News
Georgia repeat elections will be on June 29
In a few places, people will be asked to vote again on June 29 because the elections results were canceled. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Repeat elections will be held June 29 at seven precincts because results there were canceled, Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced. Among the precincts which will hold another first round in the local elections two are in Marneuli, […]
Russia invites Georgia to establish diplomatic relations
Gregory Karasin, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia thinks Georgia should take the first steps toward restoring diplomatic relations, but Georgia answers that restoring diplomatic relations with Russia is not on the agenda right now. Gregory Karasin, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, […]
South Ossetia recognizes Lugansk breakaway republic
Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The de facto South Ossetian government on June 18 recognized the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic. The Lugansk republic, comprising a land area in the southeast of Ukraine, was established on April 27 after a referendum held on May 11. […]
Results canceled at two precincts after video shows fraud
The government coalition claims a video published by National Movement which appears to show election fraud was staged. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Election results at two Georgian precincts were canceled Tuesday, as a result of a controversial video published by the National Movement party, which lost the local election in that area. The video is made by the organization Free Zone, which […]
Georgia improves its position on Global Peace Index
Georgia climbed 28 places on the Global Peace Index 2014. (Click on image to visit the report web site.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has improved its standing on the latest Global Peace Index by 28 places and is now 111 among 162 countries. The index, which was published Thursday by the Institute for Economics and Peace, gave Georgia 2.22 points. It says Georgia […]
Georgian wins European junior wrestling championship
Tarzan Maisuradze won the European junior wrestling championship in Katowice. (Photo by Sport Zone.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian wrestler Tarzan Maisuradze on Tuesday won the European junior wrestling championships in Katowice, Poland. Maisuradze won in Men’s Junior Freestyle 74 kg, defeating Konstantin Gkontsis from Greece, Murat Erturk from Turkey, […]
Georgia’s PM claims more power from the president
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia wants to take away one more power from the president: the right to award two top awards. The awards in question are the Shota Rustaveli award and the National awards of Georgia. The government wants to give […]
Music festival KaZantip defends against splinter group
Photo published by the Anaklia organizing group. TBILISI, DFWatch–The Republic of KaZantip, until now residing in Crimea, seems to be experiencing its own share of separatism, but it’s hard to figure out who is breaking away from whom. Perhaps it is more fitting to call the music festival uprooted […]
One man dies of electrocution at metal plant in Georgia
The metal plant in Rustavi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One man died from electrocution on Tuesday at the steelworks part of a smelter plant in Rustavi, near Tbilisi. Nukri Kimadze, 29, was taken to the hospital, but he died soon after arrival. Workers at the plant of Rustavi, a town 20 km south […]
Another landslide blocks main east-west road in Georgia
Clean-up work is ongoing in Rikoti pass after a second landslide blocked the road again. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Another landslide Tuesday blocked the main road that connects western and eastern Georgia. The first landslide damaged the road through Rikoti Pass on June 12, but the pass was cleaned and reopened after a few days. Tuesday morning […]
Georgians waiting to see what the EU treaty will bring
Socially vulnerable are in difficult situation in Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Technical preparations for Georgia and Moldova signing free trade treaties with the European Union ended Monday. As ten days are left until the signing, there is little debate among ordinary Georgians about what the treaty will really mean to […]
One more dead body found in Dariali
Cleanup work continues in Dariali Valley. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Another body was found in Dariali Valley on Monday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced. This is the fourth victim of a massive landslide on May 17. The ministry said the body has been sent to Tbilisi to carry out an […]
Georgia’s foreign trade up 16% Jan-May ’14
Georgia’s foreign trade continues to grow. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first five months of 2014 was USD 4,498 million. This is 16 percent more than in the same period last year, according to preliminary figures published on Monday by the Georgian National Statistics Office, Geostat. […]
Election update after 98% of votes have been counted
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili voting in Ozurgeti on Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government coalition had a strong showing in the local election, though not as strong as in the previous two national elections. In the capital Tbilisi, the coalition’s candidate for mayor, Davit Narmania, received 46.12 percent, […]
Patriarch meets U.S. Evangelicals regarding festival
Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Patriarch Ilia II has met with Viktor Gamm, vice president of Billy Graham Evangelical Association which faced some hurdles when it organized Festival of Hope in Tbilisi. The patriarch expressed his sorrow about the way the organizers […]
Georgian politician who withdrew candidacy wins election by 52%
Pulled out, but won. Merab Topchishvili received 52% of the votes in Marneuli and will become head of municipality. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian politician who withdrew his candidacy one day before Sunday’s local election seems to have won by an absolute majority. Merab Topchishvili and the Georgian Dream coalition each held press conferences last week to announce his […]
Abkhazia’s interim rulers plan to block Georgians from voting
Raul Khajimba. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The new de facto rulers of Abkhazia are preparing to prevent Georgians with dual citizenship from voting in the election planned for August 24. “25-26 thousand people are not eligible to vote in the […]
Celebratory mood after Georgia’s local election
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and candidate for Tbilisi mayor Davit Narmania, celebrated Sunday night. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Both the ruling Georgian Dream coalition and the National Movement celebrated the results of exit polls from Sunday’s local election. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili congratulated candidate for Tbilisi mayor Davit Narmania on his victory, […]
Preliminary results: Government coalition 55%, UNM 20%
55 percent voted for the governing Georgian Dream coalition, 20 percent for the National Movement, based on results from 468 out of 3,637 precincts in the country. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Dream gets 55.45 percent of the votes in all of Georgia, UNM 20.19 percent while Burjanadze’s coalition received 9.8 percent of the votes counted in 468 out of 3,637 precincts in the country. In Tbilisi, preliminary figures […]
Mother claims daughter discriminated against by priest
Levon Isakhanyan (left) and Inna Sukiasyan. TBILISI, DFWatch–A mother claims a priest forced her daughter to leave a church a few days ago because of her ethnicity. The priest denied this. Inna Sukiasyan, who is of Armenian origins, last week wrote on her Facebook page and later told journalists that […]
Exit poll: second round may be needed in Tbilisi
One of the exit polls shows that there will be second round of the election for Tbilisi mayor, but another exit poll gives Georgian Dream a direct win. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An exit poll conducted by Rustavi 2 indicates that a second round might be necessary in Tbilisi. If the exit poll is correct, the candidate for the ruling Georgian Dream coalition will get 46.3 percent of votes, UNM candidate gets 27 percent of […]
Footballer-minister Kaladze accused of election violation
Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze denied having violated election laws. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A government spokesperson in Georgia defended himself Sunday against criticism from an opposition politician for standing in front of a political banner during a press conference on election day. Energy Minister and Vice Prime Minister Kakhi Kaladze […]
What you need to know about Georgia’s local election
Today’s election marks a significant expansion of local democracy in Georgia. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Sunday’s election in Georgia marks a significant expansion of local democracy in the country. Voters are electing twelve new mayors, 59 gamgebelis, or heads of municipalities, and about 2,500 members of 71 local councils. 16,190 registered […]
Voting goes smoothly in Georgia’s local election
“I call on every politician to make today a victory for democracy,” said President Giorgi Margvelashvili after casting his vote in Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch-Voting went smoothly Sunday in Georgia’s local election. 517,123 people had voted by noon, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). This is 16 percent of registered voters. ISFED said 98.7% of precincts were ready to receive voters […]
Two of Georgian president’s top people left
Vano Machavariani, foreign policy adviser to the Georgian president, left his job Friday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president’s foreign policy adviser Vano Machavariani left his job on Friday. The head of the president’s administration, Lasha Abashidze, also resigned. Both delivered a written resignation, but Machavariani told […]
561 foreign observers for Georgia’s local election
Tamar Zhvania, head of Georgia’s Central Election Commission. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There will be 32 international and 59 Georgian organizations observing the local election on Sunday, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). The CEC said the number of representatives of Georgian organizations […]
Government’s candidate in Marneuli confirms withdrawal
Merab Topchishvili confirmed that he is withdrawing as candidate for gamgebeli in Marneuli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A candidate for Georgia’s governing coalition in a town south of the capital has announced that he is withdrawing from tomorrow’s local election. The coalition earlier said he would withdraw. Merab Topchishvili was Georgian Dream’s candidate […]
16 Georgians captured by Iraqi insurgents
From a rebellion in Mosul in April, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A United Nations spokesperson said Friday that 16 Georgians had been captured by Islamist insurgents in Iraq. Georgian authorities would not confirm the report. It was first reported by Reuters that insurgents in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria […]
Court faults Georgia’s lifting of mine’s protected status
Sakdrisi gold mine. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Friday canceled a decision by the Culture Ministry to remove the protected area status of Sakdrisi, an ancient gold mine which archaeologists say has more than 5,400 years old traces of humans. The court’s decision means […]
Barroso: Georgia doesn’t have to choose between East and West
President of the EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso (left), and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso Thursday arrived in Georgia on the second leg of his visit to countries on Russia’s southwestern perimeter. Barroso said the Association Agreement Georgia is to sign on June 27 is not ‘exclusive’, […]
Government coalition withdraws its candidate in Marneuli
Georgian Dream has withdrawn Merab Topchishvili (pictured) from the election for gamgebeli in Marneuli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Dream coalition on Thursday withdrew its candidate for gamgebeli in Marneuli in Sunday’s local election, explaining that it was necessary in order to avoid making it into a purely ethnic vote. The National Movement is running with an […]
National Movement under investigation for faking persecution
Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has asked Prosecutor’s Office to investigate whether the National Movement’s candidates are pretending to be under pressure. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party is under investigation for pretending to be victim of political persecution. Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has asked the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate whether the National Movement […]
Russian given 12 years for Batumi shooting
Batumi City Court. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Batumi City Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 12 years in jail, who is suspected of murdering a Russian diplomat and his wife in Abkhazia last year. Yusuf Lakayev, an ethnic Chechen, was charged with illegally crossing the border, illegally […]
Barroso visits Georgia to underline EU’s support
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. (Photo published by the EU.) TBILISI, DFWatch–José Manuel Barroso will visit Georgia Thursday and Friday. The two day stopover will be the EU Commission president’s first official visit to Georgia. Barroso is arriving from Moldova, and will leave for Azerbaijan on June 14. During […]
One more brutal murder case from 2008 reopened
Nino Giorgobiani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A few days before the local elections, the Interior Ministry in Georgia has gone public with details of yet one more crime conducted by Saakashvili’s government in which opponents were treated with a brutality reminiscent of Scorsese movies. […]
Family of murdered ranger demonstrate outside UNM office
The family of murdered ranger Davit Tsendeliani demonstrated outside the National Movement party office on Wednesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The family of a forest ranger who was killed in 2008 demonstrated in Zugdidi Wednesday. Ranger Davit Tsindeliani is still formally missing, but is believed to have been killed in August 2008, after the war between Russia and Georgia. His family […]
Saakashvili ridicules OSCE envoy
Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. (112.ua.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has ridiculed the appointment of Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini as OSCE special representative to Ukraine. In an interview with Ukrainian TV channel TSN on Tuesday, Saakashvili said that […]
Audit Office wants to fine three political parties
The Audit Office monitors the financial activities of political parties. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Audit Office wants to fine the political parties Alliance of Georgia’s Patriots, Conservative Party and Georgia’s Way. The body which monitors the financial activity of political parties claims that Alliance of Georgia’s Patriots didn’t declare donations […]
Workers rally outside clinic treating burnt miners
The workers want back the Labor Inspection to ensure a safer workplace environment. (Photo published by GTUC on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Trade Union demonstrated outside a hospital in Tbilisi on Tuesday to show solidarity with workers who were burnt in a fire in a coal mine the day before. Two of the injured workers after the fire in a Tkibuli coal mine are still in a difficult […]
South Ossetia election raises specter of ‘Crimean scenario’
Spokesperson for Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, Davit Zalkaniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliamentary election in South Ossetia Sunday was soundly won by a political bloc which wants the breakaway region to join the Russian Federation. The party Edinaya Ossetia, or United Ossetia, has union with Russia as a […]
Tbilisi court restores UNM’s candidate in Marneuli
The Central Election Commission has damaged its reputation, says National Movement activist Giga Bokeria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Tuesday restored a National Movement candidate’s right to run in the June 15 local election. Akmamed Imamkuliev was launched as the UNM’s candidate for gamgebeli in Marneuli, a town in southern Georgia. But June 5, […]
Foreign investments Georgia was USD 260 million in Q1
Poti port. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Direct foreign investment in Georgia in the first quarter of 2014 was USD 260 million, according to preliminary data from National Statistics Office, Geostat. The preliminary data published on Tuesday show that the amount of investments in the […]
Seven injured in Georgian coal mine fire
Coal dust caught fire in the Mindeli Mine in Tkibuli, a town in western Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Seven people were injured in a fire in a coal mine in Tkibuli on Monday. Two of them are seriously injured. According to Tamaz Dolaberidze, head of the Metallurgy and Mining Industry Worker’s Trade Unions, coal caught fire at about 18:00 on Monday […]
CEC upholds rejection of UNM candidate in Marneuli
Akmamed Imamkuliev. (Screen grab from Maestro TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Election Commission (CEC) in Georgia has canceled the registration of a National Movement candidate for gamgebeli of Marneuli in the June 15 local elections. CEC explained that the candidate didn’t comply with the requirements of the […]
Saakashvili offers to help Georgian government
Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former President Mikheil Saakashvili continues to offer his assistance. On Sunday, after instructing Ukraine’s new president, Petro Poroshenko, to under no circumstance weaken the military operation against pro-Moscow separatists in the east, […]
Biden announces new USD 5 million aid package to Georgia
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (left) and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Ukraine June 7, 2014. (Photo published by the Georgian president’s press office.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States allocates USD five million in assistance to Georgia, specifically people affected by the so-called borderization at the administrative boundary lines around the breakaway regions. US Vice President Joe Biden announced the assistance […]
Georgia to cut troop numbers in Afghanistan to 700
Georgian soldiers preparing to leave for Afghanistan in March, 2013. (Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is reducing its number of troops in Afghanistan from January 1, 2015, to 700, Mindia Janelidze, Chairman of the Council for State Security and Crisis Management (CSSCM), announced Sunday. Defense Minister Irakli Alasania, who participated […]
New investigation into brutal 2008 murder in Georgia
The Ministry of Internal Affairs main office in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ministry of Internal Affairs has opened an investigation into the 2008 disappearance and murder of Paata Kardava, an intelligence officer at the Ministry of Defense. The investigation centers on Roman Shamatava, former head of the Constitutional Security […]
Orthodox activists protest evangelical event in Tbilisi
Giorgi Gabedava, candidate for Tbilisi City Council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of Orthodox Christian activists protest against the international evangelistic Festival of Hope to be held in Georgia and call on people not to attend. Clerics and their supporters gathered at a church in Didube, the district of Tbilisi where […]
Dariali Valley evacuated after landslide alert
Clean-up work was resumed in Dariali Valley Saturday after a brief evacuation. (TV1.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Clean-up work in Dariali Valley in northern Georgia was resumed on Saturday, a day after workers were evacuated due to a risk of a new landslide. Seismologists registered microquakes in Devdoraki glacier, which the government’s experts said was the direct […]
Mayor breaks into district election office, swears at official
Suspended Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava and other National Movement members accuse a district election official of being partial. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Suspended Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava Thursday broke into a district election commission office in Marneuli and swore at the local official in charge. It’s the latest in a series of incidents involving the party, as Georgia gets closed to the local […]
Calls to restore heritage status for Sakdrisi mine
Demonstrators want the area’s heritage status to be restored. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A rally was held Thursday to demand the restoration of protected area status for the old Sakdrisi mine in southern Georgia. The rally took place outside the National Cultural Heritage Protection Agency in Tbilisi and was organized by environmental […]
Georgia doesn’t know what Obama’s military assistance means
“A historical moment for our country’s relation with NATO,” says Georgia’s Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government is unable to say specifically what Barack Obama’s initiative to boost the military capacity of non-NATO partner countries will mean and how the US will assist Georgia, but they welcome the initiative. Georgia’s defense […]
Rasmussen stops short of promising Georgia MAP
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania (left) and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen promises that Georgia’s progress will be assessed at the upcoming NATO Summit in Wales, but stops short of saying what the outcome might be. Many Georgians had reckoned that their country would […]
30,000 conservatives demand anti-discrimination law changed
Conservative Orthodox Christians in Georgia have gathered 30,000 signatures to remove a phrase in a new law which specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–30 000 people in Georgia have signed a document demanding changes in a newly adopted anti-discrimination law. The Union of Genus Leaders has been gathering signatures since May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, and asked […]
Merkel to visit Georgia
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Georgia before spring 2015, by invitation of Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. The PM on Monday met Merkel in Berlin and invited her to Georgia. She accepted the invitation and expressed her desire […]
Georgian PM expects ‘adequate assessment’ of his efforts
Tbilisi, Dfwatch – Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili hopes that a progress done by Georgia will be ‘adequately assessed’ on the upcoming NATO Summit in Wales, but he also thinks it is not advisable to speak of this issue in advance, as it raises false expectations among his fellow counterparts. […]
Heavy rains hit Georgia, a man drowned near Borjomi
(TV9) Tbilisi, DFWatch – A 25-year-old man has drowned in a river Sakirula, near resort town Borjomi, in southern Georgia on Tuesday after heavy rains caused floods across the area. Murman Lomsadze has virtually been washed away from his own yard and drowned […]
Georgia’s wine export is booming
Wine export grew 147 percent in the first five months of 2014, compared to the year before. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia increased its export of wine by 147 percent in the first five months of 2014, compared to last year. 22,779,153 bottles of wine was exported to 32 countries worldwide, which amounted to USD 73,795,849. Revenues from wine export in January […]
Court temporarily bans mining in Sakdrisi
Sakdrisi mining site. (Photo taken by Green Fist.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has suspended a decree by the Ministry of Culture that gave a green light to begin mining at the site of an alleged ancient gold mine in south east Georgia. RMG Gold, a gold mining company that was prohibited from carrying on work in Sakdrisi, […]
Temporary road to be opened in Dariali
Clean-up work is progressing 24 hours a day, and a new temporary road will be opened in a few days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For over two weeks, the only road through the Caucasus mountain range has been closed due to a massive landslide May 17. Now, Georgian authorities say a new temporary road will be opened in few days, after intense work to dig a new path […]
Georgia to change its policy toward softer drugs
Demonstrators, mostly youth, demanded decriminalization of marijuana yesterday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people, mostly youth, gathered Monday outside the government office in Tbilisi to demand decriminalization of marijuana. The rally started at 18:00 in the evening. There were no speeches or appeals. People were dressed in green colors […]
Swiss President Burkhalter visiting Georgia
Didier Burkhalter arriving at Tbilisi airport Monday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Swiss President Didier Burkhalter arrived in Georgia Monday evening as part of a round trip in the South Caucasus. Lasha Abashidze, head of Georgia’s Presidential Administration, and Davit Zalkaliani, First Deputy Foreign Minister, met him […]
Merkel: NATO not to offer Georgia MAP in September
German Chancellor Angela Merkal and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–German Chancellor Angela Merkel says NATO will not offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the upcoming summit in Wales in September. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Monday met Merkel during a visit to Germany. At a joint […]
Gardabani street fight was ethnic, local says
A local says the violence in Gardabani had an ethnic background and may be repeated if the responsible are not held to account. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A recent street fight last week in the eastern Georgian town Gardabani appears to have background in ethnic tensions. Some fear there may be more violence if the responsible are not held to account. Wednesday night’s streets clashes in Gardabani, […]
Abkhazian leader resigns
Alexander Ankvab. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The leader of the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, resigned on Sunday. Ankvab said he resigned in order to ‘maintain the stability of the country’, according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass. “In accordance with […]
Parties in Georgia don’t pay enough attention to youth
Tako Kakabadze (left), Ako Goguadze and David Uchadze. (Click to watch video.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three youth politicians told DF Watch in a recent discussion that political parties in Georgia do not pay much attention to youth problems. On May 31, Tako Kakabadze from New Rightists Party’s youth wing, Ako Goguadze from the youth wing of the […]
Demonstration in Tbilisi for decriminalization of marijuana
‘End the brutal drug policy’. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Mostly young demonstrators marched through Tbilisi on Saturday, against what they see as a too tough drug policy. Their slogan, ‘Beka is not a criminal’, is in support of a man who may be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail for possession […]
Viral meningitis outbreak receding in Georgia
Also at Kutaisi hospital, the number of cases is falling. 63 people were infected in Georgia’s second largest city. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 200 viral meningitis patients out of 400 have left hospital, according to Georgia’s Health Minister, Davit Sergeenko. He says the number of cases of viral meningitis has gone down in the large cities, after the outbreak peaked on May 23. […]
Youth for legalizing marijuana plan demonstration
From last year’s demonstration. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Youth in Georgia also this year plan to demonstrate for decriminalizing marijuana. On June 2 last year, there was a large rally outside the old parliament building in Tbilisi for legalizing pot, and this year’s rally is planned at the government […]
Details published about Saakashvili’s travel expenses
Publicity photo of former President Mikheil Saakashvili published on the eve of his leaving office in November, 2013. TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili spent GEL 1,533,222 (USD 866,000) of public money on official visits during his last year in office. According to the report published by Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) […]
Youth Parliament – learning to put words into action
Teona Lavrelashvili, founder of Georgian Youth Parliament. TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, a group of young students have created their own parliament. It has 100 MPs and prepares real draft laws which are sent to the real parliament. A few weeks ago, this youth parliament held its 2014 opening session in the parliament […]
Search for bodies continuing after May 17 landslide
The mud from the May 17 landslide in Dariali clogged the river Tergi and may have killed up to seven people. TBILISI, DFWatch–Nearly two weeks after a catastrophic landslide hit Dariali Valley in the Caucasus mountains, the search is continuing for four people who are still missing. Three have been found dead. The Road Department in Georgia is working in two shifts to clean […]
Parole commission releases 79 prisoners
Prison No 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parole commission decided at a session Tuesday to release 79 prisoners. According to the Prison Ministry, 69 of those up for release are men, 10 are women. Two of the women had their sentence converted to community work. During the session, […]
Saakashvili ideologue to be adviser for new Ukraine president
Kakha Bendukidze, a former economy minister for Saakashvili, will be adviser for Petro Poroshenko’s new economy council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is not to advise the new Ukrainian government, but his economy minister, Kakha Bendukidze, confirms that he has been appointed as an adviser to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko. […]
Large street fight in eastern Georgian town
The clashes involved some 200 people of Azerbaijani and Georgian ethnic origin. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Wednesday night there was a street fight in a town south east in Georgia involving hundreds of youth. The fight took place in Gardabani, a town with a mixed Azerbaijani and Georgian population. Claims vary about what started the scuffle. Some […]
Merkel meets premiers of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatseniuk. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The prime ministers of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on Wednesday met with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel in Germany. “We would like people to know that which road to choose, and our meeting today is held exactly for this [purpose],” […]
KaZantip festival will go ahead in Crimea after all
An offshoot of the KaZantip festival is being organized in Georgia, but it will also be held in its original location in Crimea. (Publicity photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The electronic dance music festival KaZantip will be held in Crimea after all. Earlier it was announced it had moved to Georgia. For the last 22 years, KaZantip has been held in Crimea. But this year, it was first announced it had moved to Georgia, […]
Georgian foreign minister visiting U.S.
Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze is visiting the U.S. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze on Tuesday began an official visit to the United States which will last until May 30. According to the Foreign Ministry’s press office, Panjikidze will hold meetings with representatives of different […]
‘Coup attempt’ in Abkhazia
TBILISI, DFWatch–The opposition in Abkhazia Tuesday night took over the presidential administration in Sukhumi and demanded the resignation of President Alexander Ankvab. A new caretaker government claims to be in control of the breakaway region, led by Raul Khajimba, […]
Former Tbilisi mayor brutally attacked
Zurab Chiaberashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-Mayor of Tbilisi and National Movement member Zurab Chiaberashvili was attacked in the cafe in Tbilisi on Tuesday. The attackers allegedly were Rezo Tabukashvili and director Giorgi Mgeladze. Chiaberashvili told journalists at the hospital […]
Georgian president transfers signing power to PM
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has transferred the right to sign an Association Agreement with EU to the prime minister for him to sign. Who will sign the AA has been a subject of debate the last few weeks. Government officials have […]
Davit Kezerashvili acquitted of cognac fraud
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Tuesday acquitted former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili of cognac fraud. Kezerashvili, who is under house arrest and electronic surveillance in France after being detained at Nice airport last year and then released in February, was charged by Georgian authorities in February, 2013, with assisting […]
Georgian soldiers took oath on Independence Day
Soldiers took an oath and were greeted by their commander-in-chief, President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Thousands of people came to downtown Tbilisi to mark Independence Day on Monday. The day was celebrated in 12 cities and towns all over the country. There was no military parade, which used to be a tradition during the Saakashvili government, but the new […]
School closure in Georgia extended four days due to virus
Kindergartens and schools will remain closed at least until the end of the week, due to an outbreak of viral meningitis. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian kindergartens and schools up to sixth grade will remain closed until the end of the week to deal with an outbreak of viral meningitis. The schools should have been opened today, but Health Minister Davit Sergeenko announced Monday that they […]
Speculations about Saakashvili’s Kiev role celebrated by UNM
Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Speculation that the new Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, might hire former Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili as an advisor, is cheered by the latter’s supporters in Tbilisi. It has not been possible for DF Watch to confirm a claim […]
Violence against women increasing in Georgia, group claims
The group Identoba claims violence against women is on the rise in Georgia, and that legislation meant to protect women is ignored. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The rights group Identoba held a demonstration Saturday outside the government office to highlight the problem of violence against women. The organization, which is most known for having organized a gay rights rally in May 2013 which was attacked […]
Meningitis cases rise to 306 in Georgia outbreak
Iashvili Hospital in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of confirmed cases of viral meningitis in the last two months in Georgia has jumped to 306. According to Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), 169 of the cases were in Tbilisi, 51 in Kutaisi, 18 in […]
Georgia celebrates independence without military parade
Although generally a people’s day, there will be a little military element to Georgia’s national day this year. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the second year in a row, Georgia will mark Independence Day without a military parade. The government has decided that Independence Day will be a people’s celebration and aimed at letting people take part. But even though there is no military […]
Scuffle outside National Movement office in Rustavi
Georgian Dream and National Movement activists clashed in Rustavi Saturday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A scuffle developed Saturday as supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition demonstrated outside the National Movement’s party office in Rustavi, a city 20 km south of the capital. Mamuka Chikovani, the UNM candidate for Rustavi mayor, […]
Georgian president maintains signing power remains with him
President Giorgi Margvelashvili could delegate signing power to Prime Minister Gharibashvili when Georgia signs an association agreement with the EU June 27, an expert on the constitution suggests. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili maintains that he should sign Georgia’s association agreement with the EU, but says he wants to avoid a dispute about the issue. Shalva Tadumadze, parliamentary secretary of the government, said Friday […]
Third victim found after big landslide in Georgia
The third victim of the Dariali landslide was also found inside a hydro power tunnel. (police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A dead body was found Friday night during the ongoing search and rescue operation following the landslide in Dariali Valley on May 17. This third casualty of the disaster was also found inside a tunnel that is part of a hydro power development […]
Mayor wins right to be reinstated weeks before end of term
Gigi Ugulava in court in March, 2014. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Constitutional Court on Friday revoked a decision to suspend Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava pending a corruption trial, and he now plans to go back to work only weeks before the local election. Tbilisi City Court suspended Ugulava […]
Foreign trade growth confirmed Jan-Apr ’14
(DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first four months of 2014 was USD 3,441 million, which is 14 percent more than in the same period last year. According to precise figures published by the National Statistics Department on Friday, export was […]
Continued speculation about who should sign Georgia’s EU treaty
Georgia’s treaty with the EU will be signed by Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, although he is not head of state. Will that make the treaty invalid? (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–When Georgia signs an association agreement with the European Union in late June, it will be Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili who will do the signing. This is despite it clearly being stated in the constitution that the president is the one who signs […]
One more found dead after Dariali landslide
A second person has been found dead after the catastrophic landslide in Georgia on May 17. (police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the victims in the May 17 Dariali landslide has been found dead inside a tunnel that was dug out in connection with an ongoing hydro power development in the valley. The body most likely belongs to a truck driver, according to rescue workers, […]
Family tragedy highlights violence against women
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A family tragedy has shocked Georgia and brought attention to the problem of violence against women. It appears that a Georgian man first killed his pregnant wife and then took his own life. The tragic incident unfolded in the village Ochkhamuri, […]
Hydro power tunnel searched for survivors after landslide
A hydro power tunnel that was flooded after a landslide on May 17 was searched for the first time Thursday. This is how the site looked in 2013. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the first time after the catastrophic landslide in Dariali on May 17, rescue crew made their way into a tunnel in search of survivors, Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 reported Thursday. The tunnel, which is part of a hydro power plant under construction, […]
161 confirmed cases of viral meningitis in Georgia
Health Minister Davit Sergeenko. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of confirmed cases of viral meningitis in Georgia increased from 142 to 161 Thursday, as the health minister calmed people’s fears and assured them that the virus is not spreading through the drinking water. A rumor that the virus […]
Music festival KaZantip moved from Crimea to Georgia
It is common to bring yellow suitcases to KaZantip. (Publicity photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the first time, the electronic dance music festival KaZantip will take place in Georgia, due to recent events in Ukraine. The festival has been held annually in Crimea since 1992. Now, following the Russian annexation of the peninsula, it is […]
Landslide update: search continues as hope fades away
Some of the people rescued were workers at the Dariali hydro power plant. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The rescue operation in Dariali Valley is continuing, though officials at the Emergency Management Department say there is now almost no hope of finding anyone alive. Seven people, Turkish and Ukrainian nationals and one Georgian, are still missing. […]
Schools closed in Georgia due to outbreak of viral meningitis
Health Minister Davit Sergeenko. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An outbreak of viral meningitis has spread in schools and kindergartens in Georgia the last few weeks, with 142 confirmed cases so far. Kindergartens and schools up to 6th grade will be closed until May 27, while sanitary measures are being […]
Georgian government criticizes Maestro TV for bias
Program host Vakho Sanaia on Maestro TV. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has criticized a TV program for being biased, after it turned the spotlight on promises made by the government in the 2012 election campaign. The target of the government’s criticism is a program on Maestro TV called […]
Six still missing after massive landslide in Georgia
Aerial shot from the day of the accident, published on Facebook. TBILISI, DFWatch–Six people are still missing after the landslide in Dariali Valley on May 17, among them Georgians, Ukrainians and Turkish citizens, according to the Georgian interior minister. 12 Turkish citizens were rescued out of a tunnel, while two drivers […]
Georgian government meets EU commissioners May 21
President of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso. (Europe Diplomatic Magazine.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government will meet with EU commissioners in Brussels on May 21. First Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani says this is the first time such a meeting is being held. “This is an unprecedented format in EU-Georgia relations, which […]
Georgian media regulatory body gets new head
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s National Communications Commission (GNCC) has elected Vakhtang Abashidze as new chairman. This is the first time a head of GNCC has been elected. Abshidze, the only candidate, received the support of all five commission members. During […]
Conservatives rally at GPB after gay rights debate
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of conservatives demonstrated outside the Georgian Public Broadcaster on Monday, demanding that the TV program Red Zone is closed down, after it dedicated its Saturday show to homophobia. May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, […]
New wave of bomb hoaxes in Tbilisi
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi has been hit by a new wave of fake bomb threats. Law enforcers are conducting fruitless searches for bombs in public and private facilities. Ilia University was twice inspected on Monday and twice evacuated after there was a call made to the […]
Protests in support of ‘the invisibles’
Several protests were held in Tbilisi in support of the ‘invisible’. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several protest events were organized in the streets of Tbilisi on Sunday to express support for gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities. This followed Saturday’s massive rallies by conservative groups, who marked the newly announced […]
One dead, seven missing after landslide
The government says three trucks were caught under the rock masses. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI,DFWatch–Seven people are reported missing and one dead, according to the latest information from Dariali Valley, where a massive landslide struck Saturday morning. The government’s security and crisis management council on Sunday published a statement […]
One more Georgian detained on disputed SO border
One of the signs warning about the disputed border. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers on Sunday detained Otar Kokoshvili, 54, from the village Tamarasheni, near Kareli. He was taken to a detention facility in Tskhinvali, a central town in the breakaway region South Ossetia. According to his relatives, Kokoshvili […]
Anti-discrimination law needs effective enforcement
From left to right: Zviad Devdariani, Giorgi Gotsiridze, Lina Ghvinianidze and Rusiko Machaidze. (Click to watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Representatives of NGOs say a new law recently introduced by Georgia to eliminate all forms of discrimination lacks an enforcement mechanism, and question whether it will be effective. DF Watch recently brought together Lina Ghvinianidze, […]
Conservatives rallied against gay rights on May 17
The Georgian Orthodox Church organized many events to mark its non-acceptance of homosexual lifestyle, which it considers a sin. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The International Day Against Homophobia was in Georgia transformed into a day of family values, which was the initiative of the country’s most influential person, the Patriarch. A number of rallies and events were held on May 17 against LGBT […]
Environmental group warned about landslide risk
An environmental group in Georgia says the hydro power project Larsi may have caused the massive landslide which struck Saturday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An environmental group in Georgia warned two years ago that constructing a hydro power station in Dariali Valley would increase the risk of landslides. Five people are missing and a hundred and fifty have been rescued out of the disaster area […]
Five missing after massive landslide in Georgia
The massive landslide may have killed three Turkish construction workers working on the Dariali hydro power project. (Photo posted to Facebook by Iago Kazalikashvili.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A landslide in Dariali Valley in northern Georgia has severed the only road across the Caucasus Mountain Range. Five people are still missing. Locals say three Turkish construction workers died who were working on the Dariali hydro power station. […]
Gay rights protesters displaced as conservatives reclaim May 17
Last year’s conservative demonstrators against the LGBT event May 17, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There will be no gathering in Georgia today to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Instead, the Church and conservative groups plan a number of demonstrations to celebrate the recently announced day of family values. At […]
Foreign trade turnover Jan-Apr up 14%
Georgia’s foreign trade in the first four months of 2014 was 14% higher than the same period last year. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in January-April of 2014 was 14 percent more than the same period last year, according to preliminary data from Georgian National Statistics Department. According to the short preliminary report published on Friday, […]
Surveillance bill review postponed
Secret surveillance is to be regulated better in Georgia with a new legislative package. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia Friday postponed the review of a much-debated bill proposed by civil rights groups aimed at preventing illegal surveillance, a practice still rife in the country. The review was postponed because parliament was unable to reach a quorum. […]
Young inventors from 37 countries met in Tbilisi
This was the eighth Olympiad, and 120 inventors from 37 countries participated. TBILISI, DFWatch–International Young Inventors Project Olympiad (IYIPO) for scientists and inventors was organized in Tbilisi from May 3 to May 5. This was the eighth Olympiad, and 120 inventors from 37 countries participated. Last year, there were 25 countries […]
Georgia sees hope in NATO chief’s comment
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO. TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance will address its open-door policy at the Wales summit later this year, but it’s too early to say exactly how. He said this in response to a question about whether it’s possible […]
Former official found guilty of publishing sex tape
Gela Khvedelidze plans to appeal the one year suspended jail sentence. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has found a former Georgian official guilty and given him a one year suspended sentence. Gela Khvedelidze was found guilty of having published a video of a private nature by posting it on the Internet one year ago, while he was […]
17 Georgian bladdernut pickers released by South Ossetia
Jonjoli, or bladdernut, is a shrub used for cooking which may be harvested and sold in the market. (Ministry of Environment Protection.) TBILISI, DFWatch–17 Georgians were released by South Ossetia on Wednesday. They had all been detained on the border when they were out picking jonjoli, or bladdernut, a shrub used for cooking which may be sold in the markets. Now is the season for picking […]
Chechen denied to leave Georgia, fears being turned over to Russia
Saikhan Muzayev fears he will be secretly handed over to Russian counterintelligence. (Georgian Public Broadcaster.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Chechen refugee with Georgian citizenship told parliament on Wednesday that he is being pressured by authorities. Speaking at a plenary session, Saikhan Muzayev said he has tried to leave Georgia ten times but was denied leaving every time. Tomorrow, […]
Speculations about why PM is to sign Georgia’s EU treaty
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will sign Georgia’s association agreement with the EU, although he is not the head of state. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Association Agreement with the EU will be signed by the prime minister, although he is not the head of state. In all of EU’s 28 member states, the Association Agreement with Georgia will be signed by the head of state, which usually […]
Georgia to sign EU treaty June 27
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council. (Interpressnews.) TBILILSI, DFWatch–Georgia will sign an association agreement with the EU on June 27. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili announced the date at a meeting with Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council. “We received confirmation that Georgia will sign the […]
Premiere of comedy film about Gay couple postponed after threats
Poster of the comedy ‘We are Mad’ TBILISI, DFWatch–A film director and producer in Georgia has postponed the first screening of the new comedy about a gay couple because of the threats and fear that it might be seen as an attempt to destabilize the country. Otar Mikeladze and David Bezhitaishvili […]
Another EU visit: Rompuy expected in Tbilisi, after Hollande
Herman Van Rompuy first visited Tbilisi in July, 2012. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After French president Francois Hollande’s plane landed at Tbilisi airport Tuesday afternoon, the same day Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, is arriving for a two-day stay. It will be Rompuy’s second trip to Georgia, […]
François Hollande arrives in Georgia to strengthen EU ties
French President François Hollande arrived at Tbilisi airport Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–French President Francois Hollande arrived in Tbilisi Tuesday at midday. Hollande’s visit is the last stop of a tour of the South Caucasus. He was arriving from Armenia where he spent Monday, and before that Azerbaijan on Sunday. Arriving […]
EU’s observers call for release of jonjoli pickers
Jonjoli, or bladdernut, is a shrub used for cooking in Georgia. (Photo by Georgia’s Ministry of Environment Protection.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union Monitoring Mission to Georgia (EUMM) calls on South Ossetia to release all Georgians detained for picking the plant jonjoli. Jonjoli, or bladdernut, is a shrub used for cooking in Georgia. It grows in the wild in areas adjacent […]
Georgian Dream claims UNM created fake party office
Georgian Dream activists in Tskaltubo clashed with another group of campaigners who they claim are actually from the National Movement. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two groups of Georgian Dream coalition activists clashed during a campaign event Monday in Tskhaltubo, a town in western Georgia. One faction of activists asked the government for help, claiming that the coalition has two headquarters in Tskhaltubo, […]
Rustavi 2 under investigation for illegal wiretapping
Head of Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has launched an investigation into surveillance recordings published by Rustavi 2. The case is based on suspicion that the recordings were illegally obtained and published, which if true means that the TV company […]
Georgian group calls on people to mark May 17 on the net
The website calls on people to find creative ways to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, May 17. TBILISI, DFWatch–A website has been created in Georgia to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, May 17. The website is the creation of Identoba, an organization working to promote the rights of lesbians, gays and other sexual minorities. It was Identoba […]
Seven more Georgians detained on disputed SO border
Four Georgians were released by South Ossetia, but seven more detained. This leaves nearly twenty people in detention in Tskhinvali. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian border guards Monday detained seven more Georgians in villages bordering South Ossetia. The same day, four Georgians were released. This leaves nearly 20 Georgians who still remain in detention in Tskhinvali. The seven Georgians were detained […]
François Hollande arrives in Tbilisi on Tuesday
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili (left) and French President François Hollande. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–French President François Hollande arrives in Georgia on Tuesday as part of his tour of the South Caucasus. Hollande’s trip takes place amid a crisis in Ukraine and is aimed at boosting the EU’s ties with the region, the French news agency AFP […]
Georgian patriarch declares May 17 a day of family values
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Orthodox Church wants to declare May 17 a day to celebrate strength of family, respect for parents and a memorial day. Last year, there were fierce street clashes on May 17 last year, as the gay and lesbian community sought to mark […]
Five Georgians released by South Ossetia
Five out of eighteen Georgians detained in South Ossetia were released on Saturday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–South Ossetia on Saturday released five out of 18 Georgians detained for allegedly crossing the disputed border. 18 Georgians have been detained by Russian soldiers in the last two weeks in villages on the disputed border. According to the five […]
NDI poll shows patriarch remains most liked in Georgia
Patriarch Ilia II (seated, left) remains highly liked in Georgia, while former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has had a drop in popularity. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new poll published by National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows that Patriarch Ilia II remains the most liked person in Georgia. 96 percent of those asked say the like the patriarch. 61 percent say they like Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament; […]
Georgia plans people’s celebration on national day
Roses Square, Tbilisi, May 26, 2012. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For the second year in a row, Georgia will not hold a military parade on its national day of independence May 26. Columns of military personnel and hardware filing past and saluting their commander in chief became a tradition while Mikheil […]
Who are behind the surveillance tapes at Rustavi 2?
Nika Gvaramia (center), head of Rustavi 2. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Spokespersons for the Georgian Dream coalition say a claim by a TV station head that he and his staff are under police surveillance is staged and part of the National Movement’s election campaign. Head of Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia, claimed […]
Stalin bust unveiled in dictator’s hometown on V-Day
The bust of Stalin did not remain long, and is now kept inside the municipality building in Gori. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A bust of Joseph Stalin was Friday erected and taken down again the same day in the Soviet dictator’s hometown Gori, close to the Georgian capital. The bust was brought there by car and installed by members of a group called Eurasian Institute, […]
Eight more Georgians detained at disputed SO border
A sign warning about the Russia-imposed border. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Interior Ministry has confirmed that 8 more Georgians have been detained today on the disputed South Ossetia border. Russian soldiers arrested 7 persons from the village Korbouli and one from the village Chala in the Imereti region, in western […]
48% of Georgians will vote for the ruling coalition
Davit Narmania from Georgian Dream can be reasonably confident he will become Tbilisi mayor. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–48 percent of Georgians would vote for the Georgian Dream coalition if there were local elections tomorrow, a new polls shows. This the second part of a wider survey published by National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Thursday, contains the party […]
New charges against ex-minister detained in France
Davit Kezerashvili, former Georgian defense minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has brought in new charges against former Defense Minister Davit Kezerasvili, who was detained in France last year. Davit Kezerashvili, who was announced wanted through Interpol, was detained in October, 2013, […]
Georgian president signs anti-discrimination law
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president has signed a new anti-discrimination law, and it has therefore come into force. The Georgian Orthodox Church was against the law because it in their opinion ‘legalizes homosexuality’, and wanted to remove ‘sexual […]
Two dead in building accident in Georgia
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two workers died after the dome of a half-finished church collapsed in a small village in the Adjara region in the south western part of Georgia. The accident happened as five construction workers under the age of 30 were working on a new church […]
Georgian, Turkish and Azerbaijani presidents meet in Tbilisi
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gül (left) and Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey met in Tbilisi on Tuesday and celebrated the cooperation between their countries. The summit was initiated by the Turkish president and the main topic was three joint projects. Two of them are already […]
Georgia’s former ruling party loses its trademark ‘number 5’
The number 5 has been the National Movement’s symbol in all recent elections. Here from a campaign rally in Tbilisi, August, 2012. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Election Commission has rejected the National Movement’s request to use the number 5 on the ballot-papers in the local elections in June. UNM, which is running alongside the Christian Conservative Party, said in a statement May 5 that […]
Rustavi 2 director claims police is watching him
Head of Rustavi 2 TV Nika Gvaramia claims he is under surveillance. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian TV company accuses the government of wiretapping and spying on its management and journalists. The accusations were put forth on Tuesday by Nika Gvaramia, director of Rustavi 2, the last major TV channel that remains faithful to former […]
Erisimedi – a village on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border
Ioseb Giuradze in Erisimedi says they have little contact with people on the other side of the border, but the situation is peaceful. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Erisimedi is a small village right on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border with a population of not more than a few hundred. It belongs to the Georgian municipality Sighnagi, but lacks a clear demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan, which has caused […]
Georgians are split on minorities issues
Demonstrators against accepting homosexuality, Tbilisi, May 17, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The latest survey of public attitudes, published by National Democratic Institute (NDI), shows that Georgians are split in their views on the need to protect minorities. When it comes to protection of gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities, […]
Suspect in brutal revenge attack placed in pre-trial detention
Tbilisi City Court. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A man suspected of beating the brother of a former government official was Monday placed in pre-trial detention by Tbilisi City Court. Businessman Davit Kodia, brother of former police official Erekle Todua, was beaten a few days ago in Tbilisi while […]
Georgians less satisfied with their government
Does ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili pull the strings in government after he left office, is one the issues people were asked about in NDI’s poll. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–36 percent of Georgians think the country is definitely or mainly going in the right direction. This is significantly lower than in November 2013, when 53 percent were of the same opinion. This is one of the results presented Monday in the latest […]
Poll shows more Georgians see Russia as a threat
46 percent of Georgians are satisfied with the government’s response to the installation of barbed wire and fences by Russian soldiers, the NDI survey shows. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of people who think Russia is a real and existing threat to Georgia has increased by 14 percent compared to November. This is one of the findings in the latest survey of public attitudes by the National Democratic Institute, […]
Presidents of Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan meet in Tbilisi Tuesday
The National Library in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The presidents of Turkey and two South Caucasus countries will meet at the National Library in Tbilisi on Tuesday, to attend the 2014 Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey Summit. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili is host for Turkey’s Abdullah Gül […]
Number of visitors to Georgia continues to grow
Also the number of tourists to Georgia is increasing. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–New figures published by the Georgian Interior Ministry show that 390,685 people visited the country in April. This is 7.4 percent more than in the same period last year. In the first four months of the current year, 1,396,952 people visited […]
Transsexuals excluded from debate about discrimination
Transsexuals demonstrated outside a TV studio in Gori Saturday, after being excluded from a debate about a new anti-discrimination law. (Trialeti.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Transsexuals demonstrated outside a TV studio in Georgia on Saturday because they were not allowed to take part in a debate about a new anti-discrimination law. Locals in Gori, a town close to the capital, came to the studio building of Trialeti TV […]
Street justice: brother of ex-official hospitalized in Tbilisi
Davit Kodua, brother of wanted ex-official Erekle Kodua, was brutally beaten in Tbilisi Saturday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The brother of a wanted former official in the Saakashvili regime was brutally beaten in Tbilisi on Saturday. The victim of the attack was Davit Kodua, brother of Erekle Kodua, a former top police official who is currently outside the country and internationally […]
Journalist breaks into endangered archaeological site
Sakdrisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Saturday, there was a scuffle between a journalist and guards working for RMG Gold, a Russian mining company digging in a prehistoric cave complex in the south of Georgia. RMG Gold issued a statement saying that their guards were confronted by a […]
Georgian PM claims campaigners undermining government
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili claims a campaign to reign in illegal surveillance is an attempt to undermine the government. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says demands by influential NGOs to refine legislation to prevent illegal wiretapping is an attack against the government. After the Saakashvili regime lost power in Georgia, several Tbilisi-based […]
Georgia passes modified anti-discrimination bill
Priests organized several demonstrations against the bill, here outside parliament in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Lawmakers in Georgia on Thursday passed an anti-discrimination bill after being pressured from the European Union. The bill was slightly modified after criticism from the Orthodox Church. The Georgian Orthodoc Church was opposed to the bill because […]
Dead diplomat’s family says death was suspicious
Former Ambassador to Switzerland, Levan Mikeladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The family of a deceased diplomat claims that he did not die from natural causes. Levan Mikeladze was Georgian Ambassador to Switzerland. He died on April 26, 2009; officially from a heart attack. Mikeladze resigned in protest after President […]
Georgian minister asks NATO for air defenses
US Vice President Joe Biden and Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Defense Minister Irakli Alasania asks NATO to install air defenses and other military systems in Georgia. He made the call in a speech at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, on Wednesday. “Now the West has to seize the […]
NATO’s Caucasus envoy visits Tbilisi tomorrow
James Appathurai. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO envoy James Appathurai will visit Georgia on Thursday. Appathurai, whose full title is NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, will meet with government members and the parliament, the Ministry […]
Youth groups in Georgia plan several rallies on May 1
Green Fist, one of the youth groups organizing rallies May 1. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Young people in Georgia plan to mark the International Worker’s Day, May 1, with rallies different places in the country. A rally will be held at Tbilisi State University at 14:00 by Young Social-Democrats, Georgia’s Young Greens, Georgia’s […]
Books brought to Georgia in WW2 to be returned to Germany
Germany offers to restore books kept at Tbilisi State University. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has decided to return books currently at Tbilisi State University that were brought here from Germany during World War II. Shalva Tadumadze, the government’s parliamentary secretary, explained […]
Orthodox Church against EU in Georgian parliament
Priests demonstrated outside parliament Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Clerics in Georgia don’t want a Europe where ‘homosexuality is legalized,’ and call on parliament to not pass an anti-discrimination law required for the signing of an association agreement with the EU. The Georgian parliament has two more […]
Large weapons collection discovered in Tbilisi
Military type weapons including anti-tank missiles were voluntarily handed over to the police by a 44 year old Georgian man. (Police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian citizen has voluntarily handed over a large collection of military type weapons to the police department in Tbilisi. The impressive weapons collection included an RPG-26 anti-tank grenade launcher, four prefabricated PG-9 […]
Rape case shocks Tbilisi
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have detained three Iraqi citizens who are suspected of rape of a minor in Tbilisi. They are suspected of attempting to rape a fifteen year old boy on Tuesday at an apartment on Zandukeli Street in the center of the capital, but […]
Georgia’s defense minister to meet Chuck Hagel
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Defense Minister Irakli Alasania is to meet Chuck Hagel, US Secretary of Defense. Alasania is on a working visit to the US and plans bilateral meetings at the Pentagon. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry’s press office, […]
Wolf pack attacked livestock near Tbilisi
It’s the fifth time wolves attack livestock in the area west of Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A pack of wolves has attacked livestock in a village near Tbilisi, Interpressnews reports. The wolf attack took place in the village Kodistskaro, near the town Kaspi, and only 60 km from the center of the Georgian capital. The news agency reports […]
Work halted again at prehistoric mine in Georgia
Sakdrisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Work has been halted at the ancient Sakdrisi gold mine in southern Georgia, Interpressnews reports. The news agency quotes Irakli Lomidze, spokesperson for the Sakdrisi Survival Committee, who said the heavy machinery stopped Sunday night and did not […]
Two more Georgians detained on disputed SO border
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers Monday detained two more Georgians on the border with South Ossetia. The incident took place in the village Kldistskharo, and on the same day as a meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, that are used to solve […]
Muslims in Batumi hoping for permission to build new mosque
At Friday prayer, the street outside is used for additional prayer space. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For more than a decade, Muslims in Batumi have failed to get permission to build a second mosque in the city. The one they have is not big enough to meet demand. Every Friday, several thousands of Muslims come to Orta Jame Mosque in Batumi, […]
Protesters weary of RMG’s intentions at prehistoric mine
RMG Gold says it intends to dig in the area as long as it has a right to do so. (Photo taken by Green Fist.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Students, youth and environmental activists are still camped near a prehistoric gold mine in south Georgia, weary that a mining company might begin digging at the still sparsely surveyed archaological site. About a week ago, […]
Georgia’s governing coalition launches local election campaign
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and Georgian Dream candidate for Tbilisi mayor Davit Narmania. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream coalition on Saturday launched its election campaign and presented candidates for mayors in 12 cities. The main event at Sports Palace in Tbilisi gathered up to 12,000 people and included MPs, government members, […]
Three Georgian women released by South Ossetia
Rusudan Khuroshvili, one of the three women who were detained by Russian soldiers for allegedly crossing the disputed border. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three women who were detained by Russian soldiers on the South Ossetian border on Friday have been released. The three were detained in the village Khurvaleti, which lies right on the disputed border. Georgian news agency Interpressnews reports that […]
Former Georgian intelligence chief detained in Greece
Data Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former head of Georgia’s domestic intelligence service has been detained in Greece as he tried to cross the border into Italy using a fake passport. Data Akhalaia, the former head of the Constitutional Security Department, among Georgians known […]
One more Georgian detained at disputed border
Ditsi, another village where people have been detained on the disputed border. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One Georgian was detained Saturday by Russian soldiers near the border with South Ossetia. This is the fourth Georgian this happens to this week. Merab Kapanadze, 70, from the village Tseronisi, was detained while tending to his cattle […]
One murdered, prayer house burnt in Muslim village
The newly built prayer house in Mughanlo which was burnt on April 18. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a Muslim village near Tbilisi, a man was recently stabbed to death, and three days later a prayer house was put on fire. Is there a connection? DF Watch went there to investigate. The village is called Mughanlo and lies about 30 minutes’ drive east […]
Georgian and South Ossetian youth kick off Balkan tour
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A bus with Georgian and South Ossetian youth was to start a tour of Turkey and the Balkans Saturday morning, Interpressnews reports. The trip, called Georgian – South Ossetian Youth Peace Express, will last 17 days and bring the youth by bus through […]
Three Georgians detained on South Ossetia border
The detainees are believed to be held in a Tskhinvali prison. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers have detained three Georgian citizens in the village Khurvaleti for violating the border with South Ossetia. All three detainees – Rusudan Khuroshvili, Zeinab Kharkheli and Lali Khuroshvili – were taken to South Ossetia. […]
Georgia’s foreign trade up 18% in Q1 – precise data
More than a fifth of Georgia’s export is used cars. (Rustavi.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first three months of 2014 was USD 2,523 million, according to precise data from the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, published on Thursday. This is 18 percent more than it was in same period last […]
Georgian president speaks at EU Eastern Partnership summit
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili (left) and Czech President Miloš Zeman. (Photo by Georgian president’s office.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili Thursday met with his Czech colleague Milos Zeman during a visit to Prague. Mergvelashvili came to take part in the five year summit of the Eastern Partnership, a political effort by the EU to reform six former […]
Politician who was beaten in 2005 holds Saakashvili responsible
Republican Valeri Gelashvili is convinced his beating in 2005 was ordered by Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation against former Interior Ministry officials Erekle Kodua and Gia Siradze for the beating of MP Valeri Gelashvili in 2005. The Prosecutor’s Office made a statement about this issue on Thursday. […]
Witnesses heard in intelligence blackmailing trial
Tbilisi City Court. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three former Interior Ministry officials were in court yesterday. They are on trial accused of having blackmailed a bodyguard of businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012, shortly before the parliamentary election. At Thursday’s hearing witnesses said […]
Steinmeier: Georgia’s treaty with EU not a threat to Russia
Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Georgia’s Association Agreement with the EU is not a threat to Russia-Georgia relations. Steinmeier, who is visiting Georgia with his French colleague Laurent Fabius, said at a press […]
Margvelashvili to speak at Eastern Partnership summit
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has left for Prague to participate in the five year anniversary summit of the Eastern Partnership. According to president administration, Giorgi Margvelashvili will hold a speech at the summit on April 25. […]
‘Biden threatened sanctions to stop them questioning me’
Mikheil Saakashvili during an interview with Ukrainian TV in December, 2013. (112.ua) TBILISI, DFWatch–A government spokesman in Georgia rejects a claim by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili that US Vice President Joe Biden called and threatened sanctions. Saakashvili claimed Biden threatened that the West would seize ex-Prime Minister Bidzina […]
Ex-counterintelligence chief applies for asylum in Greece
Data Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian counterintelligence chief in exile has applied for political asylum in Greece. Data Akhalaia, the former head of the Constitutional Security Department (Kudi) during the Saakashvili regime, is brother of the imprisoned former […]
The economy isn’t everything, say Georgia’s green activists
Mariam Gurgenidze, 23, and Irakli Ghutidze, 26. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new movement has sprung up in Georgia in response to the government forcing through a gigantic hydro power project against strong popular resistance. The movement is called Green Fist and began as a group of twenty youth who travelled […]
Simpler Russian citizenship rules may pose threat to Georgia
The Russian Interests Section in Tbilisi, where Georgians can apply for Russian citizenship. (Voice of Abkhazia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian diplomat says Georgia must be on guard after the Russian Duma passed a bill which simplifies the rules for getting Russian citizenship. The legislative amendment has been a cause of concern for groups in Georgia the last few weeks, with […]
Georgia halts RMG’s mining at prehistoric site
Scientists say the Sakdrisi site is 5,400 years old. (Culture Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s culture minister promises to halt excavation work at an ancient a gold mine in the south of the country after protesters camped near the site raised the alarm that it was being damaged by RMG Gold. Culture Minister Guram Odisharia […]
Memorial to the Armenian genocide unveiled in Tbilisi
The memorial is a stone Khachkari with a cross and ornaments engraved. (Photo published by the Armenian community.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A memorial to the Armenian genocide was unveiled in Tbilisi on Monday. The memorial is made of stone and stands in the yard of Surb Etchmiadzin Church in the capital. Levon Isakhanian, representative of the Armenian community in Georgia, […]
Steinmeier and Fabius visiting Georgia April 23-24
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of Germany and France will visit Georgia on April 23-24. Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany and France’s Laurent Fabius were originally to have visited Georgia on March 3, but they both postponed due to events in Ukraine. […]
Georgian president: No preparations made for Putin meeting
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says the proposal by Russia’s Vladimir Putin for a meeting has had no actual follow-up or preparations. At the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Russian president said that there is a possibility […]
Georgia on top of EU visa rejection list
12% of visa applications by Georgian citizens to Schengen countries were rejected in 2013, according to Liberal Academy Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is on top of a list of former Soviet countries from where the highest number of people get their visa application rejected by the EU. For each country in EU’s Eastern Partnership plus Russia, the Schengen visa rejection rate in 2013 was: […]
Voter’s list shrinks ahead of local election in Georgia
Voting in the Nadzaladevi by-election a year ago in Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There are 3.49 million registered voters for Georgia’s June 15 local elections. This marks a gradual reduction in the Georgian electorate. In the presidential election in October 2013, 3.54 million people were eligible to vote, while a year before […]
Georgian leaders attend Easter service
President Giorgi Margvelashvili (left) attending mass in a church in Dusheti. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Where and how to observe Easter is important for politicians in Georgia, and this year was no exception. This Easter, the prime minister and other government members attended Easter Eve service in the recently constructed Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral in Tbilisi, […]
Protest intensifies as RMG starts digging at ancient mine
Protesters outside the studios of Georgian Public Broadcaster waiting for the culture minister to arrive to take part in a talk show. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Protesters who are camped near an ancient gold mine in southern Georgia say the mining company RMG Gold started excavation work on a section of the mine on Tuesday afternoon, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs denied this. The tent camp at Sakdrisi […]
69 prisoners released for Easter
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–69 prisoners were released from jail on Saturday, following a decision by local prison boards and the Prison Ministry’s pardon commission. Altogether, the bodies have reviewed the cases of about 770 prisoners in three days, according to the Prison […]