News
Georgian president visited soldiers in Afghanistan
President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan. (Photo by Defense Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has paid a visit to Afghanistan and met with Georgian soldiers participating in the ISAF mission. Supporters of former President Saakashvili have criticized Margvelashvili for not being active, even though […]
Afghanistan and Georgia consider economic cooperation
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osman with Maia Panjikidze, Georgia’s Foreign Minister. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Afghanistan is interested in Georgia’s location and prospects for cooperation in the fields of economy and transport, but nothing specific has yet been said about concrete project. Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osman on Monday talked […]
NGO founded by former Georgian PM to offer media training
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s new organization Citizen is to offer training courses for journalists. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A non-governmental organization founded by former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is to offer training courses for journalists who work for Georgian media outlets. In a statement on Monday, the organization, called Citizen, explained the […]
Former head of Georgia’s special police charged with fraud
Erekle Kodua, former head of the Special Operations Department. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has charged former Interior Ministry official Erekle Kodua with abuse of power and fraud. Erekle Kodua is former head of the Interior Ministry’s Special Operative Department (SOD). Investigators found that on August […]
Georgia’s foreign trade up 17% Jan-Feb
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover was USD 1 567 million in January-February 2014, according to preliminary figures from Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat. The figures show that foreign trade turnover in the first two months of the year […]
Tbilisi does not recognize Crimea referendum
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi does not recognize the referendum in Crimea, according to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry Sunday evening. The statement says the referendum was conducted as a result of Russian pressure of armed forces and in violation […]
Clashes in Tbilisi for and against Crimea referendum
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Supporters and opponents of the referendum in Crimea clashed in Tbilisi Sunday. A group called “Eurasian Choice” tried to hold a demonstration on Cholokashvili Street in front of the old Russian embassy building at 15:00, but were pushed away […]
Christian Democrats leader leaves amid coalition talks
Giorgi Targamadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Giorgi Targamadze, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Movement, has left the party, after it began planning to form a coalition with Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement. Targamadze, a former TV journalist, said at a press […]
Georgia allows commercial gold mining in prehistoric cave
The ancient Sakdrisi site. (Culture Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–RMG Gold, a company which owns mines in the south of Georgia, was Friday given permission to start mining work in Sakdrisi. According to German and Georgian scientists, the site is an ancient mine with a rich history. Deputy Culture Minister Alexandre Margishvili […]
Georgian president holds first event at disputed residence
The president’s residence in Avlabari, Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili met with ambassadors at the president’s residence in Tbilisi, which has been nonoperational after Saakashvili left office in October, 2013. In a ceremony in the Avlabari residence, President Margvelashvili received […]
Georgian parliament to consider prosecution of one of their own
Roland Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has asked parliament for its consent to start a criminal prosecution against one parliamentarian, Roland Akhalaia. Parliament will announce its decision on Monday. MP Roland Akhalaia is father of Data […]
Georgian ‘propaganda’ TV in South Ossetia was run illegally
Alania TV later turned into PIK TV. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A parliamentary commission in Georgia has exposed how one television station was operating for years without a license during Saakashvili. The channel, Alania, was found to have close links to the government while Saakashvili was in power and though […]
Jehova’s Witnesses accused of stoking separatism in Georgia
Locals in Khobi, Georgia, accuse Jehova’s Witnesses of stoking separatism because they are using the minority language Megrelian. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Friday, about 100 Orthodox Christians demonstrated in Georgia against Jehovah’s Witnesses constructing a congregation center in their town. The Witnesses began building a Kingdom Hall in the western town of Khobi about a week ago. Today, opponents were […]
Former counterintelligence chief convicted in absentia
Data Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian counterintelligence chief who is currently wanted was today convicted in absentia for abuse of power. Data Akhalaia, whose whereabouts are unknown, was head of the Constitutional Security Department (CSD). He was on trial for […]
Two former counterintelligence officials arrested in Georgia
Guram Donadze was also questioned, but said he had nothing to do with the fake video. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Chief Prosecutor in Georgia has ordered the arrest of former officials at the Constitutional Security Department (CSD), after they were questioned about the cases against Bacho and Data Akhalaia. Former CSD head Levan Kardava and Giorgi […]
UN, OSCE and EU diplomats on field trip in South Ossetia
Antti Turunen, UN Secretary General’s Representative for Georgia, who was part of the delegation. (Photo by OSCE/Dieter Nagl.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Representatives of the United Nations, OSCE and European Union this week paid a two-day visit to South Ossetia and met with members of the breakaway region’s delegation to the Geneva talks. The delegation consisted of co-chairs of the talks, which […]
Georgian defense minister visits Italy
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania (left), and Italy’s Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti. (Photo by Georgian Ministry of Defense. ) TBILISI, DFWatch–Italy and Georgia will strengthen their defense cooperation, according to a press release published by Georgia’s Ministry of Defense. Irakli Alasania, the Georgian defense minister, on Thursday met his Italian colleague Roberta Pinotti during a visit […]
Foreign investments in Georgia virtually unchanged in 2013
The top investment sector in 2013 was energy. Here Enguri dam. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia received USD 914 million in direct foreign investments in in 2013. This is 0.3 percent more than in 2012, according to preliminary figures from Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat. According to the figures, direct foreign […]
National Movement designates candidate for Tbilisi mayor
Nika (Nikoloz) Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the out-of-power National Movement party has designated its candidate for Tbilisi mayor by direct appointment. Nika Melia, a relatively unknown former official in the capital, was directly appointed, as the party chose not to conducted a […]
Theater play canceled in Georgia, actor listed as Putin supporter
Sergey Bezrukov. (Kremlin.ru.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A theater play featuring Russian actor Sergei Bezrukov has been canceled in Tbilisi, because of his support for Russia’s policy toward Crimea. The background is a petition signed by artists living and working in Russia who support President Putin’s […]
Georgian PM woos foreign investors
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia offers investors a favorable environment and a market of potentially 900 million people, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said during the Georgia-Israel Business Forum. Gharibashvili mentioned that a common system of allowances with 8 countries, […]
NATO may accept Georgia as member if Russia annexes Crimea
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania with Georgian soldiers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may move one step closer to joining NATO as a result of the Ukraine crisis. If Russia annexes Crimea, NATO will offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP), Russian daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday. The paper based its report on sources […]
Tbilisi to get rid of its old Soviet style apartment blocks
City authorities have hired an emirates company to tear down the old Soviet style blocks and build new ones (amiralace.blogspot.com) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian capital plans to dismantle its so-called Khrushchovkas, a type of low-cost apartment blocks that were built in Tbilisi during the Soviet Union. The project will be carried out by an investment holding company based in […]
Azerbaijani women in Marneuli
Sabina, a teacher in Marneuli. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–83 percent of residents in Marneuli, a city in southern Georgia, are Azerbaijanis. Nearby villages are inhabited by Azerbaijanis too. Lack of knowledge of the official language, deficit of jobs, almost nonexistent infrastructure – this is a short list of the problems that […]
Abashidze-Karasin meeting postponed again
Zurab Abashidze (left), the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The direct talks between Georgia and Russia have been postponed again. Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia should have met on March 4-5, […]
Georgia begins pilot project for e-government
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili emphasized the importance of strengthening local governments and proposed building more public service centers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is starting a pilot project to introduce electronic government, or e-government. Representatives of the Justice Ministry on Monday presented an action plan for 2014-2018 named ‘digital Georgia’ which has 11 priority areas. The goal is […]
Georgia may revise taxation on some imported goods
Gogi Topadze, one of the parliamentarians who authored the bill. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may change the rules for VAT taxation and abolish advantages for importers of certain categories of goods. Parliament has started reviewing the draft, but the National Movement criticizes it and says they believe members of the ruling […]
Negotiations in Kazreti, the Georgian village on strike
The strike began February 14 and is to demand better work conditions and rehiring workers who were fired. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Negotiations have started in a Georgian village where the population has been on strike to protest the treatment of workers in the gold mines. A mediator appointed by the Ministry of Health held a first round of negotiations in Kazreti in the southern […]
Obama to meet Georgian PM at Hague summit
President Obama and Gharibashvili when they met last month at the White House. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Barack Obama writes in a letter that he hopes to meet Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili at the third Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague 23-25 March. The US president’s letter to Gharibashvili, published on Monday, […]
Georgian opposition parties call ruling coalition undemocratic
Nino Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement, is one of the signatories of the statement. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Political parties not represented in parliament accuse the government of making one-sided decisions in relation to the Election Code. The opposition parties accuse the governing Georgian Dream coalition of anti-democratic actions when it last week […]
Georgia to present 2014 reform plan to NATO
Alexi Petriashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s State Commission for NATO Integration on Monday approved the annual national program (ANP) for 2014, which will be presented to NATO. Alexi Petriashvili, Minister of Euro and Euro-Atlantic Integration, chaired […]
Riot interrupts football match in Georgia
Fans of Kutaisi’s football club FC Torpedo ran onto the field and attacked the visiting players. (Photo published by Dinamo Tbilisi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A match of Georgia’s National Football Championship in Kutaisi between old rivals, local FC Torpedo and Dinamo Tbilisi, was interrupted by the riot of Torpedo fans who flooded the field and attacked Dinamo players and their fans. The score was 2-0 in […]
Villagers, Government reached agreement
Tbilisi, DFWatch – Adjarian villagers who on Saturday protested construction of a hydro-power plant and were dispersed by the police achieved agreement with the government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. Negotiations started at 03:00 am in the morning […]
Police beat villagers for Norwegian hydro power in Georgia
Seven hundred villagers clashed with two hundred police in Ghurta. (Video still from Adjara TV’s report.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia Saturday broke up a protest in a village where a Norwegian company wants to build a hydro power plant. About two hundred policemen were mobilized to break through a road block put up by villagers in Ghurta, in the south western Adjara […]
Budget gridlock finally solved in Tbilisi
Irakli Shikhiashvili, head of Tbilisi City Council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council decided to write the 2014 budget themselves, after refusing twice to pass drafts proposed by City Hall. The capital’s executive government is staffed by people from Saakashvili’s National Movement, but the city council is dominated […]
Four tourists dead in avalanche in Georgia
Two German and two French citizens died in Ushguli, a village in the north of Svaneti, Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four tourists have died in an avalanche in Ushguli, a village in the Upper Svaneti region, north in Georgia. According to the local government in Mestia, two German and two French tourists have died. One French tourist survived. His health is in no […]
Georgian parliament condemns Russia’s actions in Crimea
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili said the debate about the Ukraine resolution was one of his most difficult days in parliament. TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia Wednesday passed a resolution condemning Russia’s deployment of military forces in Crimea, which it says is a threat to all of Europe. The resolution says Georgia became a victim of Russian military aggression in the war in 2008, […]
Georgian PM: ‘Suicide’ if Ukraine takes advice from Saakashvili
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili claims former President Mikheil Saakashvili is being used as an adviser by the new interim authorities in Ukraine. Appearing on a TV show Wednesday evening, he warned Ukrainian leaders not to trust the […]
Russian military helicopter and UAV fly over Georgia
A Russian helicopter of the type Mi-8 flew over an area near Gori in Georgia Thursday. (Photo by U.S. Department of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian military helicopter violated Georgian air space on Thursday. The helicopter, which was of the type Mi-8, flew over an area in the vicinity of the towns Gori and Kaspi, according to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, the helicopter took […]
Georgia miners’ strike gathers more supporters
From the Chiatura miners’ strike in November 2012. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The strike among mine workers in western Georgia is continuing. Workers in the coal mines in Chiatura demand better conditions and higher salaries, both of which they were promised over a year ago at the end of an extensive protest. […]
New charges against Bacho Akhalaia lawyer
Goga (Giorgi) Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has brought in new charges against a lawyer representing former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Prosecutors have already charged Goga Oniani, a former police official, with harassing a man printing t-shirts […]
47 % price hike on vegetables in Georgia
Vegetable prices had a projected annual growth of 46.6 percent in February, according to GeoStat. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Vegetable prices are on course to a 46.6 % projected annual increase in Georgia, new figures from the National Statistics Department, GeoStat, show. Georgia’s monthly inflation rate was 0.2 percent in February, according to the new report. In February […]
Georgian receives Women of Courage Award
Michelle Obama and Rusudan Gotsiridze. (Photo published by the US Embassy.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rusudan Gotsiridze, Bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, has been given the International Women of Courage Award 2014. The award ceremony was held in Washington DC. Gotsiridze received the award because of her merits in promoting […]
Georgia’s parliament to hold meetings in two cities
Old parliament in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili has started working at the old parliament building in Tbilisi. The speaker explained it was only the first step in a gradual moving process. “Parliament will be moved back to Tbilisi step by step,” he said, […]
Presidents of Turkey and Georgia discussed Ukraine crisis
President of Turkey Abdullah Gül. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The presidents of Georgia and Turkey have spoken on phone about the latest events in Ukraine. President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and the Georgian President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, underlined the importance of supporting the territorial integrity […]
EUs Füle working ‘intensely’ on timetable for Georgia trade pact
Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia says negotiations with the European Union about the schedule and procedures for signing the Association Agreement must be finished in March. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said this after meeting with Štefan Füle, European Commissioner […]
Georgians demonstrated against Russian fences in Atotsi
Some carried Ukrainian flags. (Maestro TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several hundred people demonstrated Monday near the de facto border with South Ossetia, to highlight the recent resumption of installation of barbed wire by Russian soldiers. The demonstration was held in the village Atotsi, near the town Kareli. […]
Georgian ministers call Ukrainian interim counterparts
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s defense and foreign ministers on Monday spoke by phone with Ukraine’s acting defense and foreign ministers. In the phone conversation, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze expressed deep concern about the events taking place […]
Suspect in 2006 Kodori Valley crisis detained in Tbilisi
Emzar Kvitsiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Emzar Kvitsiani, who was accused of organizing a mutiny in Kodori Valley and has been wanted since 2006, has been detained as he arrived at Tbilisi airport. Tbilisi City Court placed him in pretrial detention. Since 2006, police have been offering […]
French, German FMs postpone visits due to Ukraine crisis
Laurent Fabius (left) and Frank-Walter Steinmeier when they announced the trip in January. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of France and Germany and an EU commissioner have postponed their visits to Georgia due to the latest developments in Ukraine. EU Commissioner Stefan Fule should have visited Georgia on Monday while Laurent Fabius and Frank […]
Tbilisi City Council March 7 makes last attempt to pass budget
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council will hold a special session on March 7 to once more put the city’s 2014 budget bill to a vote. City Hall has sent a draft budget to the council for the fourth time, but the council failed to approve it. The capital has remained […]
Hundreds rallied outside Ukrainian embassy in Tbilisi
The demonstration started outside Ukraine’s embassy and continued across the street at the former Russian embassy. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people demonstrated in support of Ukraine on Sunday outside the Ukrainian embassy in Tbilisi. Some came carrying Ukrainian flags and some were dressed in yellow and blue. Their posters bore slogans like “Save Ukraine”, “Russia go […]
Georgia reacts to Russian Duma’s Ukraine resolution
Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says Russia’s actions in Crimea are a brutal intervention in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state and calls on the international community to not allow a new conflict to escalate in Europe. The Georgian […]
Protest in Tbilisi for better protection of workers’ rights
‘Jurisdiction continues underground,’ the poster on the right says. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several hundred people gathered outside the government building in Tbilisi on Friday to demand better protection of workers’ rights. Workers are on strike several places in Georgia. In Kazreti, the entire village is protesting against a mass […]
Stefan Fule to visit Georgia March 3-4
EU Commissioner Stefan Fule (right) during a previous meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili in Brussels February 3, 2014. (Government photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Commissioner Stefan Fule is planning a visit to Georgia next Monday and Tuesday. According to his press office, the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy will meet with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister […]
Georgian Lawyer’s Association chair attacked by rebel members
Zaza Khatiashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgian Lawyer’s Association, some of the members have started procedures to dismiss their chairman. The rebel members claim the reason is that Zaza Khatiashvili is a supporter of the former ruling party, the National Movement, and also that he […]
Abashidze-Karasin meeting postponed until March 14
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian and Russian negotiators Zurab Abashidze and Gregory Karasin have postponed their planned meeting until March 14. Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations and Karasin, Russia’s […]
France refuses to extradite former Georgian defense minister
Davit Kezerashvili was Georgia’s defense minister during the 2008 war with Russia over a breakaway territory. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–France has refused to extradite former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili to Georgia. Kezerashvili is charged with acquiring a large amount of money and for receiving a bribe while he was minister. He is also implicated in the Imedi TV case, […]
Merabishvili found guilty of violent May 26, 2011, dispersal
Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili was Thursday sentenced to four years and six months in jail in a case concerning the dispersal of a peaceful anti-government rally on May 26, 2011. Tbilisi City Court has been reviewing the case for […]
Georgia: 15% rise in January’s foreign trade confirmed
Used cars for sale at Rustavi car market near Tbilisi. (rustavi.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover was USD 761 million in January 2014 according to precise data published by Georgia’s National Statistics Department, GeoStat. This is 15 percent more than in 2013. Export was USD 224 million, which is 14 percent […]
John Kerry to visit Georgia in spring
US Secretary of State John Kerry next to his Georgian counterpart, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Photo published by the Georgian government.) TBILISI, DFWatch–US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Georgia in spring 2014. Kerry said after a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Wednesday that he is looking forward to coming to Georgia and that the trip might take place in spring. […]
Georgian president meets locals near contested border
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Wednesday met people who live close to the de facto border near the town Kareli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili says he hopes that the barbed wire which Russian soldiers are installing at the so-called border with two breakaway territories will eventually be sent away peacefully as scrap metal. Margvelashvili […]
Bacho Akhalaia’s lawyer released on bail
Giorgi Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has released the lawyer of a former defense minister against a 20 000 lari (USD 12 000) bail. Goga Oniani, a former high police official during Saakashvili who now is a lawyer representing the ex-minister Bacho Akhalaia, is charged […]
Russia resumes building of South Ossetia border fences
Razor wire is one of the measures Russian border guards are using to enforce the de facto border. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers have resumed the installation of warning signs and barbed wire at villages near the border with the breakaway region South Ossetia. A sign warning about the de facto border was installed in the village Ghogheti near Kareli on Tuesday. […]
Georgia creates agency to oversee party financing
Lasha Tordia, Director of the State Audit Office. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is creating a temporary commission to monitor the financing of political parties. The new body will be staffed by people from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will be based at the State Audit Office. Its general director, Lasha […]
Glimpses of daily life in Iormughanlo, Georgia
Iormughanlo is a village at the river Iori and lies in the Kakheti region in the south eastern part of Georgia. The village has a population of not more than 2 000, according to the most recent census data, predominantly ethic Azeris. The majority of families in Iormughanlo have sheep as a livelihood. While walking in [...]
Former police official and Bacho Akhalaia lawyer detained
Giorgi Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has ordered the detention of a lawyer for former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Giorgi Oniani is charged with abuse of power, falsification of evidence about especially grave crime and purposeful unlawful […]
Georgian PM Gharibashvili met Obama and Biden
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and US President Barack Obama. (Photo published on Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Monday met with US Vice President Joe Biden at the White House. President Barack Obama later joined the meeting. Topics included the US-Georgia strategic partnership, the prospects for Georgia’s integration […]
Abashidze-Karasin talks planned for March 4 in Prague
Zurab Abashidze (left), the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, and Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The next meeting between Russian and Georgian negotiators might take place on March 4 or 5. Zurab Abashidze, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, told Interpressnews that the meeting will be held in Prague. At this […]
Demonstrations in support of Ukraine were held in Tbilisi
The ones who died in the fighting in Kiev were remembered in Tbilisi on Sunday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians gathered at the old parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday to pay tribute to those who died during the recent clashes in Ukraine. Activists also started a campaign to collect money to pay for treatment of those who were wounded. At least […]
Miners on strike in Chiatura, Georgia
Mine workers in Chiatura. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 600 miners in western Georgia have gone on strike, demanding that the management fulfills a promise made during a strike last year. In Chiatura, eomployees at Itkhvisi, Shukura, a factory and a mechanical workshop warn that if their demands aren’t met, about […]
Parliament speaker in Georgia sees no threat
Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The speaker of parliament in Georgia says there are currently no threats against the country. Gubaz Sanikidze, a member of parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition, said Friday that ‘it will be Georgia’s turn after Ukraine’ and begged the […]
Georgians show support for Ukrainians in many ways
Gvantsa Chkhivadze wanted to tell the Georgian president that there is a war for Ukraine, which is also a war for Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One lone woman demonstrated in support of Ukraine in front of Georgia’s parliament on Friday. Georgians are showing solidarity in a number of ways after the bloodbath in Kiev. Gvantsa Chkhivadze, who represents Movement for Independence and Euro- […]
Georgian PM starts weeklong US trip Saturday
Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili tomorrow begins his first United States visit since assuming office. Gharibashvili, who is accompanied by several of his cabinet ministers, said at a government session on Thursday that it will be the first top […]
Georgian president ‘completely shocked’ by events in Ukraine
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says no government has ever been forgiven for using weapons against its own people. Margvelashvili said he was shocked by seeing footage from Thursday's events in Ukraine. “Events are developing in a tragic way in Ukraine, and we are completely shocked by what [...]
Georgian activist dies from sniper fire in Kiev
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 21. Davit Kipiani, a young National Movement activist, was found dead at Khreshchatnik. His bullet proof vest had two bullet holes after he was hit by a sniper. Mikheil Saakashvili, the former […]
Georgia sends peacekeepers to Central African Republic
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has decided to commit its military forces to the European Union’s rapid reaction force in the Central African Republic from May. The violence between Christians and Muslims which began more than a year ago is at risk […]
Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan foreign ministers meet
The foreign affairs ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, respectively: Maia Panjikidze (left), Elmar Mammadyarov, and Ahmet Davutoglu. (Georgian MFA.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey met on Wednesday in Azerbaijan’s second largest city Ganja to discuss regional cooperation. Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said they talked about the 2013-15 action plan, which […]
Green Party leaves Georgian Dream coalition
Member of Parliament for Georgian Greens, Giorgi Gachechiladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Member of Parliament Gia Gachechiladze on Wednesday left the parliamentary majority, the Georgian Dream coalition. Gachechiladze is a member of the Greens Party, which is not a member of the Georgian Dream coalition, but he represented the coalition […]
Figure skater Elene Gedevanishvili in 17th place at Sochi
Elene Gedevanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian figure skater Elene Gedevanishvili Wednesday ended up in 17th place in the Sochi Olympics. The 24-year old competed in the short program against 30 athletes at Iceberg Skating Palace. Gedevanishvili received 54.70 point from the jury. That […]
One Georgian dead in Kiev violence
One Georgian is among the 26 who have died in violent clashes in Kiev the last few days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 18 during clashes between activists and Interior Ministry troops. Zurab Khurtsia, 54, was one of 26 people who have died since the violence reignited two days ago. Besik Shamugia, head of the association […]
How can minority women get into politics in Georgia?
Sabina Talibova. (Photo: Newcaucasus.com.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Sabina Talibova is an ethnic Azerbaijanian living in Marneuli. Some time ago, she became involved in several non-governmental organizations which are working to engage women more in employment and politics. DF Watch talked to her about problems […]
National Movement might boycott president’s address
Member of Parliament Giorgi Vashadze said the National Movement are still discussing within the party what to ask Margvelashvili about. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement party’s members of parliament might not attend the Georgian president’s state of the nation address, which takes place in parliament in Kutaisi on February 21. UNM members say they have not yet made a decision about whether […]
Georgia creates new agency for religious issues
Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is planning to create a new agency that will work on religious issues. Minister of Reconciliation and Equality Paata Zakareishvili on Tuesday explained that the new body will implement a recent initiative by the government […]
Georgian Nino Tsiklauri finishes 49th in giant slalom
Nino Tsiklauri in the giant slalom competition Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian alpine skier participating in the Sochi Winter Olympics competed on February 18 and finished in 49th place. Nino Tsiklauri is one of four Georgians taking part in the Games, and was flag bearer for the Georgian team. Tuesday, she competed […]
Georgia’s foreign trade up 15% in Jan compared to last year
Tbilisi Mall. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover increased 15 percent in January, 2014, compared to the same period last year. The total turnover was USD 761 million. This is according to preliminary data published by Georgia’s National Statistics Department, […]
Firefighters on strike in Tbilisi, claim their boss is corrupt
Sixteen firefighters are on strike in Tbilisi against what they claim is a corrupt leadership. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–16 firefighters in Tbilisi are on a strike to demand the resignation of the head of the emergency service, Temur Giorgadze. The firefighters, who have been on strike for six days, claim that Giorgadze hires his friends and relatives, is corrupt and […]
Georgian PM wants 50% first past the post threshold
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili proposes to raise the threshold for winning in the first round of local elections to 50 percent. Gharibashvili, who represents the Georgian Dream coalition, suggests having a 50 percent threshold also in mayoral […]
Merabishvili used employment program for election campaign
The two defendants, Vano Merabishvili (left) and Zurab Chiaberashvili, at an earlier court appearance. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili used an employment program as a way to campaign for the National Movement party ahead of the October 2012 parliamentary election. This is the conclusion of Kutaisi City Court in a trial that has […]
Complaints against Georgia at Strasbourg court drops 70%
Nana Kakabadze (seated, right) and other members of the group Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights in January, 2013. Most complaints against Georgia have been about prisoner abuse. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of complaints against Georgia at the European Court of Human Rights has been reduced by 70 percent. On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice published information showing that there were 375 complaints against Georgia at the Strasbourg-based […]
Naturalized Chechen refugee not allowed to leave Georgia
Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Public Defender’s Office in Georgia calls on the Interior Ministry to react to the violation of the rights of a Georgian citizen who last month was prohibited three times from leaving Georgia. Saikhan Muzayev complained to the office on January 20 […]
Bus drivers on strike in Batumi
Municipal bus drivers in Batumi have been on strike for five days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Bus drivers in Batumi have been on strike for five days, demanding higher salary and the dismissal of the director of Batumi Autotransport Ltd. Two of the protesting drivers, Nugzar Gvianidze and Nika Sikharulidze, are on hunger strike and live […]
Georgia’s ruling coalition promises clean local election
Biometric voter’s lists is something the opposition has been wanting for a long time, said Zviad Dzidziguri, Member of Parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Dream coalition promises that there will not be fraud in the upcoming local elections, as the voters’ list is being checked by use of biometric data, which will prevent names from appearing two or more times. Georgian Dream, both the coalition and the party with the same […]
Georgian president to hold annual address on February 21
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili will hold his first annual address to parliament on February 21. Outlining the content of his speech already on Friday, Margvelashvili announced he wants to focus on values and Georgia’s ‘strategic vectors’; […]
Appeals court upholds partial acquittal of Bacho Akhalaia
Bacho Akhalaia in Tbilisi City Court in February, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia has upheld a decision by Tbilisi City Court to partly acquit former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia in the so-called prison riot case. Tbilisi City Court acquitted Akhalaia in part of the case, but sentenced him to three […]
Georgia climbs 17 places on Press Freedom Index
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia climbs 17 places on the latest Press Freedom Index and is listed in 84th place among 180 countries. The index measures the level of freedom of information in different countries and is published annually by Reporters Without Borders. […]
Georgian parliament speaker met Hungary’s president
Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili (left) and President of Hungary, János Áder. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili Friday met Hungarian President János Áder. The two discussed economy, Georgia’s integration with Europe and relations with Russia. Usupashvili is in Hungary together with a Georgian delegation […]
EUMM’s new deputy head criticized Georgia in 2008
Ryan Grist, Deputy Head of EUMM. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former British army captain who in 2008 accused Georgia of starting the South Ossetia war has been appointed as deputy head of the EU Monitoring Mission to Georgia (EUMM). In 2008, Ryan Grist was in charge of a group of foreign observers who were […]
Georgia plans digital switchover on June 17, 2015
Deputy Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia will make the switchover from analog to digital television on June 17, 2015. Deputy Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili on Friday presented the concept for how to make the switchover. He said the process will have positive results for both […]
Georgia increases punishment for illegal surveillance
Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia wants to increase the punishment for engaging in illegal surveillance to seven years in jail. Presenting the draft bill on Thursday, Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze said that in past years, human rights were violated […]
Georgian gov’t gives new homes to refugees
Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–543 refugee families have been given apartments for one lari a piece from the government. Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze said on Thursday that the apartments are in Tbilisi, Rustavi, Mtskheta, Borjomi, Chiatura, Kutaisi, Tskaltubo and Batumi. […]
US to fund Georgia’s participation in NATO Rapid Reaction Force
NATO’s Knud Bartels (left) and Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States will finance Georgia’s participation in NATO Rapid Reaction Force, Defense Minister Irakli Alasania says. The NATO Military Committee visited Georgia on February 11 and 12. The delegation was chaired by Committee head Knud Bartels. […]
Georgia and Russia to discuss top level meeting
Grigory Karasin, Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Negotiators for Georgia and Russia are to discuss the possibility of holding a top level meeting between the presidents of the two countries. Gregory Karasin, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, said on Wednesday that his next meeting with […]
Tbilisi’s 2014 budget rejected a second time
Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, Acting Mayor of Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The city of Tbilisi’s elected representatives have again failed to approve a new budget for 2014. 17 assembly members supported the new draft prepared by City Hall, 22 voted against. 24 votes were required for the budget to pass. December 29, the […]
Azerbaijan and Georgia to cooperate about territories
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili (left), and President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. (Photo published by the Georgian president’s administration.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says Georgia and Azerbaijan support each other in territorial integrity issues. Both countries have lost control over parts of their territory to small de facto governments with little or no international […]
Head of NATO Military Committee visits Georgia
Head of NATO Military Committee, Knud Bartels (left) and President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Photo by Georgia’s Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Wednesday hosted Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, which is currently visiting Georgia. Defense Minister Irakli Alasania, Chief of Joint Staff, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze, and […]
Georgian PM ready for direct talks with Russian leaders
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says he is ready to have direct dialogue with Russian leaders. Gharibashvili’s statement was a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said on Monday that he is willing to meet with President […]
Culture Ministry deputy’s dismissal approved by Georgian PM
Marine Mizandari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili on Tuesday approved the dismissal of First Deputy Culture Minister Marine Mizandari. Culture Minister Guram Odisharia asked for his deputy’s dismissal on February 5. Gharibashvili yesterday signed the […]
Georgian president to visit Azerbaijan
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili will visit Azerbaijan for the first time on February 12. Margvelashvili will meet with President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday. He will also meet with Azerbaijan’s prime minister and speaker of parliament. […]
Georgian president to carefully study Putin’s offer to meet
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president says he will ‘carefully and seriously analyze’ a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about a possible meeting between the two of them. When Georgian journalists attending the Sochi Winter Olympics asked Putin about […]
Culture Minister fires deputy amid dispute over ancient mine
Marine Mizandari (left) and Guram Odisharia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Culture Minister Guram Odisharia has dismissed his deputy, Marine Mizandari, claiming that she wasn’t able to work in a team and that they had different views. Mizandari herself claims the reason for her dismissal was a disagreement over […]
Constitutional Court in Georgia lifts ban on homosexuals giving blood
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The constitutional court in Georgia has struck down a thirteen year old ban on homosexual men becoming blood donors. The court agreed with a complaint from five Georgian citizens and recognized several articles of an order issued by the labor, health […]
Romania supports Georgia’s EU and NATO aspirations
President of the Romanian Senate, Crin Antonescu (left), and Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, David Usupashvili. (Photo published by senat.ro.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Romanian Senate Monday passed a resolution supporting Georgia’s efforts toward integration with Europe and NATO. Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili, who is visiting Romania with other Georgian politicians, was attending the senate as […]
Several prisoners hospitalized in Geguti, Georgia
Geguti prison camp. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several prisoners at Geguti prison in Georgia have been taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries. Doctors say their health is in no danger. For several days, about 800 prisoners have been on hunger strike at the prison, which is in the west of the country. Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, who visited the prison camp on Monday, said 46 prisoners have self-inflicted injuries, but some of the prisoners who were taken to hospital in Kutaisi were feeling bad because of hunger. […]
Georgian gov’t updating legislation ahead of local election
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a week the government in Georgia will decide whether to follow recommendations and proposals made by the non-parliamentary opposition and non-governmental organizations about amendments to the Election Code. Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili […]
Georgian wins judo gold at Grand Slam Paris
Avtandil Chrikashvili. (Photo by Georgia’s Sports Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Avtandil Chrikashvili won a gold medal at the Judo Grand Slam Paris 2014 tournament. Two other Georgians, Amiran Papinashvili and Varlam Liparteliani, won silver medals. Chrikashvili defeated competitors from Netherlands, France, Japan […]
Athlete from Georgian breakaway region ‘born in Russia’
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Olympic Committee has complained to the International Olympic Committee about a Russian athlete’s biographical details. The website of this year’s winter games incorrectly indicated that Marika Pertakhiya, who represents Russia […]
Georgian parliament speaker visits Romania and Hungary
Georgian Speaker of Parliament, Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–On Monday, Georgia’s speaker of parliament begins on a five day tour of Romania and Hungary. Speaker Davit Usupashvili will arrive in Romania on February 10 and hold meetings with the speaker of Romania’s senate and parliament, as well as with […]
Olympic graphic shows Georgia with foggy breakaway regions
The controversial map with Abhkazia and South Ossetia covered by fog. TBILISI, DFWatch–When Georgia was presented during the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi yesterday, the two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia appeared covered by fog on a map used in the on-screen graphics. Georgians were concerned about the […]
800 prisoners on hunger strike in Geguti, Georgia
Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–About 800 prisoners are on hunger strike in a prison in Geguti in western Georgia, Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili says. Nanuashvili said after meeting with prisoners on Friday that about 800 are on hunger strike demanding that the Prosecutor’s Office […]
Energy minister attacks ombudsman over hydro power dam
Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Energy Minister Friday lashed out against the public defender and accused him of lying about not wanting to meet the population in a mountain valley poised to be flooded by a giantic hydro power dam. The Khudoni hydro power project will […]
Georgia adds guitar to consumer basket
Georgia’s National Statistics Department has updated the list of items used to measure consumer prices. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–11 new products including a guitar have been added to Georgia’s consumer basket, and four products were removed from the list. The consumer basket is a theoretical collection of items used to define the consumer price index or inflation rate […]
City Council to review the capital’s budget on Feb 12
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Council will review the 2014 budget bill on February 12. The council failed to approve the budget on December 29, and for more than a month, Tbilisi has had no budget. City Hall has warned that it will cause extensive problems for […]
Burjanadze claims Saakashvili planned to attack Abkhazia in 2008
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former speaker of parliament in Georgia claims that the government of then President Mikheil Saakashvili planned to attack the breakaway region Abkhazia in 2008. Nino Burjanadze, who was one of the leaders of the Rose Revolution in 2003 and now […]
NATO Military Committee visits Georgia Feb 11-12
TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO Military Committee will visit Georgia on February 11-12. General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the Military Committee will chair the visit and it will be hosted by Vakhtang Kapanadze, Head of Georgia’s Joint Staff. February 11, the head of the […]
South Ossetia restricts medical trips to Georgia during Olympics
TBILISI, DFWatch–In and around the Georgian breakaway region South Ossetia, disagreement over a de facto border may place further burdens on ordinary people around the time of the Winter Olympics. The reason is that the region’s border guards are tightening security […]
NATO ambassadors encourage new Georgian government
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left), NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and State Minister for Euro-Integration Alexi Petriashvili. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The new Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says NATO ambassadors gave him positive signals at Wednesday’s meeting of the NATO-Georgia commission in Brussels. Gharibashvili said the ambassadors told him the new government has strengthened […]
Former PM hopes Georgia will become ‘another Dubai’
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli says he thinks there is a 25 percent chance that Georgia will become ‘another Dubai’. Ivanishvili said this at a press conference on Tuedsay, where he presented his new non-governmental […]
Ivanishvili’s new NGO ‘Citizen’ will help develop Georgian media
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili launched his new non-governmental organization ‘Citizen’ on Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishivli on Tuesday presented his new organization which he says will help develop civil society. The new non-governmental organization (NGO) is called ‘Citizen’ and was registered 12 days ago, Ivanishvili explained […]
14% more visitors to Georgia in Jan ’14 than Jan ’13
Bazaleti Lake, one of the tourist destinations near Tbilisi. (Photo: Mari Nikuradze.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There were 14.1 percent more visitors to Georgia in January 2014 than in the same month last year, according to the Interior Ministry. The ministry publishes monthly reports with statistics over the number of visitors, in categories defined by the purpose of the […]
Georgian president’s annual address postponed
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president’s annual address will be held either on February 19 or February 21, the speaker of parliament says. According to the Constitution of Georgia, the president must once a year visit parliament to present a report about important […]
Georgia held its own Olympic oath ceremony in Tbilisi
Georgia’s Olympic team took the oath before leaving for Sochi. (Photo published by Georgia’s Olympic Committee.) TBILISI, DFWatch–As Georgian athletes are making their way to the Russian city Sochi to take part in the Winter Olympics, they have just held their own oath ceremony in Tbilisi. On Monday, alpine skier Nino Tsiklauri held one corner of the Olympic flag as she read out the athlete’s oath in a ceremony held at the office of the Georgian National Olympic Committee in Tbilisi. She will be flag bearer for the Georgian team. […]
Georgia halts surveying work for mega-dam
Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Energy Ministry in Georgia says the government is taking into account the requests of villagers in Khaishi and has halted surveying work in their village. The construction of the massive Khudoni hydropower station in northern Georgia […]
Georgian PM Gharibashvili met Jose Manuel Barroso
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili met with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to speak about EU-Georgia cooperation, Georgia’s integration process with the EU. Another topic was the deal with the EU Georgia approved […]
Protest concert to protect ancient gold mine
TBILISI, DFWatch–On Monday a concert was held in Tbilisi to protest against the Culture Ministry’s delaying the process to review the status of the ancient Sakdrisi gold mine, which according to German and Georgian specialists is more than 4500 years old and should […]
Former Georgian defense minister must wear electronic bracelet
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili was Monday released on bail by a French court, under condition that he wears an electronic bracelet. The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office says the judge decided that Kezerashvili cannot leave France and must […]
Trial continues about May 26 dispersal
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpresnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The trial about a brutal police dispersal of protesters on May 26, 2011, continued at Tbilisi City Court Monday with testimony by Nino Burjanadze, one of the leaders of the protest. While Burjanadze, leader of Democratic Movement, was in court giving […]
Georgian PM meets EU’s enlargement commissioner
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule. (Government photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s Brussels trip continued Monday with a meeting with EU Commissioner Stefan Fule. The two spoke about the ongoing reforms in Georgia and the country’s closer integration with Europe. Gharibashvili said […]
Biometric voter’s list may not be used in Georgia’s local election
Vakhtang Khmaladze, head of parliament’s judiciary committee. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A biometric election list may not be ready for the upcoming local elections in Georgia, which will be held in June, 2014. Election lists have been subject to disputes for a long time, especially during the National Movement government, when there were claims that […]
Gharibashvili visits Brussels February 3-5
Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will visit Brussels February 3-5. He will meet with Commissioner for European Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. The Georgian prime […]
‘Georgia should convince Russia NATO is not a threat’
Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili (left) at the Munich Security Conference. (Official photo. TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili says Georgia should assure Russia that its aspirations to become member of NATO and the EU is not a threat to Russia. He said this in a speech during one of the sessions at the Munich Security Conference. The PM said […]
Margvelashvili promises different state of the nation address
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DWatch–President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili will next week hold his first annual address to parliament. He says this year’s speech will have a completely new format, compared to earlier. The constitution says the president must hold a speech to parliament once a year. […]
Wild fire close to gas pipeline in Georgia
Firefighters are trying to prevent the flames from reaching a gas pipeline. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three acres of a nature reserve is on fire in Kobuleti, a coastal town in the Adjara region. According to a reporter for the news agency Interpressnews, the fire is close to the juice processing plant in Kobuleti and firefighters say it is close to populated areas. A gas pipe in the area […]
January 1 not the first attack on Jehova’s Witnesses in Ozurgeti
Giorgi Arbolishvili, spokesperson for Jehova’s Witnesses in Ozurgeti. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–When strangers attacked a car and a house where Jehova’s Witnesses are meeting in Ozurgeti, Georgia, on January 1, it was not the first such attack. Two years ago, strangers broke the windows of Kingdom Hall in Ozurgeti. The perpetrators were […]
Georgian wine may be marketed at Sochi Olympics
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian wine may be presented at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Levan Davitashvili, head of the Georgian National Wine Agency, on Friday told journalists that Georgian wine is successfully sold in the Russian market and it is up to distributors […]
Georgia’s Interior Ministry destroys surveillance material
Minister of Internal Affairs Alexandre Chikaidze personally ensuring the DVDs are destroyed Friday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–45 DVDs and two hard drives were destroyed at the Interior Ministry on Friday, which included footage obtained through illegal surveillance. Alexandre Chikaidze, Minister of Internal Affairs, said that the commission tasked with studying the illegally […]
Some roads closed, deep freeze expected in Georgia
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Traffic is prohibited on the Gudauri-Kobi section of the road from Mtskheta to larsi via Stepantsminda due to the avalanche danger. The Environment Ministry warned about possible avalanches in this section of road. According to the Road Department, […]
Georgia to keep archive obtained by illegal political surveillance
Lasha Tughushi, one of the members of the commission, says the interior ministry has kept about 28 000 files, or 789 hours, of a surveillance archive, mostly of a political content. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Interior Ministry still stocks about 28 000 computer files with recordings that were part of a system of political surveillance obtained through illegal means. Only a few of the files will be destroyed – those which contain material of an intimate nature. […]
French prosecutor does not want Kezerashvili extradited
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A prosecutor in France does not want to extradite Davit Kezerashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia, who was detained in France in October, 2013. Georgia has charged the former minister with abuse of power and receiving more than USD 12 million […]
Georgian PM visited Israel
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze (left), Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo published by Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has visited Israel to meet with his colleague Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. The meeting with Peres was about the good bilateral relations between the two countries and confirmed an intention to deepen […]
GeoStat: Georgia’s GDP 8% higher in Dec ’13 than Dec ’12
The unofficial economy is not part of GeoStat’s rapid monthly estimates. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s estimated real GDP growth rate was 8.4 percent in December 2013, compared to the same month in 2012, according to preliminary data published by the National Statistics Department, GeoStat. According to the estimate, real GDP growth […]
What Georgia can expect from the Munich Security Conference
Photo published on the Munich Security Conference website. TBILISI, DFWatch–When the annual Munich Security Conference opens in a few days, it will be the first time Georgia’s delegation is headed by the prime minister and not the president. The reason for the change is partly that a constitutional amendment came into force […]
South Ossetian de facto president dismissed the government
Leonid Tibilov, president of the breakaway region South Ossetia. TBILISI, DFWatch–The de facto president of South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov, has dismissed the government. About a week ago, Tibilov said that the government of Rostik Khugaev was unable to fulfill its duties in regard to South Ossetia’s social and economic […]
Video shows Merabishvili promising reward for ‘two corpses’
The video shows Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili instructing soldiers after a mutiny at a tank battalion base near Tbilisi in 2009. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There may be added new charges against former Prime Minister and Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, according to the head of parliament’s defense and security committee. Wednesday, a 4-minute long video was posted on Youtube, […]
Villagers block road to stop hydro power dam
People from Khaishi on Wednesday blocked a road to prevent surveying work for the gigantic Khudoni hydro power dam. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–People from the Svaneti mountain village Khaishi Wednesday demonstrated against the construction of a gigantic hydro power dam that will wipe out their community. Demonstrators blocked the road to Jvari-Mestia with stones to interrupt land surveying […]
Fog caused delays and cancelations at Tbilisi airport
An Istanbul-Tbilisi flight was cancelled, and a plane already in the air returned to Istanbul. Several other flights were delayed today. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four flights were delayed at Tbilisi airport on Wednesday due to fog. A flight to Istanbul was delayed several hours. A plane arriving from Warsaw was unable to land at Tbilisi airport and instead landed in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city. […]
Witness tells of humiliating treatment on May 26, 2011
Tbilisi City Court heard further witnesses in a trial about the brutal dispersal of demonstrators in Tbilisi on May 26, 2011. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four more witnesses were heard on Tuesday in a trial about the violent police dispersal on May 26, 2011. The witnesses were Zaza Papuashvili, Soso Jachvliani and Luka Kurtanidze, who represent the People’s Assembly, and Beka Javakhadze from the […]
Circus worker dies after lion attack in Tbilisi
TBILISI, DFWatch–The lion tamer who was attacked by a lion last Thursday has died in the hospital. The circus worker remained in intensive care, but doctors could not save him. The 23-year-old lion tamer was from a Ukrainian circus troupe and entered the cage to do […]
Merabishvili demands a polygraph test
Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili demands to be subjected to a lie detector test to prove he is telling the truth when he says he was threatened by the chief prosecutor. Merabishvili claimed he was taken from his cell at night, brought to an […]
One man dies in coal mine in Georgia
A coal mine in Tkibuli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A man has died in an apparent accident in a coal mine in Tkibuli, a town in Georgia’s mid-western Imereti region. Tariel Kasrashvili, a shift leader, died at 16:00 on Tuesday. He was transporting coal inside the Mindeli mine when he fell and died on […]
Parliament again fails to fill Public Broadcaster board
Georgian Public Broadcaster is still without a functioning supervisory board. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia has again failed to approve new board members for the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). Groups claim this shows there is a lack of will to free the broadcaster from political influence. January 23, parliament approved only one […]
NATO chief: Georgia has made progress
Then Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels Nov. 14, 2012. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen writes in his latest annual report that Georgia has made good progress in implementing the reforms required to meet its standards. Rasmussen writes in his 2013 report, which was published on Monday, that NATO […]
Supreme Court gives Ivanishvili back Georgian citizenship
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After waiting more than two years, ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is finally a Georgian citizen. The businessman had his Georgian citizenship revoked by then President Saakashvili in October 2011, shortly after he declared that he would […]
Margvelashili planning his first annual address to parliament
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Giorgi Margvelashvili is in consultations with the speaker of parliament about the date of his annual address to parliament. The Georgian constitution says that the president must visit parliament once a year and present a report about […]
Iraqi medical student attacked in Kutaisi
The victim, a medical student from Iraq, was taken to a hospital in Kutaisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A student from Iraq was beaten in the Georgian city Kutaisi on Saturday. Local media writes that he was attack because of his origins. The student was brought to the hospital and will have to remain there for several more days. Unknown assailants […]
Chechen refugees feel harassed by Georgian counterintelligence
Saikhan Muzayev. (Georgian Public Broadcaster.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Some of the Chechens in Pankisi Gorge close to the Russian border say they are blackmailed and harassed by Georgian counterintelligence. Saikhan Muzayev, a former Russian and Arabic translator for the Refugee Ministry, said at a press […]
Georgia to allow dogs, peppers spray, batons against prisoners
Prison No 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia wants to make it legal to use pepper spray, batons and dogs in prisons for security reasons. Today, if a prisoner poses a danger, he may be chained or placed in a restraining jacket. The government has drafted a bill with […]
Ukraine support rally in Georgia’s Samegrelo region
People gathered in Zugdidi to show support for those Ukrainians who are struggling for closer integration with Europe. (Photo: Odishi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tens of people Saturday gathered in Zugdidi, a town in western Georgia’s Samegrelo region, to express solidarity with people in Ukraine. The crowd brought with them Ukrainian flags and Georgian flags and posters saying Freedom to Ukraine, Victory is […]
Carl Bildt hopes Georgia will sign EU pact in August
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. (World Economic Forum.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt says he hopes Georgia will sign the Association Agreement with European Union in August. Bildt met with Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Ghrabishvili in Davos during the World Economic Forum and said afterward that […]
Georgia creates an additional security council
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has created a consulting group named the Security Council that will work on issues concerning Georgia’s internal and external safety. The council has almost the same duties and responsibilities as the National […]
Witnesses heard in trial about May 26 dispersal
A trial is underway in Georgia to determine guilt for the violent dispersal of protesters on May 26, 2011, which led to several deaths. TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in Georgia on Friday questioned witnesses and participant in a demonstration on May 26 in 2011, which was violently dispersed by the police causing several deaths. One of the participants, Gia Burjanadze from the People’s Assembly, recalled […]
Muslims in Georgia feel pressured by law enforcement
Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili (left) met representatives of the Muslim community. (Photo: Public Defender.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Muslims in Georgia say they are being pressured by law enforcement bodies. Clerics from the Muslims community January 22 met with the Public Defender. According to the Ombudsman’s office, the meeting dealt with problems they are experiencing and […]
Further charges against former Georgian intelligence head
Prosecutors in Georgia have slapped one more charge on Data Akhalaia, who remains abroad. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia on Friday presented further charges against a former top intelligence official under Saakashvili. This again puts the spotlight on Data Akhalaia, who served as head of the domestic intelligence service in Georgia, […]
Ivanishvili starts non-governmental organization
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has founded a non-governmental organization called Citizen. Details are scarce, but it is known that Ivanishvili himself will head the new organization and that its goal will be to strengthen civil society in the country. […]
Circus worker attacked by lion in Tbilisi
TBILISI, DFWatch–A lion attacked a lion tamer in Tbilisi on Thursday, after the end of the night’s performance. Monday night, a lion tamer from a group of Ukrainian performers entered the lion’s cage to do some cleaning, and that was when the animal attacked. Roman […]
Georgian lawmakers express concern about violence in Ukraine
Georgian parliamentarians Thursday expressed concern about the violence in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as people continued to rally outside the old parliament in Tbilisi to show support. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia on Thursday passed a resolution expressing concern about the use of force against peaceful citizens in Ukraine. 118 representatives voted for, none voted against. The minimum number of votes to pass such a resolution is 60. […]
Georgian government members get performance-based bonuses
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Government ministers in Georgia are to be given bonuses according to their performance. Government officials receiving high bonuses was a controversial issue during the previous government. The problem is that under Georgian law, only the salary […]
Georgian lari continues to fall
Georgian lari continues to drop in value. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian lari continues to fall in value and hit 1.7817 against the US dollar on January 23. The fall started in early November and continued gradually from a level of around 1.67 lari against the dollar the month before. The lari rate has also […]
Georgia expresses concern about Russian border-moving
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili expresses concern about Russia moving the border into the territory of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia. A few days ago, the Russian Federation and de facto government of Abkhazia made a decision […]
Hundreds demonstrated in Tbilisi to support Ukraine
Several hundred people gathered in front of the old parliament building in Tbilisi Wednesday to show support for Ukraine after the violence in Kiev, (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Wednesday evening, several hundred people demonstrated at the old parliament building in Tbilisi in support of Ukrainians who want integration with Europe. Students, journalists, politicians, artists, singers and others filled the square in front […]
Constructive dialogue at South Ossetia field meeting
The atmosphere was constructive at the field meeting at Ergneti Tuesday, the European Union’s observers said. (Photo: EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) met in the village Ergneti on Tuesday. Representatives of Georgia’s Interior Ministry presented footage of Russians installing barbed wire and fences in villages close to the demarcation line […]
Georgian PM to attend World Economic Forum
Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has left for Switzerland to participate in the 44th World Economic Forum in Davos. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze, Director […]
Georgia appoints new chief prosecutor
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili appointed a new chief prosecutor on Monday. The country has been without one for almost a month. The new chief prosecutor is Giorgi Badashvili, a 32 year old graduate from Georgian Technical […]
HRW highlights recent attacks on minorities in Georgia
A crowd of thousands led by Orthodox priests on May 17, 2013, violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Human Rights Watch criticizes Georgia in its World Report 2014 for not having done enough to protect the rights of religious minorities and LGBT. When it comes to religious rights, the organization points out that the Muslim minority has experienced […]
The NATO Military Committe to visit Georgia Feb 11-12
TBILISI, DFWatch–The NATO Military Committee will visit Georgia February 11-12. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said at Tuesday’s briefing that the visit is important, because it means that the military cooperation with NATO is on a new level. “Reforms implemented […]
HRW: Unclear criteria for prosecution of ex-officials
Prison torture in Georgia is one of the things Human Rights Watch reviews in its latest world report. TBILISI, DFWatch–Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticizes Georgian authorities for not clarifying what criteria they used when cleaning up crimes committed by officials under the previous government of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. “The authorities did not explain […]
Many milk products in Georgia have misleading labeling
Center for Strategic Research and Development examined fifteen types of milk products, and ten of them turned out to contain vegetable fat. (for.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Food companies in Georgia are selling modified milk products with misleading labeling, according to Center for Strategic Research and Development. The center examined fifteen types of milk products, and ten of them turned out to be modified. They […]
Court strikes down libel sentence in ‘Imedi’ case
National Movement MP Giorgi Vashadze did not break the law when he called Joseph Kay a fraud, the court ruled, but the case continues. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court struck down a previous court ruling to fine Member of Parliament Giorgi Vashadze for libel against the businessman Joseph Kay. Kay is the investor who for a few months owned Imedi, a formerly government-critical TV station that played an […]
Tbilisi TV tower gets to keep its light show
TBILISI, DFWatch–The TV tower in Tbilisi went briefly dark Monday because of disagreement over the city’s budget, but the flashing light show lit up again late at night. The lights that have become the most visible landmark in the Georgian capital, were turned […]
Georgia to restrict privatization of strategic assets
TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia demands to restore the list of strategic assets. The list was abolished a few years ago by the National Movement government and defined assets like railways, dams and pipelines, that have special importance for the country’s […]
Russia moves disputed state border near Sochi
The River Psou. (Photo: elephantr.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia has created a temporary border zone in the disputed Georgian region Abkhazia. The measure is said to be temporary in connection with the Winter Olympics in nearby Sochi. According to the Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Russia has moved its […]
Tbilisi’s TV tower goes dark due to budget gridlock
The Tbilisi TV tower has gone dark at night because of a budget gridlock in the city. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi’s most visible landmark, the Mtatsminda TV tower, has gone dark at night, because of the the city’s failure to pass a budget for this year. City Hall decided to switch off the light show on the tower because of the City Council’s […]
Aide to the Georgian president attacked in Ankara
Sopo Janiashvili, an aide to the Georgian president, was attacked in Ankara on Monday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An aide to the Georgian president was attacked in Turkey on Monday during an official visit. The attack took place in Ankara, just as a meeting between Georgian president Giorgi Margvelashvili and Turkish President Abdullah Gül was about to start. […]
1000 people demonstrated to save Vake Park in Tbilisi
Around a thousand people gathered in Tbilisi’s Vake Park Sunday to show their resistance to a planned new hotel. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Around a thousand people showed up in Vake Park in Tbilisi Sunday to protest against the construction of a new hotel. The event, which was planned on Facebook, brought together people, families, some with dogs or carrying balloons, enjoying snacks […]
Farmers in Georgia dump mandarin harvest due to delay
Farmers in Kobuleti have thrown away mandarins that rotted while they were waiting to bring it to the factory. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Farmers in Kobuleti, a small town on the Black Sea coast, have thrown away part of their mandarin harvest because it rotted before they managed to sell it to the factory. The farmers say frost destroyed their mandarin and they just have to throw it […]
Georgian president pardons 54 prisoners
Prison No 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Sunday pardoned 54 prisoners. Two of them are minors, and one is a woman. The pardoning took palce in connection with Epiphany, a holiday usually celebrated on January 19. It is regular practice for the […]
US Congress approves USD 62 million aid to Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States will give more than USD 62 million in aid to Georgia in 2014. Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says the extent of U.S. aid was decided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year of 2014, which was passed by the House […]
Mining company wants to dig gold in 5400 year old mine
Mining company RMG claims the 5400 years old gold mine has no archaeological value and demands that its employees are not left idling as experts work to determine whether Sakdrisi should be protected. (Culture Ministry.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists in Georgia are trying to prevent a five thousand year old gold mine from being opened up for commercial exploitation. It started in spring 2013, when archaeologists became aware that the mining company RMG was about to start excavating gold […]
Energy Ministry claims Saakashvili’s palace stole gas
The presidential residence in Avlabari, Tbilisi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has discovered that the palace Mikheil Saakashvili used as official residence for many years had a gas pipe installed which made it able to consume gas illegally without a counter. The glass domed presidential residence towers […]
Burjanadze fined USD 36 600 for campaign financing violation
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Audit Office in Georgia has fined the party led by opposition figure Nino Burjanadze, Democratic Movement, 65 000 lari (USD 36 600) for not declaring its finances in the election campaign. The State Audit Office, previously known as […]