TBILISI, DFWatch–At least two families in Georgia were forced to leave their homes in a village near the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict line on Thursday. The families left after Russian troops approached them and asked them to vacate their homes within 72 hours. The village of Gugutiantkari belongs to Gori Municipality and is located 32 km … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Members and supporters of Georgia’s current and previous governments traded accusations on the 11th anniversary of the war between Russia and Georgia. Members of the incumbent government once again blamed the previous government and personally former President Mikheil Saakashvili of irresponsible actions which brought Russian troops on Georgian soil. United National Movement (UNM) and … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–One more electronic music festival in Georgia has been canceled due to threats from clergy, this time in Kobuleti on the Black Sea coast. Organizers of GR Fest wrote on Facebook that the youth festival, which is scheduled to start on August 10, will be held in a new location, after priests and local … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The lower house of Russia’s parliament will soon decide whether to recognize the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the early 20th Century as a genocide. “The State Duma has paid due attention to the statement by the South Ossetian parliament on the recognition of the genocide of South Ossetians in 1920 by Georgia. At the next … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–South Ossetia’s “ambassador” to Italy says that “the time has come” for recognizing its independence. “We believe that the time has come that Italy through its current government recognizes the republic of South Ossetia as a state equal to all states present to the UN,” “ambassador” Mauro Murgia wrote on Facebook. The statement concerns … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The conservative Georgian businessman Levan Vasadze has demanded that the government impose the strictest possible control over the media, and even jail some journalists, otherwise “nothing will save this country”. “I address Bidzina Ivanishvili and our government to set up a regulator that will punish media outlets and individual journalists for libel and defamation, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi city court on Friday released the two founders of Georgia’s largest bank against a 700,000 lari bail each. The two were also barred from leaving the country without notifying investigators. The defendants, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, said they will step down from their managerial positions at Anaklia Development Consortium (ADC) in order … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia Thursday detained the leader of an opposition party and charged him with participating in an attempted coup d’etat. Irakli Okruashvili, who served as defense minister and prosecutor general during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency, was apprehended as he was on his way to meet with members of a new political party, Victorious Georgia, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have identified the person responsible for uploading to the internet a compromising video of an outspoken female member of parliament. The person identified by his initials as D.A. is currently serving a prison sentence in Armenia, a spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Tuesday. The spokesman added that … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO asked breakaway Abkhazia to reopen a checkpoint to Georgia proper in 2016, local media report. The incident happened after the de facto authorities closed all but one of the crossings along the administrative border line that separates the breakaway republic from the rest of Georgia. Temur Nadaraia, who heads the de facto administration … Read more