TBILISI, August 15 – A Tbilisi court has acquitted Tedo Abramov, 22, of serious drug charges in a case the opposition claims was linked to his political activity. Arrested last December, Abramov was accused of carrying more than four grams of MDMA, an offense that can mean up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said … Read more
TBILISI, August 15 – For the 260th day in a row, protesters gathered outside Georgia’s parliament on Rustaveli Avenue. Once again, the crowd spilled onto the road, with the gathering blocking traffic to make their point. The demands remain unchanged: new parliamentary elections and the release of those detained during earlier rallies.
TBILISI, August 13 – Levan Makhashvili, head of parliament’s EU Integration Committee, says a strong voter turnout for the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) in the October 4 local elections would send a clear signal to the ‘Brussels bureaucracy’ against what he calls a pressure campaign on Georgia. The EU has voiced concerns over recent Georgian … Read more
TBILISI, August 13 – Georgia’s far right Alt Info movement, running under the name Conservatives for Georgia, has nominated Zurab Makharadze to challenge incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze in Tbilisi. The Central Election Commission assigned the party ballot slot No. 3, and Alt Info says it will also compete for city council seats in the capital … Read more
TBILISI, August 12 – A Georgian court has sentenced opposition activist Anatoli Gigauri, a member of the United National Movement (UNM), to two years in prison for resisting police during a protest last November. Prosecutors had initially charged him with assaulting a police officer, which carried a sentence of four to seven years. The judge … Read more
TBILISI, August 12 – A group of 19 journalists and camera operators who were injured during street protests in March 2023 have sued Georgia at the European Court of Human Rights. The demonstrations took place after parliament passed the first reading of the controversial foreign influence law, and saw police use force to disperse crowds. … Read more
TBILISI, August 11 – The United National Movement (UNM) will ignore a decision by authorities to change the opposition party’s ballot number. UNM lost its official ballot number – in use for decades – for the upcoming October 4 local elections, after failing to register with the Central Election Commission (CEC). UNM figure Irakli Pavlenishvili … Read more
TBILISI, August 8 – While the government followed the longstanding August 8 observance, the opposition began their ceremonies August 7, when many countries also issued statements in support. The opposition, especially the United National Movement (UNM), observed the 2008 war on August 7, while the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party stuck with the well-known date of … Read more
TBILISI, August 8 – Georgian activist Nino Datashvili will stay in jail while awaiting trial, after a court decision this week upheld her detention. She is accused of attacking a parliamentary security officer during a protest, a charge she denies. Datashvili recently underwent a psychiatric evaluation ordered by prosecutors. It was carried out inside a … Read more
The sentencing of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli to two years in prison has sparked a wave of international condemnation, with diplomats, rights groups, and officials describing the ruling as a blow to media freedom in Georgia. Amaghlobeli, editor of independent newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was convicted yesterday of slapping a police chief during a protest … Read more