditti, and the Oncological clinic in Tbilisi, will become government property, the Health Minister Davit Sergeenko says. The Oncological center in Tbilisi was privatized and bought by Canadian Pegasus Pharmaceuticals […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–According to a new survey by Transparency International Georgia (TIG), about 6 000 employees have been dismissed from public institutions after the 1 October 2012 parliamentary elections. Almost half of them have resigned and only 4% of newly hired […]
Crowds awaiting the verdict in the case against Bacho Akhalaia. Many see him as responsible for the prison torture. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three people were Tuesday detained at a rally outside Tbilisi City Court where the case against ex-minister Bacho Akhalaia went on. In a few days, the court will announce its verdict in the final case against Akhalaia which deals with torture […]
Mine workers in Chiatura pictured during the strike in November, 2012. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two mine workers have drowned in a mine in Chiatura as result of an accident as water flowed up while they were drilling in an old mine. Roland Nozadze, 51, shift leader, and Iuza Samkharadze, 49, worker, died as result of an accident. Two other […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) and candidate for president Giorgi Margvelashvili with supporters in Nokalakevi. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili opened the Georgian Dream coalition’s election campaign on Monday, in the historical town Nokalakevi. The event marked the official launch of the coalition’s election campaign and its candidate for president, […]
Police used excessive force on May 26, 2011, according to Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association. TBILISI, DFWatch–The lawyer of the detained former prime minister Vano Merabishvili demands to stop the criminal prosecution against his client, or at least release him on bail, after the publication of a report commissioned by the US Justice Department. […]
The village Kveshi. (Radio Tavisupleba.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In the morning of August 10, there was a shooting incident close to the so-called administrative border around South Ossetia. A patrol car of Georgia’s Interior Ministry and representatives of EUMM were present. The Georgian Interior Ministry in […]
The Black Sea coast is a popular destination in summer. Here Ganmukhuri. TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of people who visited Georgia has increased by 26 percent in the first seven months of 2013 compared to the same period last year. Giorgi Sigua, Chairman of the National Tourism Administration, said at a briefing that in the first seven […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili taking part in a village tradition at an Adjara wedding. (ISFED.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili might have violated election legislation after he gave a ring to a wedding couple during a visit to a village. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), which is observing events around the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says Georgia’s bank sector is in ‘a very good shape’. Sir Suma Chakrabarti, EBRD President, said in an interview with the Georgian edition of Forbes Magazine that many […]
Zurab Kharatishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two months before Georgia’s presidential election, the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Zurab Kharatishvili, has resigned. Kharatishvili’s reason for leaving is not known. He has published a statement saying that he is leaving, but will […]
Demonstrators in Batumi don’t want any ‘cohabitation’ between the Saakashvili regime and the current government. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former political prisoners and refugees from Abkhazia held a rally in Batumi on Sunday outside the prosecutor’s office in Adjara to demand the arrest of Supreme Court Chairman Kote Kublashvili and the dismissal of Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili. […]
The hospital in Kharagauli, owned by Aditti. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Doctors demonstrated in six towns in Georgia Saturday, demanding to have their salaries. Their target is the company Aditti, which has bought many of the formerly state-owned hospitals in the country. Doctors have gone without pay for more than six […]
The court building in Kutaisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three prison staff suspected of wrongdoing in connection with the death of a prisoner in a town in western Georgia were Saturday released on bail. The Appeals Court in Georgia’s second city Kutaisi decided to release Giga Kokhodze, Aleko Babunashvili […]
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five Georgian sailors are stuck on a ship in Croatian waters. Seven other Georgians are stuck on another ship off the Algerian coast. The sailors haven’t been paid salary for months and cannot return to Georgia. Owner of both ships is a Slovenian company which […]
People in Khoni were up since 4 am Friday removing water from their homes. (tv9.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rain water poured into the village Khoni in western Georgia Friday, flooding the basements and first floors of 500 houses and killing poultry. Locals tell journalists they haven’t slept all night but have been out cleaning their houses and saving […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Saakashvili Friday left the capital for a three day hike at Tobavarchkhila Lake. He brought with him several members of the National Movement. Saakashvili spoke about his trip in an interview with the Public Broadcaster’s channel 1 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The judiciary system has progress after the October 1, 2012, parliamentary election, a new survey has shown. Transparency International Georgia (TIG) has scrutinized the changes in the judiciary system during the last year and concluded that the […]
Tengiz Jgushia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police have detained former MP Tengiz Jgushia, who is suspected of yesterday having shot at the deputy head of a local government near the town Zugdidi, in western Georgia. Jgushia was member of parliament for the Citizen’s Union from 1995 to 1999 and […]
Cheap tractors were bought, and public money siphoned off, prosecutors say. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court Thursday released on bail the last two persons who had been detained in the so-called tractor case. All in all, seven are accused on charges spanning negligence, state money embezzlement and pressure on experts. […]
Dvani, a village in the conflict area. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five years after the war between Russia and Georgia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has called for action to help the people in the conflict-affected areas. Supporting political negotiations is not enough, the OSCE […]
The National Movement’s candidate for president, Davit Bakradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–National Movement presidential candidate Davit Bakradze has put forth a plan called the national agreement and asked the ruling Georgian Dream coalition to make changes to solve the country’s economic problems. Presenting his party’s initiative […]
The deceased, Levan Kortava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office has detained another suspect in the case of the death of Levan Kortava. Prosecutors at the western regional office detained Iveri Gogoberidze on the basis of a court decision, according to a statement by the Prosecutor’s Office. […]
Torch lighting event on Wednesday to commemorate the 2008 war. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Every year after the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 there have been planned different events for the five days the war lasted to pay tribute to the victims. Events were planned today in Gori, a town close to where the war took place. In the morning there […]
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has answered its critics who say that the economy is in crisis, assuring them that all commitments and plans will be fulfilled and that the economy is in no danger. Georgian Dream coalition MPs on Wednesday met with the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch-Georgia and Ukraine plan to increase bilateral trade turnover to one billion USD in 2013. This was reported by Ukrainian media after a meeting between Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Vilkul and Georgian Ambassador Mikhail Ukleba. Vilkul said […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The situation is still tense in the conflict region five years after the Russia-Georgia war, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and the occupation of two Georgian breakaway territories by Russia. The recent tension was caused by Russian soldiers […]
Prison Minister Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–45 inmates are on hunger strike in the women’s prison in Rustavi, demanding to bring back the recently fired director of the facility. Later today, 80 other prisoners in a sign of solidarity refused to eat bread. They demand that Salome Janelidze […]
A construction company needed an access road and cut through the limestone. Environmentalists say it will take centuries for the rock to reform. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A large part of a massive limestone formation in Georgia has been destroyed during repair work on a tunnel. The rock formation is located at a section of road between Gudauri and Kobi, leading up into the Kazbegi mountains in the north of Georgia, […]
In the village Ditsi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that the installation of razor wire close to the so-called administrative border with South Ossetia was not agreed with the Kremlin. In May, Russian soldiers moved a de facto border line around South […]
Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev interviewed by Georgian TV five years after the war: ‘Georgia should be interested in joining the Eurasian Union, because it is a neighbor of Russia.’ “We will never be neighbors with the US whatever happens. […]
Bolnisi municipality building. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Locals of Bolnisi, a town in southern Georgia, demand the resignation of the acting head of the local government, the gamgebeli, because they believe he is not fulfilling any of his duties. People in Bolnisi, in the Kvemo Kartli region, claim that […]
Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) (New comments added from Prof Jan van Dijk.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Interior Ministry and the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, have published different statistics of the level of crime in the country. The Statistics Department data says that the number of criminal cases has increased, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Lawyers claim that the head of the municipality’s executive body, the gamgebeli, in a town in south Georgia is forcing them to write their letter of resignation. Levan Tsabadze, member of the Georgian Dream coalition and gamgebeli of Aspindza […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Three persons have been placed in pre-trial detention for two months pending trial, after a suspicious death of a prisoner. The prisoner, Levan Kortava, died May 23 at the prison hospital after being moved there from Geguti prison, a village […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Three prisoners are on a hunger strike at Ksani prison. The Prison Ministry said Monday that August 1 one of its prisoners, a man called Kakha, had sewed his eyelids shut as a sign of protest, as he perceives himself as innocent and demands to […]
(Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A river burst its banks in Georgia’s western Guria region Monday and flooded about fifteen houses in the town Ozurgeti. According to local media, the water carried a car with two people inside into the river Shuti. One of them was a pregnant woman. […]
Murman Margvelashvili is Director of Energy Studies at World Experience for Georgia. Georgia is an energy dependent country – with 65% of energy demand being covered from external sources. Despite the richness in hydropower resources Georgia still has a negative balance even in electricity import-export. Energy dependence has a negative impact […]
Gia Shaoshvili is the first to carry out a threat by peach farmers to cut down their plantations if the government doesn’t help them. (ick.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A peach farmer in Georgia has cut down his plantation because the government hasn’t helped him and his colleagues deal with a slump in the market price. When Gia Shaoshvili , a resident of the village Chumlaki in the eastern Kakheti region, carried […]
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia is starting to review a set of amendments to the constitution that aim to balance powers between the prime minister and the parliament, after a draft has been through a process of public discussion. The hearing process […]
Demonstrators want to preserve the area as a recreational zone. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A rally was held on Sunday to protest the planned construction of a new restaurant at Turtle Lake in Tbilisi. Demonstrators say it will destroy a recreation zone. The demonstrations started in late July, when there was first put up a sign […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s economy and finance ministries claim that data recently published by the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, showing negative economic growth is not final and will be adjusted twice. On Wednesday, GeoStat published a report about […]
Turtle Lake near Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–More than 1500 Georgians have signed a petition demanding a stop in the cutting of trees in a recreation zone in the hills above the capital. The land plot was illegally sold by Tbilisi City Hall to a politician so he could build a restaurant to be used […]
May 17, 2013, thousands of activists disrupted a peaceful protest against homophobia in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Thursday ruled that there is not enough evidence to prove the guilt of priest Tamaz Bichinashvili in the incidents of May 17, when clerics and their supporters dispersed a peaceful LGBT rally in Tbilisi. When a few tens […]
The statue of Stalin has been stored outdoors in a yard since its dismantling in 2010. (Radio Tavisupleba.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The monument of Stalin, which was removed from the pedestal in the central square in his hometown Gori in 2010, will be restored in the Stalin Museum in the same town. Georgian government officials deny any notion of rehabilitation of Stalin’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has presented figures for how political parties are to receive state funding in this year’s election campaign. 2 100 000 lari (USD 1 300 000) will be allocated for the seven parties that are represented in parliament; 1 050 […]
Davit Bakradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Davit Bakradze, the National Movement’s presidential candidate, asks Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili for a meeting to discuss how to get the country’s economy out of the crisis. The PM has not yet responded. On Wednesday, the National Statistics […]
Koba Davitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Koba Davitashvili, leader of the People’s Party, one of the Georgian Dream coalition partners, on Friday said he is leaving the coalition to run for president. Davitashvili said the reason for his leaving is a systematic disagreement with Prime Minister […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The new government in Georgia is coming under fire for its economic policy. Figures from the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, show that GDP in June was negative -0.8 percent compared to same period last year. President Saakashvili’s party […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Russian soldiers have detained one more Georgian citizen in a village close to the breakaway region South Ossetia. Locals say Mikheil Khurievi, 63, was in the village Tsitelubani on Georgian-controlled territory when Russian soldiers approached him. […]
Lasha Tugshushi, commission member says the part of archive will be destroyed by August 15 (IPN) TBilisi, DFWatch – Authorities in Georgia have set a time frame of two weeks for destroying part of an archive containing illegally obtained surveillance footage during the previous government. Lasha Tughushi, who is member of a commission to monitor […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Emergency workers in Georgia have saved four Polish climbers who have been trapped for three days atop one of the highest mountains in the Caucasus. The four became trapped on top of the mountain Shkara after one of them fell down when […]
Close Saakashvili ally Bacho Akhalaia was partly acquitted, but some charges remain. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a controversial decision on Thursday, Tbilisi city court acquitted former defense and interior minister Bachana (“Bacho”) Akhalaia, of one of the charges against him. The acquittal relates to a charge of abuse of military personnel and illegal […]
First floors and basements of houses in Senaki were flooded after heavy rain on Monday (DF Watch photo) TBILISI, DFWatch–In almost every house in Senaki’s main streets, people are using spades to get rid of mud and water after heavy flooding on Monday. Senaki is a small town in Samegrelo, in the western part of Georgia, with more than 25 000 residents. Elderly people […]
Tengiz Gunava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili has pardoned the former governor of Samegrelo region, who was sentenced to four years in jail. Ex-Governor Tengiz Gunava left prison Tuesday night and was greeted by members of Saakashvili’s party, the National […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Justice Minister Zurab Adeisvhili personally ordered the Chairman of Tbilisi Development Foundation to order debit cards, which made it possible to withdraw millions from the state coffers. The scheme was meant to be used to finance the National […]
Protester outside the National Movement’s primary in Tbilisi, July 28, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Dream party has expelled one of its members and warned two of them in relation with the scuffle on July 20 in Zugdidi during the National Movement’s primary election. Georgian Dream Democratic Georgia on Monday issued a statement […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Iran’s consul in Georgia Ahmad-Reza Arzjani says the suspect in murder of a 16-year-old girl in Batumi Juy 22 has been in Turkey for the last two years. Mariam Kochalidze, 16, was murdered near the beach in Batumi, a Black Sea holiday resort and one […]
A civilian being rescued in the streets of Senaki, a town in western Georgia. (TV9.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Part of Senaki in western Georgia has been evacuated because of flooding. Local reporters say more than 70 families have left the town. Hundreds of houses are underwater. The markets, theatre and other facilities are also hit, and car traffic has been rendered impossible. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has exported more than 1.7 million bottles of wine to Russia after the lifting of an embargo from 2006, says Minister of Agriculture Shalva Pipia. Russia is now among the top five export markets for Georgia for wine, Pipia said Monday. […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Georgian Dream coalition’s president candidate, Giorgi Margvelashvili, accepts the offer from his competitor Davit Bakradze from the National Movement, who invited him to a series of election debates. Margvelashvili told journalists on Monday that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–According to a new study by Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), the changes in the judiciary system after the October 1, 2012, parliamentary election have been positive. IDFI writes that 140 million lari (USD 85 million) […]
The protesters demanded that the Saakashvili regime be brought to justice. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Sunday released three persons who were detained on Saturday during a scuffle outside the National Movement’s party conference and gave them a 100 lari (USD 60) fine. Davit Chantladze, Irakli Chubabria and Pridon Merebashvili […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of Polish climbers are requesting help after four of them got stuck in the Caucasus mountains. One of the trapped climbers fell after a rope broke. He did not break any bones, but is having problems moving. Giorgi Dzagnide, head of the Interior […]
Tedo Japaridze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tedo Japaridze, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, once more denies the rumor that Condoleezza Rice is to become advisor for the Georgian Prime Minister. In a new statement, Japaridze sheds some light on what happened during […]
Three were detained during the protest outside the National Movement party conference in Tbilisi on Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Davit Bakradze, leader of the parliamentary opposition, has been announced as the National Movement’s official candidate for the upcoming presidential election. UNM’s sixth and final primary election was held on Saturday in Tbilisi. The final […]
Patriarch of Russia Kirill I (left) and Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II, who visited Russia for the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, met with the Russian Patriarch Kirill I and invited him to Georgia. The meeting was held in Moscow on July 23 at the Russian Patriarchate to discuss […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Batumi City Court Thursday detained the suspect in the murder of a 16-year old girl in absentia. Mohammadamin Rointan, a citizen of Iran, is suspected of having killed Mariam Kochalidze, 16, on July 23 in the boulevard of Batumi, a city […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police detained Omar, 71, on suspicion of being behind a false bomb threat at the parliament building in Kutaisi. Thursday parliament building was evacuated to allow law enforcers to conduct a bomb search. It later turned out that the report […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A soldier has died while examining a weapon at Vaziani military firing range on Thursday. According to the Defense Ministry, Major Otelo Gulgbiani was injured and was immediately brought to the hospital, but despite doctors’ efforts he died. Major died at Ingorokva […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Another problem was added to the list of mishaps that have afflicted the new parliament in Kutaisi, as there were reports of a bomb in the building. Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament, said that a stranger informed police that there was a bomb […]
Giorgi Narmania is a lawyer. Public officials’ remuneration is regarded one of the most important aspects for the functioning of public offices both in Georgia and elsewhere in the World. Issues such as effective fight against corruption in public office, attracting qualified candidates to government jobs, […]
GD parliamentarian Tina Khidasheli (left), Condoleezza Rice and Tedo Japaridze, head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tedo Japaridze, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in parliament, denies rumors that former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be appointed as official advisor to the Georgian prime minister. A few days ago, the Russian newspaper […]
Giga Bokeria says the police reaction to the violence in western Georgia was inadequate. (IPN.) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The interagency commission for free and fair election expresses concern about incidents, which took place this Saturday and Sunday during United National Movement’s primary election conferences in Batumi and Zugdidi, Western Georgia, where people threw […]
Georgian Dream presidential candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) Tbilisi, DFWatch—The first remark about Bidzina Ivanishvili stepping down as prime minister came from the Georgian Dream coalition’s presidential candidate who says that ‘the PM plans to leave his post, but not politics.’ Giorgi Margvelashvili, Ivanishvili’s […]
The price on drugs necessary to treat hepatitis C has not been reduced in 15 years, say campaigners. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Non-governmental organizations and people affected by hepatitis C on Wednesday organized rallies outside pharmaceutical companies demanding a reduction in drug prices. According to rally participants, the price on drugs to treat hepatitis C has not […]
The suspect Mohamadamin Ruintan. (Ministry of Internal Affairs.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Interior Ministry Wednesday evening identified a 28-year old man as the suspect in the murder of 16-year old Mariam Kochalidze on July 22. The suspect is a citizen of Iran, Mohamadamin Ruintan, born in 1985. According to the statement, […]
Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze says about 33 000 refugees might have their 28 lari (USD 16) monthly allowance cut off because they their income is above the 1 500 lari limit. 10 000 of them earn about 20 000-30 000 lari (USD 12 000 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s on Tuesday lost 0-1 to Serbia in the European under-19 football championship in Lithuania. This is the first time Georgia has qualified and the team is now in third place in group B with one point after a 0-0 match against France. Serbia remains on top […]
Dream Town sprang up outside Batumi after Georgian Dream won the election. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 800 single-room barracks are constructed at the former base of the 53rd regiment in Batumi, a beach resort on the Black Sea and one of Georgia’s most popular tourist destinations. The barracks were constructed by families of eco-migrants […]
Zhuzhuna Beridze said she believes her 16-year old daughter was murdered in a robbery. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 16-year old girl was found dead Monday evening near the new boulevard in Batumi, a beach resort and one of the main tourist destinations in Georgia. Lia Mgeladze, a friend of the victim’s family, said Mariam Kochalidze was found near […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian National Platform, a coalition of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), appeals to EU to oppose Russia’s recent border moving and installing of razor wire at the so-called administrative border. The statement says that the Russian […]
Georgia’s Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The World Bank is funding a USD 60 million program to support competitive and inclusive economic growth in Georgia. Signing the formal agreement for the Bank was its Regional Director for South Caucasus, Henri Kerali, and for Georgia, Finance […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Less than three months before the presidential election, the Georgian Dream coalition is working on improving the election legislation, and has introduced five sets of amendments. According to the draft of the amendments, voters who were taken off […]
ISFED director Nino Lomjaria said a programme for loans to farmers may resemble voter bribery, as some of the money comes from a fund linked to Prime Minister Ivanishvili. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There has so far not been been observed any violations in the election campaign for the presidential election on October 27. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), a non-governmental organization which specializes in election […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–EU and Georgia have finished talks on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) and preparations are starting for a legal review of the text. Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili said on Monday that finishing the negotiation […]
Georgia’s U19 team took its first point in the European championship Sunday in a match against France that ended 0-0. (UEFA.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s U19 football team played 0-0 against France on Sunday, gaining its first points in the European championship in Lithuania. “I’m really dissatisfied with the first half of the match. The other half was better,” Georgian U19 coach […]
IPDs in a makeshift shelter in Zugdidi. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is preparing to re-count its internal refugees, in order to prevent election fraud in the presidential election in October. Davit Darakhvelidze, the refugee minister, said re-registration is compulsory and will start from August 1, and that […]
An eye doctor at Kharagauli hospital. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Medical personnel at the only hospital in Kharagauli haven’t received salary for the last four months, while the company which owns the management rights to the hospital is not fulfilling its obligations under the contract to rehabilitate the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Saakashvili’s National Movement had a tough weekend with both party conferences interrupted by demonstrators. After being greeted by an angry hoe-wielding crowd in Zugdidi Saturday, the UNM gathered in Batumi Sunday, only to see protesters […]
Protesters want the National Movement party out of Samegrelo. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement’s fourth primary on Saturday took place against the backdrop of violent clashes with an angry hoe-wielding crowd who threw stones and bottles. For the fourth time, the UNM’s primary was won by former Speaker of Parliament […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Heavy rain caused flooding in several regions of Georgia Saturday. In Zugdidi, a region bordering the breakaway region Abkhazia, more than 20 villages are flooded, according to local reporters. Didinedzi is hardest hit, and has a water cover of more […]
Refugees from the war in Abkhazia twenty years ago are still living in a derelict hospital kitchen building. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Twelve families of refugees are living in the kitchen building of a former hospital in Zugdidi, a town that lies not far from Abkhazia, the breakaway region they fled from. For 16 years, they have been living in the derelict building, waiting to be […]
Tbilisi city hall. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Saakashvili’s National Movement party has lost its majority in Tbilisi City Council. Members of Georgian Dream coalition, and former members of the National Movement who switched sides after the parliamentary election in 2012, […]
A trailer passing the border from Georgia to Azerbaijan. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is strengthening its control of transit trucks. Levan Izoria, Deputy Interior Minister, told DF Watch that the ministry made this decision after the number of car accidents increased and the number of casualties in accidents has also […]
The peaches Nikoloz Gharibashvili, 62, grows in his fields is his family’s sole source of income. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The sale of peaches is so slow in Georgia that sellers haven’t been able to cover their costs this year. They ask for more processing plants to be built. Nikoloz Gharibashvili, 62, owns peach fields and his income usually comes from selling peaches. […]
The current presidential palace is controversial. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is considering using the former US embassy in Tbilisi as presidential residence after the election on October 27. It’s unclear what would happen to the current presidential residence in Avlabari in the old part of Tbilisi. […]
(Police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–South Ossetia has released Guram Gigineishvili, a Georgian who was detained five days ago in a village bordering on Russian-controlled territory. Russian soldiers detained Guram Gigineishvili in the village Bershueti while he was working in […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili (left), Prime Minister of Georgia, and Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania. (Ivanishvili Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili on Thursday met President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė at the president’s palace. Grybauskaitė and Ivanishvili discussed bilateral relations and views on how to strengthen them. The Georgian […]
Nino Evgenidze is Executive Director of the Economic Policy Research Center. During the planning process of the state budget, a 6% real economic growth was predicted; however the civil society and political circles are questioning the feasibility of achieving 6% growth rate and performance of the planned budgetary revenues. According to the […]
Georgian Dream supporters demand the Georgian Dream gamgebeli’s resignation, because he supported a National Movement candidate for head of the town council. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For more than three weeks, activists and supporters of the Georgian Dream coalition have been protesting in front of town hall in Ozurgeti in the western Guria region of Georgia, against the acting head of the municipality. The activists have set up […]
Patriarch Ilia II during his last visit to Russia earlier this year. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Patriarch will visit Russia for the 1025th epiphany anniversary. Events for the anniversary will be held in Moscow, Kyiv and Minsk. Patriarch Ilia II will visit all three cities accompanied by a Georgian delegation July 23-30. […]
Zakaria Kutsnashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new amendment to the election code will require top officials to resign two days after they are registered as candidates in the presidential election. The new regulations will apply to the prime minister, ministers of autonomous republics […]
Vano Merabishvili during a court appearance. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU’s enlargement commissioner Štefan Füle has spoken by phone to the UNM Secretary General and former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who is in detention waiting to face trial. According to Merabishvili’s Facebook page, the European […]
David Losaberidze is Project Coordinator at the Caucasus Institute for Peace Democracy and Development. Establishing true local self-government was one of the new Government of Georgia’s major pre-election promises. The ambitious goal of creating local self-governing units is now part of the government’s strategy. In Georgia’s two decades of independence, no other […]
Eka Beselia, head of the committee. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The human rights committee in parliament has passed a statement about the events of May 17, when radical priests and their supporters disrupted a peaceful demonstration against homophobia in Tbilisi. Before the final adoption on Tuesday, there have […]
Conditions are tough in Georgian mines. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One person has died after an explosion in a mine in Chiatura, a town in the central parts of Georgia. This is sixth person who have died while working in the manganese mines the last three years. 11 have been so severely injured that they are unable […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Interior Ministry in Georgia denies that there were violations or acts of brutality by the police during the questioning Mamuka Mikautadze, who a few weeks ago was reported to have killed himself the after he was questioned at the police station. […]
Earlier this year the de facto border was moved 300 m and reinforced with razor wire in Ditsi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian border guards have detained five more Georgian citizens for crossing the de facto border near the breakaway region South Ossetia. A journalist working for Interpressnews reports that three Georgians were detained in the village Akhalubani […]
Minister of Education Giorgi Margvelashvili (left), and his deputy Tamar Sanikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Minister of Education Giorgi Margvelashvili has picked his own replacement, as he prepares for the race to be Georgia’s next president. The Georgian Dream coalition chose Margvelashvili as its candidate in the upcoming election, and although Georgian […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili will visit Lithuania and Poland July 18-19. Davit Zalkaliani, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, said on Monday’s briefing that Georgia sees visit to Lithuania to be important as it has recently taken […]
Paata Burchuladze. (Intrpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–As the presidential election in October is drawing nearer, Georgians are discussing candidates and who their next president might be. The Georgian Dream coalition has already decided on Education Minister Giorgi Margvelashvili as their candidate, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The court hearing for the two clerics who participated in the violent clashes on May 17 has been postponed until July 23. The hearing was to have been on Monday, and apart from the two clerics the case also concerns several other persons who are […]
Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–45 percent of people like Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate for president, while 48 percent like Davit Bakradze, who most likely will be the National Movement’s candidate. When asked who they would want as president, […]
It’s the fourth year Tbilisi organizes a beer festival. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A beer festival was held this weekend on Roses Square in Tbilisi. The festival is organized by Georgian brewery Natakhtari. It has become a tradition and is held for the fourth time this year. Among the beer brands guests could taste were Czech Kozel, […]
Davit Bakradze, one of the National Movement’s four candidates for president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Davit Bakradze, parliamentary leader of the National Movement, defended his frontrunner status Sunday with a third primary election win. 566 UNM delegates met in Telavi, a town in the eastern Kakheti region, to listen to a debate between Davit […]
Valentina Sajaia, 90, lives in Sanatorium with her grandchildren for last 20 years (DF Watch photo) TBILISI, DFWatch–Valentina Sajaia, 90, has been living in the Likani settlement for the last 20 years with about 120 other families, who were forced to leave their houses in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. She has raised four children without her husband […]
Rusudan Kervalishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rusudan Kervalishvili, a former lawmaker for the National Movement party, and her sister Maya Rcheulishvili, who are accused of running a ponzi scheme through a construction company they founded, have been released on USD 150 000 bail each. […]
Tengiz Gunava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The governor of the Samegrelo Zemo Svaneti region was Friday sentenced to four years in jail. Governor Tengiz Gunava was charged in several different cases and was accused of exceeding his powers while he was head of the regional police department […]
Tamar Beruchashvili, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Saakashvili accuses the government of worsening relations with the EU and claims that the signing of an association agreement with the EU has been removed from the schedule of the Vilnius summit. Tamar Beruchashvili, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Muslims in an eastern Georgian village are still not able to live their lives normally, as Friday prayer was disrupted again in Samtatskharo. Neither local Muslims or Muslims from the other regions came to pray yesterday. Parmen Tsetskhladze, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A new survey shows that the number of Georgians who consider Russia a threat has increased by nine percentage points since March. The survey was organized by National Democratic Institute (NDI) and shows that 37 percent think Russia is a threat, […]
EU Commissioner Štefan Füle (left) and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Commissioner Štefan Füle is hopeful about Georgia’s chances of signing an association agreement with the EU at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in November. Füle is visiting Georgia and today met with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili […]
Counter-activist with poster saying “These are the sins of Sodom and Gomorra”. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new opinion poll shows that 79 percent of Georgians do not support the anti-homophobia demonstration on May 17, 2013, which was disrupted by radical Christian clerics and their followers, resulting in almost 30 people being injured. 52 percent think […]
Sergo Ratiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prosecutors in Georgia have seized the house of a member of the parliamentary opposition on the grounds of an appeal by the businessman Joseph Kay. Sergo Ratiani, a member of the Untied National Movement, on Thursday went public with what had happened […]
Rusudan Kervalishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former member of parliament from the National Movement and her sister are accused of fraud in connection with a construction company they own and if convicted may face up to 11 years in jail. Thursday they were summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Transparency International Georgia (TIG) criticizes the process to privatize state property for not being sufficiently transparent, saying this may allow for corrupt deals. According to TIG, information from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable […]
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Defense Minister Irakli Alasania says Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan have relocated to a safer place after the last attack on one of their bases, which caused the death of seven soldiers. However, the investigation into the Taliban threat video, […]
From the July 7 scuffle outside Dinamo stadium in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has fined three participants at a rally outside Dinamo stadium on July 7. Groups of mostly young people rallied against Russian Duma members who were watching a match between the football teams Dinamo Tbilisi and Dinamo Moscow. […]
Some believe the bill will ban kissing in public places. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Interior Ministry demands to have fines for certain violations which are now punished only with undefined sanctions. But some people think the ministry is increasing the size of the fines and are against the initiative. The Ministry of Internal […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers have detained one more Georgian citizen and taken him to Tskhinvali, the capital of the de facto breakaway region South Ossetia. Witnesses claim that the detainee, Guram Gigineishvili, 49, was working in the cornfield in the village […]
Lincoln Mitchell, Associate at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has made Georgia more free, while President Viktor Yanukovich made Ukraine less free when he came to power in 2010. Although the West’s “golden kid” lost the election both places, and former officials have been prosecuted, what happened in the two countries is different, […]
Member of Parliament Akaki Minashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A duel of words has broken out in Tbilisi after members of the Russian Duma turned up at a football match between Dinamo Tbilisi and Dinamo Moscow. The friendship match on July 7 is the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union that the two […]
51% of Georgians think the courts are extremely or very corrupt. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has one of the lowest rates of bribery among the 107 countries included on the Global Corruption Barometer survey, but 51% think the courts are extremely or very corrupt. Georgians still perceive the judiciary, the media and parliament as […]
Štefan Füle (left), European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, and President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. (Photo published on Saakashvili’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, is in Georgia and has met with the president and members of the parliamentary opposition. After meeting with President Mikheil Saakshvili, the EU’s enlargement […]
Suliko Khozrevanidze says he left until the situation calms down a bit. (ICK.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a village in east Georgia, a prominent Muslim has left because of the religious conflict that has been developing over the last month. Now Hajji Suliko Khozrevanidze, a leading figure in the Muslim community in Samtatskaro in the Kakheti region, […]
Almost fifty thousand people are expected at the electronica festival. TBILISI, DFWatch–Organizers of Batumi Summer Set Festival are preparing for the arrival of almost fifty thousand music lovers August 22-24. The program features electronic music and includes acts such as Faithless and Sleep Party People. The Danish duo Laid Back […]
Campaigners say they have gathered more than five thousand signatures against the clearing of trees to build a complex of apartment blocks. They demand that the area be made a recreational zone. (Palitra TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–More than 40 healthy trees were cut at the former psychiatric clinic in Tbilisi on Monday. Youth and locals rallied outside, demanding a stop to the tree-cutting. Rally participants brought posters which read ‘Don’t cut’ and ‘Tbilisi City Hall is an enemy […]
The village Sakorintlo. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian border soldiers a few days ago detained another Georgian citizen and brought him to Tskhinvali where he was placed in preliminary detention. The detainee Zurab Salamashvili, 52, from the village Sakorintlo has been in a detention for three […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has worsened its performance on the Global Innovation Index by two points. According to the Global Innovation Report 2013, Georgia has moved down two positions, compared to last year, to 73th place among 142 countries. In the South Caucasus […]
Most of the abuse took place at Gldani prison in Tbilisi, where the whistleblower Bedukadze used to work. (DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili criticizes the chief prosecutor for having freed a former prison guard from criminal responsibility for torturing prisoners because he blew the whistle on the scandal. The whistleblower, Vladimer Bedukadze, was released […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The public review process of the amendments aimed at reducing the power of the prime minister that he will assume after the presidential elections scheduled for October 27 commenced this week, bringing together MPs, politicians, civil society […]
Three were detained after the incident. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Dinamo Tbilisi and Dinamo Moscow played a friendship match in Tbilisi on Sunday. It was attended by Cristiano Ronaldo and Andriy Shevchenko, and guests from the Russian Duma. The presence of the Russian parliamentarians caused youth groups to […]
Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, will visit Georgia July 11-12. Davit Jalaghania, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, said at a briefing Monday that the visit is planned to be held in Batumi, a city […]
Davit Bakradze, one of UNM’s four candidates for president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Davit Bakradze, leader of the parliamentary opposition, won the United National Movement’s second primary election for the upcoming presidential election in October. This latest party conference was held in Gori, a town closer to the capital. […]
Groups protested police brutality on Sunday (DFWatch photo) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the Interior Ministry is accused of psychological and physical pressure against a young man who committed suicide after being interrogated by police. Mamuka Mikautadze, 36, is reported to have killed himself at a water reservoir in one […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the leader of the parliamentary minority, Davit Bakradze, have agreed to create a commission to work on changing the constitution. In return, members of United National Movement won’t be interrogated […]
Friday prayer in Samtatskaro, a village in the Kakheti region in eastern Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In the village Samtatskharo in eastern Georgia, Friday prayers went ahead without incident yesterday, but the Muslims who live in the village stayed away because of threats. Only Muslims from other areas and guests from the government attended […]
Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has allocated up to GEL 200 million for the Georgian Orthodox Church over the last 11 year, according to Transparency International Georgia (TIG). The group has requested information about the funding by central and local […]
Gerard Depardieu. (IPN.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is coming under fire at home for not doing more after Gérard Depardieu violated Georgian law by visiting the breakaway region Abkhazia. The government says it will not react, as it does not consider it a serious violation. […]
Miners and factory workers in Georgia have held many strikes protesting against the unfair conditions for workers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After eight months of preparations, an amended labor code has come into force after President Saakashvili signed the bill. Deputy Justice Minister Alexander Baramidze says the new labor code entirely meets European standards, which will contribute […]
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite the prime minister’s prognosis and the state budget, the minister of economy and the minister of finance say it is impossible to achieve 6 percent economic growth by the end of the year. Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili said on […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Audit Office claims that the United National Movement received more than USD 3 million illegally as a donation during the election campaign in 2012. The State Audit Office, which earlier was called the Chamber of Control, was granted the […]
Davit Tsereteli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more member of the United National Movement, the party headed by President Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday left the party’s faction in Tbilisi City Council. This time it was Davit Tsereteli, chair of the commission on urban planning, who […]
Eka Beselia, chair of the parliamentary committee on human rights. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The hunger strike at Rustavi women’s prison is over. Prisoners of No 5 prison facility in Rustavi, a town 20 km south of the capital, had been on hunger strike for two days demanding to get their sentences reduced. Wednesday, Eka Beselia, chair […]
Current President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has changed the date of the upcoming presidential election from October 31 to October 27. He announced date of the election July 2, but the date caused concern among experts and non-governmental organizations, […]
Three people were taken to sea by the waves, and later rescued. (TV9.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Heavy rain has hit the town Kobuleti on the Black Sea coast for the last two days. Three people were taken to sea by a big wave, and later rescued. The storm on Wednesday lasted just three minutes. Big waves took three youngsters from the beach. […]
