Saturday, December 13, 2025

Over half a million Georgians struggle under soaring inflation

TBILISI, August 19 – Inflation in Georgia reached 4.3% in July compared with a year earlier, the highest since mid-2023, with food prices by far the biggest driver. According to the National Bank, food costs rose 10.3% year-on-year, accounting for 3.2 percentage points of the overall inflation rate. Bread, potatoes, sunflower oil, and the country’s … Read more

Two opposition parties agree on joint candidates to ‘take back’ the capital

TBILISI, August 18 – Two Georgian opposition parties, Lelo and For Georgia, have named Irakli Kupradze as their joint candidate for Tbilisi mayor in the October 4 local elections. Giorgi Sharashidze was presented as candidate for chairman of the City Council, while Aleko Elisashvili and Tata Khvedeliani were put forward as deputy mayoral candidates. The … Read more

Georgia’s ruling GD party claims UK involvement in activist training abroad

TBILISI, August 18 – A senior Georgian Dream lawmaker has claimed that Georgian youth are being trained abroad, with alleged backing from the UK, to prepare for violent protests ahead of the country’s October 4 local elections. Irakli Zarkua, chair of parliament’s diaspora committee, told reporters that young activists were being coached in Lithuania, allegedly … Read more

Georgia prepares for elections, opposition calls process a sham

TBILISI, August 18 – Georgia is preparing for nationwide local elections on October 4, but the gap between the government and much of the opposition has rarely looked wider. The Central Election Commission (CEC) says more than 24,000 people applied this month to work in polling stations, with 9,117 vying for leadership roles and over … Read more

Two protesters detained at opposition protest

TBILISI, August 18 – Police in Tbilisi detained two protesters in front of parliament Sunday. Protesters had gathered outside Georgia’s parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, on the 263rd day of a protest launched in response to the disputed election last year, again blocking the central street as part of one of the country’s longest-running demonstrations. Authorities … Read more

Local official arrested over USD 650 bribe for mining rights

TBILISI, August 16 – A local government official in northern Georgia has been arrested after allegedly taking a cash bribe in exchange for mining rights. Investigators say the official, working in Oni municipality, demanded 1,800 lari (about USD 650) from a resident who wanted to extract peat in the area. He was detained on the … Read more

Tbilisi court clears opposition-linked activist in high-profile drug case

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’s post-election protest blocks traffic again

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.

Strong GD showing would ‘send message to Brussels’: ruling party official

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