TBILISI, August 4 – Mamuka Khazaradze, the jailed leader of Georgia’s opposition party Lelo, issued a sharp rebuke of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday, accusing it of using a smear campaign to target both his family and Germany’s ambassador, Peter Fischer. In a statement from prison, Khazaradze defended the lease agreement under which … Read more
TBILISI, August 4 – Mzia Amaghlobeli delivered her final statement in court Monday, as supporters gathered outside and in the courtroom; among them, former president Salome Zourabichvili. The cause has drawn international attention, and many observers view it as a test of judicial independence in the country. Amaghlobeli, who co-founded the independent newspapers Batumelebi and … Read more
TBILISI, August 4 – Georgia’s Revenue Service has launched an investigation after media reports that Germany’s ambassador in Tbilisi, Peter Fischer, is renting a Tbilisi apartment owned by the family of Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the opposition Lelo party. Initial analysis reportedly revealed a possible violation of tax law, prompting formal tax-control measures to examine whether … Read more
TBILISI, August 3 – The United National Movement (UNM), which swept to power in Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution and ruled the country for a decade, overhauling public institutions and firing the entire police force, is now facing the prospect of being outlawed. A controversial parliamentary investigation is set to conclude on August 5 with a … Read more
TBILISI, August 3 – Georgia’s ruling party leaders have accused Germany’s ambassador of violating diplomatic protocol by living in a property owned by the family of an opposition politician. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Vice Speaker of Parliament Gia Volski have both validated claims in local media that the ambassador’s residence is an informal rental … Read more
TBILISI, August 2 – A Georgian court has approved a psychiatric evaluation for activist Nino Datashvili, who has been in pre-trial detention since June 20, 2025, on charges of assaulting a public official during a protest earlier that month. The decision to order the evaluation, made at the request of the prosecutor’s office, has triggered … Read more
TBILISI, August 1 – A Georgian editor on trial for allegedly assaulting a chief of police will deliver her closing argument on August 4, following a delay granted by the judge at her request. Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, is accused of slapping a police chief during a January protest outside police … Read more
TBILISI, July 31 – Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) has arrested a senior opposition figure, Lasha Tsanava, on charges of immigration fraud. Tsanava, a political council member of the United National Movement (UNM), is accused of receiving money from a foreign citizen in return for promising to help secure a residence permit in Georgia. According … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A senior Georgian Dream (GD) official has accused Lithuania’s political elite of behaving like Soviet bureaucrats, following the Baltic country’s decision to expand visa bans on Georgian officials. The latest visa restrictions adds ten more individuals to a growing list of Georgians barred from entering Lithuania, bringing the total to 112. In a public … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the defendants in a trial of alleged group violence during recent protests has challenged the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence, questioning the authenticity of a video recording purportedly capturing his voice. During a court hearing, Vepkhia Kasradze questioned why no forensic analysis had been conducted to verify the authenticity of the audio. … Read more