News
Georgian world boxing champion arrested in the US
WBO world middleweight champion Avtandil Kurtsidze. TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian world boxing champion has been arrested in the United States along with a martial arts practicioner, also from Georgia, for alleged ties to a Russian crime syndicate. Avtandil Khurtsidze, who currently holds a World Boxing Organization middleweight title, […]
Earthquake of magnitude 5.1 in eastern Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 rattled Georgia late Wednesday evening with only minor damage reported in one village. The quake occurred at about 10.30pm with the epicenter near Dedoplistskaro in Kakheti, 100km east of Tbilisi, […]
TV news anchor may join race for new Tbilisi mayor
Zaal Udumashvili speaking at a demonstration in Tbilisi in February, 2017. (Rustavi 2.) Independent candidate Aleksandre Elisashvili may also have a chance. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A news anchor on Georgia’s biggest private television channel has confirmed that he may run for mayor of Tbilisi as a candidate for the biggest opposition party UNM. The entry of Zaal Udumashvili, host of the evening news on Rustavi 2, […]
Protesters put bags over their heads as parliament silent on Mukhtarli case
(Liberali.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian journalists covered their heads with plastic sacks during a meeting of the parliament’s human rights committee on Tuesday to protest the abduction of an Azerbaijani investigative journalist in Tbilisi. But the committee did not discuss […]
Georgia’s ruling party to tap energy minister as new Tbilisi mayor
Kakhi Kaladze. (Ministry of Energy.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling party in Georgia is expected to name Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze as its candidate for new Tbilisi mayor, to replace the incumbent Davit Narmania. Georgian Dream MPs and members of government met on Sunday behind closed […]
Georgian leaders send condolences to victims of London attacks
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s president and prime minister have expressed their condolences to the families of victims of the recent London terror attack, which left seven dead and over 48 injured. “I am deeply outraged over the brutal terrorist incidents in #London. […]
Georgian authorities deny involvement in abduction of Azerbaijani journalist
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s head of government Thursday denied that his country’s authorities had been involved when a journalist was abducted three days earlier in Tbilisi and delivered into the hands of Azerbaijani police for criminal prosecution. […]
Abduction of Azerbaijani journalist sparks outrage in Tbilisi
TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists rallied in Tbilisi on Wednesday against the apparent abduction and return to Azerbaijan of an investigative journalist who had criticized the Aliyev regime. Journalists and rights activists rallied outside the government office […]
Journalist who sought refuge in Georgia abducted to Azerbaijan
Afgan Mukhtali TBILISI, DFWatch–An investigative journalist who fled Azerbaijan and sought asylum in neighboring Georgia was abducted by unknown men in Tbilisi on Monday and taken across the border to his home country. Journalist Afgan Mukhtali is now being held in Baku, […]
Murder plot against Georgian patriarch allegedly revealed
Edisher Karchava. (ambebi.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A lawyer for the Georgian church claimed on Monday that there is a plot to assassinate the head of the church, involving high-level clerics. One of the clerics implicated in the attempt on Patriarch’s life is Metropolitan Petre Tsaava, according to […]
Opposition candidates vying to unseat unpopular Tbilisi mayor
Elene Khoshtaria was nominated by European Georgia as candidate for Tbilisi mayor. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s second largest opposition party named a woman as its candidate for Tbilisi Mayor on Saturday. The European Dream party congress nominated Elene Khoshtaria (37) as mayoral candidate as political parties are gearing up for the local elections. […]
Georgia detains school manager connected to Gülen network
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has detained a manager of a private school in what appears to be a case of pressure exerted by Turkey on Georgian authorities to crack down on institutions associated with the exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen. Mustafa Emre Cabuk, quality manager […]
State auditor shown holding pistol in bar in new online video
Lasha Tordia (far left) apparently brandishing a pistol at PAM Club last December. TBILISI, DFWatch–A new video of a public auditor pointing a pistol in a bar last December further undermined his claim that a recent fight with an ex-prosecutor was corruption related. The video surfaced on the Internet on Wednesday, and shows state auditor Lasha Tordia […]
MIA presents video, auditor maintains bar fight was corruption related
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ministry of Internal Affairs released a surveillance video and witness testimony on Monday which appeared to undermine claims by the country’s top public auditor that a recent bar fight was connected to a corruption probe. But the low resolution […]
Prosecutors drop case against Georgian ECHR judge’s brother
TBILISI, DFWatch–Prosecutors in Georgia have dropped a case against the brother of a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) who said the investigation was connected to her work. None Tsotsoria (center) is a judge currently serving at the European Court of Human Rights. The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia (POG) called off the probe […]
Georgian priest walks out on first day of his murder trial
TBILISI, DFWatch–A high profile trial of a Georgian priest accused of planning to murder the patriarch’s personal secretary got off to a dramatic start Friday as the defendant left the courtroom in protest and asked his lawyers to do the same. This was the first hearing […]
Gay pride film screening canceled in Tbilisi after bomb threat
TBILISI, DFWatch–The screening of a gay pride film in a Tbilisi park had to be canceled Friday evening after someone called in a bomb threat. LGBT people, rights activists and others, mainly youth, had gathered in Mziuri Park for a screening of the British historical comedy […]
Georgian ECHR judge: ‘Raid of my brother’s flat was related to my job’
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) suspects that a police raid against her brother’s apartment was connected to her work. “I have reason to believe that [the police raid] is related to my work at the European Court of Human Rights. […]
Russia and Abkhazia establish joint center to combat organized crime
TBILISI, DFWatch–Separatist authorities in Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia signed an agreement with Russia on Thursday, establishing a joint Russian-Abkhaz coordination center in Sokhumi to combat organized crime and other serious crimes. The joint […]
UNM claims police search of judge’s brother’s flat is political pressure
Nona Tsotsoria (center) at a meeting with Supreme Court judges in Latvia. (Photo published by the Latvian government.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The opposition in Georgia claims the police raided the flat of a judge’s brother to put pressure on the judge after an unfavorable decision in the ECHR. Police carried out a raid Thursday night in the flat of brother of a judge who currently represents Georgia […]
Public meeting about new constitution interrupted by protests
TBILISI, DFWatch–A public meeting in Tbilisi on Monday to discuss a set of constitutional amendments was interrupted by two different groups of protesters. The head of the organizing committee now says they will extend the hearing process with a number of extra […]
Four years after violence, Tbilisi’s LGBT activists meet under tight security
TBILISI, DFWatch–Four years after a mob of thousands of people violently attacked them, Georgia’s LGBT community needed strict security to observe The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) on Wednesday. Several […]
EU envoy sparks outrage in Tbilisi by congratulating Russia-backed separatist leader
Herbert Salber (left). (Photo published by South Ossetia’s de facto president.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A European Union official congratulating the leader of a Russian-backed breakaway republic on winning the election has caused a diplomatic scandal in Tbilisi. Herbert Salber, a German diplomat who is the EU’s special representative to South Caucasus […]
Court told ex-president Saakashvili protected Girgvliani’s murderers
Sandro Girgvliani was 28 years old when he was murdered in January, 2006. Irakli Okruashvili. (GPB.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former minister claimed Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili protected several high ranking officials from prosecution as the high-profile trial about the murder of a young bank employee in Georgia eleven years ago continued in Tbilisi on Monday. […]
Top state auditor stays away from police questioning for health reasons
Otar Partskhaladze. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of Georgia’s state audit office refused to be questioned by police on Monday, after alleging that a former chief prosecutor attacked him at a bar Friday night. Lasha Tordia excused himself on the grounds of his poor health condition after Friday’s incident […]
State auditor says former chief prosecutor assaulted him at bar
Lasha Tordia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of Georgia’s State Audit Office claims an investigation into a land plot scheme was the reason he was physically assaulted by a former chief prosecutor and his associates at a bar in Tbilisi Friday night. General Auditor Lasha Tordia (37) said he was attacked […]
Batumi City Hall turns down request to build second mosque
TBILISI, DFWatch–The city hall in Georgia’s second largest city Batumi has rejected an application for permission to build a second mosque in the 150,000 strong city. In the largely Muslim city there has been a several decades long conflict about whether to allow a second mosque. […]
Six former prison guards in Georgia will face trial for torture
TBILISI, DFWatch–Six former guards at the notorious Penitentiary No 8 in Tbilisi have been detained for alleged torture of prisoners during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili. Legal proceedings have been launched against former Head of Legal Regimen of the same facility, […]
Five villages cut off from the world after river thrashes road in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–A rain-swelled river on Thursday cut off the only road to five villages in the northern part of Georgia, leaving the inhabitants isolated from the rest of the world. The river Vedura swelled after several days of hard rain in the Upper Svaneti region. […]
Georgia bars former Moscow mayor Luzhkov from entering
In this photo from 2006, Yuri Luzhkov (right) is seen in Abkhazia with Abkhaz and Russian politicians. (Alexander Popov/TASS.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has placed the former mayor of Moscow on its ‘black list’ of people barred from entering the country. Yuri Luzhkov was briefly in Georgia last weekend and the opposition called for his prosecution for violating a 2008 law. When Luzhkov’s tourist trip became […]
Protesters demand safer workplaces after four die in coal mine
TBILISI, DFWatch–Three people were detained in Tbilisi on Tuesday during a protest in response to a mining accident that took four lives earlier the same day. The protesters from student group Auditorium #115 and trade union activists gathered in front of the […]
Two Russian bikers turn up at May 9 event in Georgia despite ban
TBILISI, DFWatch–Two members of the notorious Russian motorcycle gang Night Wolves turned up in Tbilisi’s Vake Park on Tuesday for the May 9 commemoration of victory over Nazism in World War II, despite the gang’s members being banned from entering Georgia. […]
Georgian opposition calls for former Moscow mayor to be punished
TBILISI, DFWatch–An otherwise uneventful tourist visit to Georgia by the former mayor of Moscow was interrupted by opposition calls for him to be ‘punished’. Word spread of Yuri Luzhkov’s visit to Georgia after priest Serafim Bit-Kharibi posted photos […]
Georgian priest must remain in detention until beginning of murder trial
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian priest accused of planning to poison an adviser to the patriarch is to remain in pre-trial detention. That was decided at a hearing in the Tbilisi City Court on Friday. The judge rejected all the around a dozen pleas by arch priest […]
Russian bikers denied entry to Georgia for WWII commemoration
TBILISI, DFWatch–Nearly 50 Russian pro-Kremlin bikers were stopped at the border on Wednesday as they were trying to enter Georgia in connection with an annual tour to commemorate the end of World War II. The bikers were not given an explanation for why they were denied entry, […]
Georgian opposition wants referendum about constitutional changes
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian opposition groups said Monday that the country’s democratic development is being reversed unless a set of constitutional amendments is stopped. The groups demand a referendum about the changes. In a declaration, the opposition listed eight […]
Russian biker gang Night Wolves plans Georgia trip
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Russian biker gang Night Wolves plans to visit Georgia to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War II. The gang is known for its support of the Kremlin and leader Alexander Zaldostanov (“the Surgeon”) has appeared at many […]
Georgian priest on trial for planning to murder patriarch’s adviser
TBILISI, DFWatch–A priest is being put on trial in Georgia for planning to use poison to murder a close adviser to Patriarch Ilia II, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church. As the case files were handed over to the court on Thursday, the Prosecutor General’s Office wrote in a statement that […]
Woman found strangled, ex-husband arrested as suspect
TBILISI, DFWatch–A mother of four was found strangled in Tbilisi on Tuesday. Police suspect her ex-husband who was arrested soon after. Miranda Vacheishvili (40) was apparently strangled with a lead wire. She was living in an uptown district of the capital, and had complained […]
Georgia’s auto park continued 8% growth trend in 2016
TBILISi, DFWatch–The number of cars in Georgia grew 8 percent in 2016, continuing a trend of steady expansion of the nation’s auto park of mostly older vehicles. The growth in 2016 was to 1,125, which is 8 percent, with German carmakers retaining their leading positions. […]
Pregnant woman among five killed in car crash near Kutaisi, Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–A pregnant woman was among the five who were killed in a horrendous road accident along a highway in western Georgia on Sunday. The accident happened at night, along a highway near Kutaisi in the west of the country. First two cars collided head-on, […]
Georgia inches closer to one-party rule with new draft Constitution
A meeting of the Constitutional Commission. In the center Irakli Kobakhidze, parliament’s speaker, who was commission chair. (Pia.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is moving closer to one-party rule, opposition groups warn, as a new round of constitutional amendments was approved by a commission on Saturday. Georgians are no strangers to changing their Constitution, but the latest set of amendments […]
Georgian MP injured after colleague throws ashtray, hits wrong person
(1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A member of the Georgian parliament was lightly injured on Wednesday, after a verbal and physical confrontation that led to an ashtray being hurled at his face. Otar Kakhidze was accidentally hit by an ashtray during a confrontation […]
Iran’s FM Zarif visiting Georgia
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif began a two day visit to Georgia on Monday. Zarif will meet with his Georgian counterpart as well as the president, the prime minister and the minister of economy and sustainable development. […]
Georgian Airways plane rolls off runway at Moscow airport
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–No-one was injured when a passenger jet belonging to Georgian Airways went past the end of the runway at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Sunday after landing. The Boeing-737 had just arrived from Tbilisi with 106 passengers and six crew members on board. […]
Russia’s FM Lavrov to visit Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia
Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov. (Kremlin.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia next week to open a new Russian embassy and meet with the local leadership. Lavrov’s working visit will start April 18 with the official opening of a new Russian embassy […]
Georgian priest suspected of murder suing government for unfair trial
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A priest awaiting trial for murder is suing Georgia at the European Court of Human Rights, claiming the country is depriving him of a fair trial. Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze is accused of planning to poison a member of the Georgian patriarch’s inner circle. […]
Georgia to get rid of its SU-25 in favor of drones and helicopters
Georgian Sukhoi SU-25 “Frogfoot”. (Marcus Fülber/Wikimedia.) Unmanned attack helicopter produced by Delta. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is getting rid of its Soviet era Su-25 attack aircraft, and will instead rely on military helicopters and drones, the country’s defense minister said. Su-25 is a severely outdated aircraft which requires spare parts that are produced in Russia, […]
South Ossetia declares de facto presidential election valid
Anatoly Bibilov, a veteran of the 2008 war, has claimed victory in the election for new de facto leader of South Ossetia, a small Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia. TBILISI, DFWatch–South Ossetia’s de facto authorities have declared the election for a new leader of the separatist region valid. According to latest news, assembly speaker Anatoly Bibilov is in the lead. He has already declared victory, but it is still not known whether he will get more than 50 percent, […]
Georgian president accuses ruling GD of stalling democratic reforms
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Friday slammed the governing GD party for dragging its feet on the way to further democratic reforms and claimed there is a ‘crisis’ in the justice system. The president launched the broadside during […]
Bomb scare causes evacuation of Metekhi Bridge
(Interpressnews.) (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A false bomb alert caused a bridge close to a restaurant district in Tbilisi to be evacuated Wednesday afternoon. Passers-by noticed a suspicious suitcase on the sidewalk of Metekhi Bridge at around 6pm. Police sealed off the tourist destination, […]
Ex-official brutally attacked in Tbilisi
(Facebook/Eliso Kiladze.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Unknown assailants brutally beat a former interior ministry official in Tbilisi Monday morning. The two masked men assaulted Gela Khvedelidze, a former deputy interior minister, close to his home in the center of Tbilisi, as he was leaving his flat. […]
Rustavi 2 web domain hijacked by former owners
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s embattled opposition TV company Rustavi 2 has lost control over its web domain and has had to switch to a different address to stay online. In a statement posted online on its new address, Rustavi 2 blamed former owner David Dvali […]
Former vice speaker of parliament found guilty of embezzlement
Rusudan Kervalishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former vice speaker of parliament in Georgia has been sentenced to four years in prison. Rusudan Kervalishvili (62), who served as vice speaker of parliament in 2008-2012 representing the National Movement, was detained inside the courtroom after the verdict. […]
Georgia isn’t implementing law it passed in return for visa-free travel to Europe
Thousands of Orthodox Christians attacked gay rights activists in Tbilisi on May 17, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia passed a law against discrimination three years ago, and in return the European Union gave its citizens visa-free travel to Europe. But the local human rights watchdog now says the anti-discrimination law is not being fully implemented. […]
Too young to tie the knot
Seven of Taso Tsatiashvili’s daughers were married before they turned 18. (DFWatch.) IORMUGHANLO, DFWatch–Although Georgia has brought in a more restrictive marriage law, the problems of child marriage and arranged engagements persist, especially in areas with a minority population. A study carried out by the United Nations Population […]
Georgia detains Ukrainian ex-official linked to Yanukovich
Veteran energy ministry official Igor Kiriushin (59) is accused of embezzlement of over 2 billion hryvnia. (Kievgrad.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An ally of the exiled former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich has been detained in Tbilisi by Interpol on suspicion of corruption. Igor Kiriushin (59), a veteran official at the Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, was detained at Tbilisi airport on Saturday […]
Georgians celebrate start of visa-free travel to Europe
From left to right: PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Lasha Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) (Interpressnews.) (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There were celebrations in the capital Tbilisi on Monday as Georgian nationals may travel without a visa to Europe’s vast borderless Schengen area from March 28. Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili was among government officials who attended a two […]
Rustavi 2 owners offer to hand shares over to staff
TBILISI, DFWatch–The owners of Georgia’s biggest opposition TV station have offered to hand over a controlling stake in the company to its staff. The brothers Giorgi and Levan Karamanishvili published an open letter to the staff of Rustavi 2 staff on Friday, offering them shares in the embattled TV company. […]
Activists claim police are planting drugs on government critics
Among the protestere was Ana Margvelashvili, daughter of the president of Georgia. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The daughter of the president of Georgia claims police framed her friend because he has been involved in political work for the president. It used to be an oft-heard story during the Saakashvili presidency: regime critics who are set up by police [...]
11-year-old girl killed by car in Tbilisi
(Ministry of Internal Affairs.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An 11 year old girl was killed in a car crash on the outskirts of Tbilisi on Tuesday. The tragic accident occurred in the morning hours Tuesday on Aghmashenebeli Lane on the northern outskirts of the city. The car, presumably a BMW, […]
Houses damaged, trees overturned by overnight storm in Tbilisi
TBILISI, DFWatch–Strong wind hit Tbilisi Monday evening, uprooting tens of trees and damaging houses and street signs. Monday night at 10pm, the wind reached a speed of up to 32 meters per second in the capital. This qualifies as a hurricane, […]
Georgian president vetoes controversial surveillance bill
(DF Watch) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Monday vetoed a surveillance bill which civil society groups claim does not go far enough in reining in the powers of the secret police. Also opposition parties have criticized the bill. They suspect that it will give […]
Eight more detained as blame game continues after ‘parking fine riot’
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police detained eight more people on criminal charges on Saturday as the blame game continues for last weekend’s violent riot in Batumi. Altogether, the number of detainees has now reached 100, all of them men, the local newspaper Batumelebi reports. […]
Hungarian tourist killed by avalanche in Georgia
A screenshot from Imedi TV showing the tracks where the victim skied along with a group of tourists near Gudauri. TBILISI, DFWatch–A Hungarian tourist died in an avalanche in Georgia on Friday while skiing near Gudauri, a mountain resort north of Tbilisi. Authorities did not identity the victim beyond describing him as a man aged around 40. The accident occurred when a group of tourists […]
Spanish police detain 48 in raids against Georgian robbery gangs
(National Police Corps of Spain.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Spanish police have arrested dozens of Georgian nationals suspected of home burglaries in an elaborate operation said to be targeting ‘the Georgian mafia’. The police released information on Thursday but operations were carried out earlier, […]
Six more arrests in wake of Batumi ‘parking fine riot’
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested six more people on Thursday who are suspected of having been involved in a riot in the Black Sea city Batumi last weekend that started with a disagreement over a parking fine. The six are expected to appear in court on Friday. […]
Two drug arrests of UNM-linked youth raise calls of politicized justice
Khatia Dekanoidze as head of Ukraine’s national police. TBILISI, DFWatch–Two young men related to government critics were arrested in Tbilisi on Tuesday on drug charges. Their mothers think it was politically motivated. One of the detainees is the son of Khatia Dekanoidze, a justice specialist who introduced Georgian experience with police reforms to Ukraine […]
Sen. McCain encourages Georgia to preserve pluralistic media
Georgian court's decision regarding Rustavi 2 looks like 'an attempt to silence opposition voices', US Senator John McCain said to Voice of America's Georgian service. "I am deeply concerned that the Georgian Supreme Court’s decision regarding Rustavi 2 appears to be an attempt to silence opposition voices in the press and curtail the country’s vibrant, pluralistic, [...]
Rioters will be strictly punished, Georgia’s interior minister warns
Clean up work after a riot Saturday night and Sunday morning in Batumi. (Interpressnews.) Those responsible will be strictly punished, Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili warned. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Most who were detained in a riot in Batumi, Georgia have now been released, but the interior minister warned that they will be strictly punished. Seven people are still incarcerated after a court placed them in preliminary administrative detention, […]
Government and opposition trade accusations over Batumi riot
From left to right: Batumi Mayor Giorgi Ermakov, PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili and head of the Adjara government Zurab Pataradze in Batumi on Sunday. (Interpressnews). (Batumelebi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government and the largest opposition party in Georgia are blaming each other for being behind a riot that shook the Black Sea resort city Batumi last night, injuring dozens and leaving the burgeoning tourist destination in disarray. A special unit […]
PM Kvirikashvili blames ‘destructive political forces’ for Batumi riot
Sporadic rioting continued into the night in Batumi, a port city on Georgia’s Black Sea coast. (Batumelebi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–“A common incident has been utilized by destructive political forces to escalate the situation,” Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated at an emergency briefing at about 5 am on Sunday appealing the crowd in Batumi to calm down. “Unfortunately, those forces […]
Around 20 police and protesters injured in riot over parking fine in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–Around twenty police and protesters are injured after a riot broke out in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday evening over a disagreement about a parking fine. The riot began after a man refused to accept a fine for parking in the wrong place […]
Escalating rhetoric between Georgia’s parliament and president
Speaker of Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A meeting summoned by the Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has become the latest episode in the downward spiral of deteriorating relations between him and the ruling Georgian Dream party. On Thursday, Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze […]
Prosecutors release secret videos in the Georgia’s church poisoning case
Prosecutor Jarji Tsiklauri at the briefing. (POG.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia on Wednesday presented its theory of how a priest allegedly was planning to murder an adviser to Patriarch Ilia II, backing the allegations up by secretly obtained videos. The central part of the evidence […]
EU denies link between Georgia visa waiver and refugee centers proposal
EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A member of the European Unions executive branch denies that there is any connection between a proposal to host refugee centers in Georgia and the recent decision to allow visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Georgian passport holders. […]
ECHR suspends Rustavi 2 takeover ‘until further notice’
A letter by ICHR to Rustavi 2 lawyer published on Facebook by Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday confirmed a decision by one of its judges to suspend a ruling by Georgia’s Supreme Court about changing the ownership of the opposition-leaning TV company Rustavi 2. “A Chamber constituted from the Section […]
Georgia rejects idea of hosting refugee center for EU
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz meets his Georgian counterpart during a visit to Tbilisi on February 3, 2017. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia distances itself from a controversial statement by the Austrian minister of foreign affairs, who proposed establishing refugees’ centers outside the borders of the EU, including in Georgia. “There are no plans to set up refugee camps […]
Georgian PM proposes creating new media ombudsman post
PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s prime minister proposes creating an office of media ombudsman. The PM’s proposal comes at the same time as the situation surrounding a lawsuit about the country’s most popular TV company remains in a deadlock. After a meeting with PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili […]
Georgia’s embattled TV station Rustavi 2 plans new rally on Saturday
A scene from the February 19 rally. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Embattled Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 plans another rally in Tbilisi on Saturday to protest what it claims is an attempt by authorities to silence free speech in the country. On March 3, Georgia’s Supreme Court upheld a decision to change ownership of Rustavi 2. […]
Leaders of Georgia’s Orthodox Church gather to discuss poisoning plot
TBILISI, DFWatch–When top clerics within the Georgian Orthodox Church gather for a Holy Synod on March 9, there are several difficult problems on their agenda, notably a priest accused of planning to murder someone in the patriarch’s inner circle. Petre Tsaava, the Metropolitan of Chkondidi, has spoken about corruption in the Church in a series of TV appearances. (2030.news) The Synod is the highest authority […]
Gvaramia: ECHR has suspended Georgian Supreme Court ruling
TBILISI, DFWatch–The director of Georgia’s largest opposition TV company says the European Court of Human Rights has decided to temporarily suspend a ruling by the former Soviet republic’s Supreme Court which changes the ownership of the company, Rustavi 2. […]
Georgia’s president advises all sides invlolved in Rustavi 2 case to refrain from hasty steps
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president on Friday stepped into the tense situation surrounding the largest TV station in the country, urging all sides to refrain from undertaking ‘immediate’ action. The decision led to a protest […]
Georgia’s ruling party postpones switch to indirect election of president
Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Dream is backing down on a previous pledge to phase out the use of direct elections to select a president already from next year. Instead, the ruling coalition plans to introduce the change from the 2023 election. “The rules of presidential […]
Vigil held as Georgia’s embattled TV station vows to block takeover
(Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Opposition activists and supporters of Rustavi 2 held a vigil at the studio complex last night, after the Supreme Court upheld a decision to hand ownership of the embattled TV company over to a private investor who critics fear will silence the government’s […]
Georgia Supreme Court upholds decision to change Rustavi 2 ownership
Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Supreme Court in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has controversially upheld a decision to take away ownership of the country’s biggest opposition TV channel and hand it to a private investor. Critics say the decision will effectively silence […]
Georgia Supreme Court begins review of Rustavi 2 case Thursday
Rustavi 2’s director Nika Gvaramia. (Palitra TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Supreme Court in the former Soviet republic of Georgia on Thursday begins to review a highly publicised lawsuit about the ownership over the country’s biggest TV channel. The case concerns who shall control 100 percent of shares in Rustavi 2, […]
Georgian PM signs visa waiver document with EU
Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, and Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili shaking hands after signing the visa waiver agreement. (Government of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After years of negotiations, Georgia’s prime minister finally signed an agreement with the EU on Wednesday which gives his country’s citizens the right to visa-free travel to the Schengen area. The visa waiver plan will be published in the EU […]
Detained Georgian priest curses prosecutors and law enforcers
Jarji Tsiklauri, spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office. (Palitra.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prosecutors in Georgia are still unable to interrogate archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze who is accused of murder attempt of an unidentified person from patriarch’s inner circle. “Instead of responding to our critical questions, he cursed us, […]
NATO concerned about closure of Abkhazia checkpoints
Nabakevi border crossing to Abkhazia. TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO is concerned that the closure of two crossing points between the breakaway region Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia may have adverse impact on the local population. A spokesperson for the alliance on Tuesday asked for the de facto authorities […]
EU gives final go-ahead for Georgians to enter Schengen without visa
All that’s needed is a new biometric passport. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A visa waiver system for Georgian citizens was given the final approval by the EU Council on Monday, and now only formalities remain until 3.7 million citizens of the Caucasus nation can enjoy up to 90 days trips to Europe’s vast borderless Schengen area […]
Georgian judo team takes two gold at Düsseldorf Grand Prix
Beka Gviniashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian judo team performed brilliantly at Düsseldorf Grand Prix with two gold medals and second place ahead of Russia and France. The team from Japan won the competition with five gold medals. Vazha Margvelashvili (-66 kg) and Beka Gviniashvili (-90 kg) […]
Second Georgian contractor held captive in DRC named
Pilot Vyacheslav Pluzhnikov is being held by a Tutsi rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a helicopter crash. (Imedi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The second of two Georgian pilots who were taken prisoner by rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been identified as Vyacheslav Pluzhnikov. Pluzhnikov has a background from the Georgian air force. He was arrested for alleged espionage […]
Patriarch’s head of security resigns, citing ‘intrigues’
Patriarch Ilia II and Soso Okhanashvili. (Tabula.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In the latest twist in the scandal about an alleged assassination plot within the Georgian Church, the head of the patriarch’s security detail confirmed Sunday that he has resigned from his post. “I went to his holiness… [and] asked for his blessing to left the position,” […]
Aerosmith concert in Georgia sold out in three hours
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tickets for an Aerosmith concert in Georgia on May 20 went on sale Saturday and were sold out in three hours. Tickets were bought not only by Georgians, but also customers from neighboring Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Tickets for the concert, which will take […]
Georgian opposition party will not face charges for planting pot
TBILISI, DFWatch–Members of an opposition party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia will not be prosecuted for planting cannabis in their office on New Year’s Eve because the saplings contained too little of the forbidden narcotic substance. The New Year’s Eve pot […]
Azerbaijan’s president confident pipeline across Turkey will go ahead
TBILISI, DFWatch–Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev is certain that nothing can prevent the construction of a new pipeline from his country to the European mainland. As a major producer of natural gas, the Caspian Sea nation has much to gain from the planned Southern Gas Corridor, […]
Two Georgians held captive in DR Congo after military helicopter crash
The two captured Georgian contractors were in a Mi-24 military attack helicopter belonging to the DR Congo armed forces. (davric/Wikimedia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Georgian private contractors are being held captive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after the military helicopter they were in crash landed in the east of the country nearly a month ago. Georgia’s Ministry of Defense said Wednesday […]
Georgia’s church poisoning case still a mystery
Prosecutors played secret recordings for Church leaders at the Patriarchate. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Breaking an earlier promise, Georgia’s top prosecutor did not release new evidence about an alleged assassination attempt in the Georgian Orthodox Church upon the return of the patriarch, leaving the public in the dark and the case shrouded in mystery. […]
State Oil and Gas Company Spending Questioned
Georgia Oil and Gas Corporation building on Kakheti av. (Ifact.ge) Between 2012 and 2014, the Georgia Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) spent 3.8 million lari (about $US2.26 million) to finance patrols watching to make sure nobody was stealing gas from oil or gas pipelines. […]
Georgia may ban smoking indoors and at sports arenas
Tobacco Control Alliance demonstrating in Tbilisi in March, 2016. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Lawmakers in Georgia are pondering a blanket ban on smoking indoors which will also cover sports stadiums and all forms of public transport. If the bill is passed, smoking will be prohibited inside all kinds of buildings, except for private homes, laboratories […]
Georgia’s parliament has 41 millionaires
Leader of Alliance of Patriots Nato Chkheidze is worth 51 million lari, according to the report. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–41 members of the Georgian parliament are millionaires (in GELs); 37 persons from the Georgian Dream majority and 4 members of two opposition parties, United National Movement and Alliance of Patriots. There are six millionaire ministers […]
New details expected in ‘cyanide affair’ as patriarch returns from Berlin
Catholicos-Patriarch of All-Georgia Ilia II. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia expects new details to emerge about an alleged assassination attempt in the higher circles of the Orthodox Church, as Patriarch Ilia II has left the hospital in Berlin and is expected to arrive in Tbilisi at around 6pm Monday local time. […]
Ex-laywer elected new Free Democrats leader
Shalva Shavgulidze is the new Free Democrats leader. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former lawyer has been elected chairman of the embattled Free Democrats, perhaps the most staunchly pro-western party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The Free Democrats’ failure to win any seats in the 2016 parliamentary elections coupled with […]
Rustavi 2 rallies supporters to defend freedom of expression
News anchor Zaal Udumashvili. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A rally is underway in the center of Tbilisi to show solidarity with Rustavi 2, as a decision is expected in the Supreme Court that could change its ownership, and – according to supporters of the TV company – bring its criticism of the government to a halt. […]
Georgia’s biggest opposition TV station goes dark to protest ‘injustice’
A banner posted on Rustavi 2. TBILISI, DFWatch–The biggest opposition TV station in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has voluntarily suspended its broadcast for two days to protest what it claims is an attempt by the government to silence it. “It was not an easy decision[…] but today we are left […]
Massive snowfall causing problems in western Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–Massive snowfall is causing problems in western Georgia, especially the two regions Samegrelo and Svaneti, where the snow cover in some places exceeds one meter. An avalanche cut off an important road connecting Zugdidi and Mestia, the administrative centers […]
Target of Georgia Church poisoning attempt was patriarch’s adviser
Shorena Tetruashvili (1tv.ge). TBILISI, DFWatch–Top prosecutors in Georgia now say the target of an assassination attempt within the Orthodox Church was not the patriarch, but one of his advisers. In an interview with the newspaper Rezonansi, POG spokeswoman Natia Sukhiashvili specifically […]
Wizz Air launches low-cost flights between London and Kutaisi
TBILISI, DFWatch–Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is launching cheap flights between London Luton and Kutaisi, a city in the western Imereti region of Georgia. United Airports Georgia announced the direct flights Kutaisi-London-Kutaisi two times per week, on Thursdays […]
Georgia reacts to arrest of priest on murder attempt charges
Prime Minster Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians are reacting to the detention of an Orthodox priest whom prosecutors accuse of trying to poison a high church official, widely believed to be the head of the Georgian Church. The story immediately went viral in Georgia, where the Orthodox Church […]
13 UNM activists arrested at rally outside Tbilisi City Hall
TBILISI, DFWatch–A demonstration in front of Tbilisi City Hall on Monday turned violent when activists for the United National Movement (UNM) tried to break into City Hall in order to meet Mayor Davit Narmania. Thirteen members of the opposition supporters were […]
Georgian priest arrested for planning to murder high church leader with poison
Giorgi Mamaladze. TBILISI, DFWatch–An archpriest in the Georgian Orthodox Church was arrested at Tbilisi airport, accused of trying to poison a person in ‘the Church’s highest hierarchy’ with cyanide. Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze was arrested as he was trying to board a plane […]
Georgian man sentenced to twenty years in prison in breakaway region
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in South Ossetia has sentenced a Georgian man to 20 years in a Tskhinvali jail for ‘sabotage and terrorist activities’. 49 year-old Giorgi Giunashvili, a native of the village Disevi inside the breakaway region, was arrested by Tskhinvali forces […]
Georgian parliament overturns president’s veto of judicial bill
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Opposition parties in the former Soviet republic of Georgia warn that the independence of the courts will be weakened after the ruling party overturned the president’s veto against a judicial reform bill. The so-called third wave of judicial reform was vetoed […]
Russian-backed enclave plans referendum about naming itself after medieval tribe
Leonid Tibilov, the de facto President of the enclave Republic of South Ossetia. (RES.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian-backed separatists who have ruled a region of Georgia since the early 1990s plan to name their self-declared republic after a nomadic tribe that conquered swaths of Europe and North Africa in the Middle Ages. If the 50,000 population approves […]
51 people jailed for entering Georgia’s breakaway territories the wrong way
The bridge over the river Inguri is currently the only legal way to enter Abkhazia. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has jailed 51 persons over the last nine years for entering Abkhazia or South Ossetia from the wrong direction. The ombudsman now calls for a review of the law. Georgia’s Law on the Occupied Territories […]
UNM activists rally outside Supreme Court to save their TV station
(Tabula.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists from Georgia’s former ruling party gathered in front of the Supreme Court building in Tbilisi on Friday to support their TV station, Rustavi 2, in a private lawsuit that could dampen down its criticism of the government. The activists marched down […]
Rustavi 2 airs allegations against former deptuty chief prosecutor
Nika Gvaramia, director of Rustavi 2, the pro-Saakashvili television channel on which the unproven accusations were given extensive air time. TBILISI, DFWatch–A fiercely anti-government TV station in Georgia aired allegations against a former high-level prosecutor purporting that he had tried to sell a secret recordings of a former prime minister and billionaire. The word fight was launched during […]
Four transgender women attacked at Tbilisi nightclub
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four transgender women are being treated for cuts after an attack at a nightclub in downtown Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The incident occurred at 7am Monday on Elbakidze Street, near Rustaveli, one of the main metro stations in the city. […]
UNM to rally to stop Supreme Court ruling against Rustavi 2
UNM’s Nika Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists from Georgia’s former ruling party are rallying in Tbilisi on February 10 in order to prevent the Supreme Court from ruling against the top people in the largest opposition TV station. UNM’s Nika Melia said on Wednesday that the party of ex-President […]
Text messages ‘prove’ Saakashvili ally pressured Georgia Supreme Court judges
Davit Sakvarelidze, a Georgian who has worked as prosecutor both in his home country and in Ukraine, is accused of sending text messages to two Supreme Court judges in Georgia. He currently lives in Ukraine. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s top prosecutor on Tuesday presented text messages allegedly sent from Ukraine as proof that a close ally of former President Mikheil Saakashvili had tried to put pressure on two Supreme Court judges in a lawsuit that could silence […]
Georgian sentenced to 13 years for killing a transgender woman
Zizi Shekiladze. TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for stabbing and killing a transgender woman acquaintance in Tbilisi last year. Tbilisi City Court decided to sentence 31 year-old Giorgi Murjikneli to 10 years in jail for viciously attacking and cutting […]
Georgia cracks down on private school linked to Gulen network
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (Photo by the Georgian PM office.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian authorities have suspended the accreditation of a private school with links to the Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara has accused of plotting the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The council of the National Center […]
Georgia Supreme Court judges silent about who pressured them
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Supreme Court judges in the former Soviet republic of Georgia have still not revealed who tried to put pressure on them in a case about the ownership of a large TV station critical to the government. Judges Besarion Arveladze and Paata Katamadze, […]
Abkhazia suspicious of Georgia’s offer of visa-free travel to Europe
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia offers inhabitants in the breakaway region Abkhazia to be included in a visa waiver scheme to the Schengen area. Sukhumi calls the offer manipulation. The EU parliament on Thursday voted in favor of extending […]
Two of Georgia’s Supreme Court judges claim they were pressured
Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia. TBILISI, DFWatch–Two judges in the Supreme Court of the former Soviet republic of Georgia have filed a formal request to the country’s top prosecutor to investigate an attempt to influence them. The case led to an exchange of strong claims and counterclaims on Friday, […]
Imedi-GDS merger heralds further consolidation in Georgian TV
Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili appearing on 2030, the main news show on GDS. TBILISI, DFWatch–Imedi TV, one of Georgia’s largest TV stations, has bought GDS, a smaller company linked with billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Imedi confirmed that it had purchased 100 percent of shares in the broadcasting company […]
EU parliament greenlights visa-free entry for Georgians
Tbilisi international airport. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The plan to extend visa-free entry into Schengen to more than 3 million citizens of the former Soviet republic of Georgia passed another hurdle today, as the EU’s parliament approved the plan with a clear majority. At a plenary session the 751 member assembly session endorsed […]
Georgian fighter seeks asylum in Ukraine to avoid extradition
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian volunteer soldier in Ukraine is looking for political asylum in Ukraine, as he believes his life’s in danger if he returns to his home country Georgia. Former Vice Colonel Gia Tsertsvadze is wanted in Russia for a murder in 2003. Recently […]
President, civil rights groups reject new surveillance regulations bill
Eka Beselia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A working group within the Georgian parliament on Monday proposed to establish a new agency under the State Security Service to monitor telephone and internet communications, as well as conduct video and audio eavesdropping. […]
2 military helicopters with Georgian crew crash in eastern Congo
DRC Mi-24 military attack helicopter. (davric/Wikimedia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two Mi-24 military helicopters with a combined crew of at least four crashed on Friday in North Kivu province near the border with Rwanda and Uganda, authorities reported on Monday. Tbilisi based military magazine Arsenal wrote that […]
Theories swirl about what started Tbilisi shopping centre fire
(Radio Tavisupleba.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several theories were circulating about the cause of a massive fire Monday morning near Tbilisi’s central railway station, which is estimated to have done several million US dollars’ worth of damage, but there is still no firm information about why it started. […]
Terminated employees protesting in front of Georgia’s Defense Ministry
TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people protested outside the Defense Ministry on Monday against a mass layoff affecting over two thousand people, demanding fair treatment and respect for labor regulations. Protesters demand to get their jobs back and claim the ministry […]
Georgia dismisses over 2,000 defense employees
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has carried out its biggest layoff ever, as more than two thousands employees were dismissed on Monday. Both military and civilian personnel were affected by the mass layoff. The ministry explained the firings […]
Massive fire at Tbilisi shopping mall spreads, rips through central bazaar
(1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Thirty fire fighters in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi are trying to extinguish a massive fire that broke out Monday morning at a shopping mall near the city’s central railway station. The blaze has spread to surrounding buildings and engulfed […]
Georgians in Abkhazia protest closure of border crossings
(Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in Abkhazia have closed Nabakevi and Otobaya border crossings connecting the breakaway region to Georgia proper. The closing of the two checkpoints was announced by Lasha Tsaava, head of the legal department of the de facto […]
Georgia’s president pardons former Defense Ministry officials
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president on Friday pardoned five former defense ministry officials who were convicted of embezzlement in a politically charged case. The release of the five from prison Friday evening concludes one of the most significant […]
Bologna inclusion lifted quality of Georgia’s education system
(OSGF.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has bolstered the quality of its higher education and research, thanks to its inclusion in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the authors of a new report argue. By joining the EHEA, popularly referred to as the Bologna process, […]
Georgian soldier freed by Kiev despite Russian extradition request
(Censor.net.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian volunteer soldier in Ukraine was released from pre-trial detention Thursday evening, thus avoiding extradition to Russia, where he is accused of a murder in 2003. Gia Tsertsvadze thanked his supporters as he left prison but declined making further comments. […]
Georgian PM lectures EPP head on separation of powers
From left to right: Giga Bokeria, Joseph Daul, Gigi Ugulava, Davit Bakradze and Gigi Tsereteli. TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s prime minister gave an EU politician a lesson in the separation of powers in democracies on Tuesday, explaining that a government cannot interfere in decisions made by the courts. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the head of government […]
Georgian volunteer soldier’s arrest in Kiev stirs controversy in Georgia
(Protest at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tbilisi, Jan. 23. On.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The top prosecutor in Ukraine is calling off a criminal case against a Georgian man who volunteered to fight in the war in Donbass. The man is accused of a murder in Sochi in 2003 and risks extradition to Russia. His defense lawyer at the trial […]
Vano Merabishvili quits post in Saakashvili’s party
Vano Merabishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former interior minister and close ally of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili resigned as secretary general of the National Movement on Monday, the latest episode of a turbulent few months for the party that reformed Georgia over the course of a decade. […]
Georgia ushers in bill to criminalize FGM after news report
The practice is in use in Kvareli and a few other villages in the east of Georgia. (Aida Mirmaksumova.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has proposed a bill which will make it a crime to carry out female genital mutilation. The bill comes after a journalist revealed last fall that the practice was still in use in a few villages in the east of the country. […]
Republican Party appoints woman to key position
Tamar Kordzaia, party political secretary (right) and Khatuna Samnidze, the chairwoman. (Photo by Republican Party.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Republican Party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia on Saturday appointed a woman former lawmaker as new political secretary. The appointment the 39-year-old lawyer Tamar Kordzaia is seen as a move to promote gender equality in politics. […]
Tbilisi joins global Women’s March against Trump
(Dodie Kharkheli.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Like many other cities around the world, also Tbilisi held a women’s march on Saturday, following the inauguration of Donald Trump as new US President. The march was aimed at raising awareness about women’s rights and other civil rights issues and started […]
Saakashvili-supporters regain control of the National Movement
(Free Zone.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The pro-Saakashvili wing of the opposition National Movement party took control of the party on Friday at a high-profile convention that concluded a months long internal feud. According to party officials, over 7,000 delegates took part in the event at Tbilisi Sports Hall. […]
First end-of-life care unit for children opens in Tbilisi
First lady Maka Chichua spoke at the opening of the new children’s hospice in Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) (DFWatch.) (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After years of fundraising and hard work, a new end-of-life care unit for children living with life limiting illnesses has finally opened in Tbilisi. The center is a hospice for minors who need a specific type of palliative care. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, […]
Georgia’s ruling party bounces in first post-election poll
TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling party bounces in a new opinion poll published on Wednesday by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) now dominates Georgian politics with nearly half of voters sympathetic to it. The poll was […]
Lawyer’s group asks Georgian government to disclose Gazprom deal
Sulkhan Saladze, project coordinator in Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association. (Imedi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of lawyers in the former Soviet republic Georgia calls on the government to disclose a controversial deal it recently struck with the Russian-owned energy giant Gazprom over switching monetized payments for transiting Russian gas to Armenia. […]
Gazprom deal threatens Georgia’s fundamental interests, president warns
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili views a controversial deal recently struck between the Georgian government and the Russian-owned energy giant Gazprom as less favorable than the previous agreement, and ‘harmful’ to the political and economic […]
Saakashvili believes Georgian tycoon Ivanishvili masterminded UNM’s failure
Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili was interviewed by Giorgi Gabunia on Rustavi 2. TBILISI, DFWatch–Following the high-profile breakup of Georgia’s largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday sat down with Tbilisi based television channel Rustavi 2 and gave his first interview about […]
Poll shows stable support for EU and NATO among Georgians
TBILISI, DFWatch–Support among Georgians for joining NATO and the European Union has fallen slightly but remains high, according to a new opinion poll published on Monday by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). The survey was carried out in […]
In pictures: Sunday prayer in Batumi mosque
BATUMI, DFWatch–One Sunday in December, Muslims are cramming into the Orta Jame mosque in Batumi. Despite a three decades long effort to get permission to build a second mosque, they still have only one mosque to go to despite the city’s sizable Muslim population. […]
Saakashvili’s UNM splits in three factions in parliament
Azer Suleimanov saved the UNM from disappearing in parliament. TBILISI, DFWatch–The party that ran the former Soviet republic Georgia for nearly a decade has split into three factions in parliament after a long internal feud over the role of its former leader Mikheil Saakashvili. For a few days, there was doubt over whether what […]
Gazprom to switch to monetary transit fee for using Georgia pipeline
Anti-Gazprom demonstration in Tbilisi March, 2016. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has agreed to less favourable conditions for allowing its territory to be used by Russian energy giant Gazprom to transit natural gas to Armenia. The resulting deal is is expected to be met with harsh criticism from the opposition and local energy experts. […]
EU parliament committee approves visa-free access for Georgians
TBILISI, DFWatch–3.7 million Georgian nationals came one step closer to getting visa-free access to EU’s vast borderless Schengen area on Tuesday, as members of the LIBE committee in the EU parliament added their seal of approval to the plan. The Committee on Civil Liberties, […]
Republican Party presents legislation to combat violence against women
TBILISI, DFWatch–In the former Soviet republic Georgia, the Republican Party has proposed legislation that will make femicide a separate crime – a gender-based hate crime which is causing alarm in the country. The Republicans, a party formed by Soviet dissenters in the 1970s, […]
Party which reformed Georgia during a decade breaks apart
Davit Bakradze (left), the probable chairman of the new party, and Gigi Ugulava at Thursday’s briefing. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three months long infighting in Georgia’s main opposition party concluded with dozens of members announcing their departure and formation of a new opposition party on Thursday. 38 heads of municipal and regional organizations […]
Police move on libertarians for NYE cannabis planting stunt
Detectives removing marijuana plants from the Girchi party office. Party supporters booing. TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in the former Soviet republic Georgia entered the office of a libertarian party on Wednesday, seizing 84 cannabis plants that were planted eleven days earlier in a publicity stunt to promote the decriminalization of drugs. The three officers spent […]
Breakaway South Ossetia prepares for presidential elections in spring
TBILISI, DFWatch–Campaigning will soon begin for the election to become new de facto president of Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia. The secessionist parliament of the region must schedule the date of the election and start the campaign before January 29. […]
Breakup of Saakashvili’s UNM party seems inevitable
Newly released from prison, ex-Mayor Gigi Ugulava quickly became the leader of the anti-Saakashvili wing of the UNM. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Leading figures in Georgia’s main opposition party the United National Movement (UNM) seemed to acknowledge that a split is inevitable in comments made on Tuesday. “This party is no longer united. When people don’t say hello […]
Son of former opposition leader charged with assaulting Rustavi 2 director
Rati Gachechiladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The son of a former opposition politician in Georgia was Monday officially charged with having assaulted the director of the largest opposition TV channel. The suspect Rati Gachechiladze (29) pleaded guilty and was released on 5,000 laris (USD 1,800) bail. […]
Rustavi 2 head assaulted at father’s funeral meal by son of Maestro director
Nika Gvaramia at the police station. (Palitra TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The director of Georgia’s largest opposition-leaning TV channel was physically assaulted at a restaurant in Tbilisi Saturday evening. The attack took place as Rustavi 2 director Nika Gvaramia was preparing to leave a restaurant after the funeral of his father. […]
Ad showing murder of Santa goes viral in Georgia
TBILISI, DFWatch–A New Year’s commercial in Georgia has caused controversy for showing Santa Claus being murdered in front of a child. Now, the Public Defender calls on the advertisement company to stop airing the ad. The video (16+) ‘Santa […]
Georgia’s Public Broadcaster selects new head who has links to Ivanishvili
New GPB director Vasil Maglaperidze. (Channel 1.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The supervisory board of Georgia’s Public Broadcaster (GPB) on Thursday selected as new director a candidate with close ties to the ruling party and personal links to billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. The decision to appoint Vasil Maglaperidze […]
Former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava released from prison
Gigi Ugulava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The former mayor of Tbilisi was released from prison Friday evening. Tbilisi Court of Appeal partially reduced his sentence to 1 year, 3 months and 22 days. As the detention is counted from September 18, 2015, his term expired on January 6. […]
Ivanishvili-linked GDS TV to shut down political programs
Bidzina Ivanishvili appearing on ‘2030’ in 2015. TBILISI, DFWatch–A pro-government TV channel in Georgia is suspending its political programs in the wake of a merger of the country’s three major mainstream TV companies, a local online news website reports. GDS is closing down its ‘2030’ program, […]
Culture house in Pankisi may close following ‘intentional’ fire
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A culture house in the Pankisi Gorge in the northern part of Kakheti may close after a fire that staff say was deliberately started. The fire on Tuesday didn’t cause much damage, but a spokesperson for the organization which runs the center […]
Influx of visitors to Georgia jumped 8 % in 2016
TBILISI, DFWatch–Almost 6.3 million people visited Georgia from abroad in 2016. This is 7.9 percent more than last year, the head of Georgian National Tourism Administration announced on Tuesday. Out of the total number, over 2.7 million stayed in the country for 24 hours or longer […]
Fire at Pankisi culture center was ‘intentionally set’
(Radio Way.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A fire that broke out at a culture house in the Pankisi Gorge was intentionally started, a spokesperson for the center told a local radio station. The building is located in Duisi, the largest village of Pankisi, a mountainous area of Georgia inhabited predominantly […]
‘Come get us’ – Libertarians invite police action after NYE weed planting
Zurab Japaridze from the libertarian Girchi party. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Leaders of a small libertarian party in the former Soviet republic Georgia ask authorities to hold them to account after a marijuana planting stunt four days ago meant to force a softening of the country’s drug policy. So far, the activists have not […]
John McCain reaffirms U.S. security guarantee during visit to Georgia
Senators John McCain (R), Lindsey Graham (R) and Amy Klobuchar (D). (Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three American senators wrapped up their trip to Georgia on Monday by sending not-so-well wishes for the new year to Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. The two Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham and the their Democratic colleague […]
Georgian opposition party plants marijuana on New Year’s Eve
(Pirveli TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The leader of an opposition party in the former Soviet republic Georgia made a small marijuana plantation inside the party office on New Year’s Eve as part of a campaign to decriminalize soft drugs. Zurab Japaridze, leader of a newly formed party called […]
Serbia prepares to lift visa requirements for Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–While Georgian citizens are waiting for the final decision about a visa waiver system with the European Union, Serbia prepares to waive its visa rules for citizens of not only Georgia but also its two neighbors in the South Caucasus. “It was decided […]
De facto president hints Abkhazia might pull out of Geneva talks
TBILISI, DFWatch–Abkhazia’s de facto government may pull out of the only format of negotiations between Georgia, Russia and the two breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto Abkhaz president Raul Khajimba warned on Tuesday. The former KGB officer […]
Abkhazia shuts down two border crossings with Georgia proper
Nabakevi border crossing with Abkhazia. TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in Abkhazia decided at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday to close Nabakevi and Otobaya border crossings which connect the breakaway region to Georgia proper. There are now only two crossing points that are operational, only one of which […]
Georgian court convicts Abkhaz border guard of murder
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A border guard working for the de facto authorities in Abkhazia, one of two Georgian breakaway regions, was Wednesday found guilty by the district court in Zugdidi of murdering a Georgian man at a border crossing checkpoint last May. Border guard Rashid Kanji-Ogli […]
Georgia’s ruling party declares ‘pragmatic’ policy toward Russia
TBILISI, DFWatch–As Georgia’s parliament prepares to declare the country’s foreign policy, the opposition National Movement has lashed out at the ruling party for wanting a ‘pragmatic’ policy toward Russia. Georgia aspires to NATO and EU membership, parliamentarians are preparing to declare, […]
Maestro TV to merge with Imedi and GDS
TBILISI, DFWatch–One of Georgia’s largest TV channels confirmed on Tuesday that it has successfully concluded negotiations to merge with two other channels that are linked to former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili. Maestro TV was a voice of independent journalism […]
Lado Bedukadze, who leaked prison videos in 2012, to become TV host
Lado Bedukadze. TBILISI, DFWatch–Lado Bedukadze, a former prison guard who has caused controversy in several of Georgia’s elections, will become a TV host on a newly established broadcaster. Bedukadze will host a short segment on a completely new channel called […]
Constitutional Court decides prison is too harsh punishment for marijuana use
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Constitutional Court has struck down a law which sent many young people to prison for using marijuana. Being charged with possession and consumption of marijuana will no longer land you in jail in Georgia, after the Constitutional Court […]
Catholics and Protestants welcome Christmas several places in Georgia
Father Philipe conducted the Catholic mass in Rabati, Akhaltsikhe. (Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The arrival of Christmas was observed Saturday night at several churches in Georgia with Midnight Mass at the Catholic Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church in Tbilisi and in the Protestant Holy Trinity Church in Batumi. The ceremony in Batumi […]
Georgia’s largest opposition party on the verge of breaking up
Givi Targamadze claimed rivalry with fellow UNM members has become one of Saakashvili’s main priorities. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s biggest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), is on the verge of splitting in two, as its key figures claim the party is in the midst of a ‘coup attempt’. Givi Targamadze, the former chair of the defense and security […]
Christians begin open air prayer on disputed ruins in Mokhe
(DFWatch.) ADIGENI, DFWatch–A dispute about the ruins of a mosque in the village Mokhe in the south of Georgia has deteriorated further after Christians began conducting prayer on the site. Muslims began holding Friday prayers on the ruins two months ago and did not stop […]
Man dies in avalanche in Svaneti
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A man died in an avalanche in Svaneti, in northwestern Georgia on Wednesday. The accident happened in Khaishi on the road between Jvari and Mestia. Rustavi 2 reported that the victim was a local minibus driver who had stopped his vehicle to look at the pileup […]
Data Akhalaia sentenced to 12 years for 2006 triple murder
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Wednesday sentenced former intelligence official Data Akhalaia in absentia to 12 years in jail in connection with the Navtlughi special operation in 2006. Data Akhalaia is seen as a close ally of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili […]
Policeman in Borjomi road rage incident suspended
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has suspended a police officer who allegedly beat a journalist from Iberia TV a few days ago. Journalist Giorgi Gasviani two days ago told of how he was beaten by a policeman and two others after his car slipped on the icy road. […]
Council of the EU confirms agreement on visa-free travel for Georgians
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The prospect for Georgians to enter Europe without a visa came closer on Tuesday as the visa waiver agreement was approved by the Council of the EU’s Committee of Permanent Representatives, or COREPER. Tuesday’s decision […]
Georgian leaders condemn assassination of Russian ambassador to Turkey
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s prime minister made a made a quick visit to Istanbul on Tuesday a day after Russia’s ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot and killed by a Turkish off duty police officer. PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili called the assassination ‘unprecedented […]
Two Georgians jailed accused of USD 25 million microfinance fraud
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Sunday ordered the pre-trial detention of two Georgians who are suspected of embezzlement of more than USD 25 million from thousands of microfinance customers. The court rejected a motion to release the accused […]
Fire on Kutaisi-Batumi passenger train under investigation
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia are investigating a fire which broke out Sunday aboard a passenger train en route from Kutaisi to Batumi on the Black Sea. The blaze occurred near the village Khajalia. Although the train carriage was severely damaged, […]
Georgian journalist tells of road rage by police
TBILISI, DFWatch–A journalist in Georgia claims police beat him and pointed a gun at him following a traffic incident. The incident happened in Borjomi, a town in the southern part of Georgia, Iberia TV reported on Monday. Journalist Giorgi Gasviani, who works for […]
The Trump Organization cancels hotel deals in Georgia, Azerbaijan
Donald J. Trump visiting Georgia in 2012. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has decided to extricate his business from potentially conflicting relationships before he moves into the White House by revoking a licensing deal for a hotel in Georgia and its neighbour country Azerbaijan, […]
Opposition in Abkhazia ends protest, deal struck with de facto authorities
(Interpressnews.) Raul Khajimba, the de facto president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A more than 14 hour long protest ended on Friday with negotiations between opposition leaders and the embattled de facto leader of the Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia. On December 15, hundreds of people converged on the government building in Sokhumi, […]
Snow and ice causing flight delays at Kutaisi airport
(Photo published by Kutaisi International Airport.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several flights were delayed at Kutaisi International Airport on Saturday due to ice. The airport informed that the flight to Thessaloniki, Greece was cancelled, while also flights to Warsaw, Poland and Budapest, Hungary were delayed for one day. […]
Restrictions on some mountain roads due to snow and ice
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There are still road restrictions many places in Georgia due to the weather. Here is the latest update from the Road Department. Trailers and semi-trailers are prohibited from driving on the Mleta-Kobi section of the S-3 road from Mtskheta to Larsi, […]
Healthcare and infrastructure top priorities in Georgia’s 2017 budget
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Following fierce debate between opposition and ruling Georgian Dream members, Georgia’s legislative body on Wednesday approved the 2017 state budget by 102 votes in favor and 10 against. The upcoming state budget envisages GEL 9.489 billion […]
18th and 19th Century books stolen from Georgia’s National Library
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia arrested a man on Wednesday for stealing two historical books from the National Library the day before. The books the 64-year-old is accused of stealing date back to the 18th and 19th Century, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) wrote in a statement. […]
Georgian opera singer Paata Burchuladze ends stint as politician
Paata Burchuladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Paata Burchuladze, a Georgian opera singer who formed a political coalition which participated in the October 8 election, announced his departure from politics on Wednesday. Local media outlets wrote that the new leader of the party will be historian Nika Machutadze. […]
Georgia’s former ruling party fires senior functionaries
Giorgi Oniani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The infighting in the United National Movement (UNM) continued on Wednesday as 20 members from the main opposition party’s central administration were dismissed. The dismissal impacted mostly those who side with Saakashvili loyalist Chiora Taktakishvili, […]