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 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
TBILISI, December 8 – A Georgian interior ministry investigation has found that what came out of a police water cannon a year ago was not a World War I era chemical weapon but ordinary tear gas. The claim that a banned chemical weapon was used originates in a BBC report on December 1, which said … Read more
TBILISI, December 8 – Georgia’s parliament moved on Monday to tighten the rules for public rallies for the second time this year. The latest amendments could further restrict how protests are held in the country’s streets and public spaces. Under the bill, organizers will be required to give advance notice to state authorities if a … Read more
TBILISI, December 8 – Police in Georgia’s Black Sea region have arrested a German citizen on allegations of possessing and preparing to distribute a large quantity of methadone, in what officials describe as a major narcotics case with international elements. The Interior Ministry said officers from the Adjara Police Department detained a 23-year-old German national … Read more