TBILISI, DFWatch–The first ever Pride march in the Caucasus region is scheduled to take place on Monday in Tbilisi, amid pressure and threats from conservatives. Both the organizers and supporters of Pride on the one hand, and socially conservative groups on the other, have announced full mobilization. Tbilisi Pride first was planned more than two … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities are pursuing criminal charges against several high-profile opposition figures after the June 21-22 uprising in the center of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Spokespersons for two major opposition parties, United National Movement (UNM) and European Georgia, claim they are being targeted for political reasons, while the government accuses the opposition of having attempted to … Read more
ZUGDIDI, DFWatch–Most of the school graduates from Abkhazia who were stuck at Enguri bridge on their way to exams eventually managed to get through on Monday, DFWatch was told by several of them. However, some teenagers are still stranded at the only point of crossing between the breakaway republic and Georgia proper. Due to the … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of teenagers from Gali district are stuck on the breakaway Abkhazia side of Enguri bridge after Sokhumi closed the sole passage in the wake of anti-Russian, anti-government rallies in Tbilisi. The students are trying to get to Georgia proper in order to take part in the Unified National Entrance Exams, which are … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Members of the separatist parliament in Sokhumi are demanding criminal action against Georgian MP Akaki Bobokhidze for an angry outburst during a brawl last week during an inter-parliamentary assembly. Bobokhidze, who represents European Georgia, scolded a member of the Russian Duma who was chairing the assembly. “We were killing you in Abkhazia and will … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian parliament member was evacuated from the Radisson Blue hotel in Tbilisi after a group of opposition protesters confronted him Thursday evening. Sergey Gavrilov, a member of Russia’s Communist Party, and his colleagues were rushed from the hotel to Tbilisi airport, Georgian media reports. Gavrilov insists “radicals” poured water on him and tried … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–After much deliberation, the organizers of Tbilisi Pride have decided to go ahead with the first Pride parade in Georgia, according to a statement released on Facebook Tuesday. “Despite existing risks, the first march of dignity in the history of Georgia is in force and we are not going to cancel it. Our supporting … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–An ultra-conservative Georgian millionaire vows to set up vigilante patrols on the streets of Tbilisi to prevent LGBT rights activists from holding a planned pride march. “We’ll establish people’s squadrons. […] Among the crowd gathered here there are a lot of individuals with military experience, a lot of athletes, rugby players, and wrestlers,” Levan … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–At least nine people were detained by police in Tbilisi at as defenders of LGBT rights clashed with conservatives on Friday. The police had to set up barriers between the two groups of protesters in order to avoid a physical confrontation. The LGBT activists gathered at the government building Friday evening to protest its … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in France are concerned over a sharp increase in asylum requests by Georgian and Albanian citizens, according to the influential French daily newspaper Le Figaro. The paper based its report on information from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA). In the first four months of 2019, asylum … Read more