TBILISI, DFWatch–The Syrian government on Tuesday recognized the two Georgian breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. In response, Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Damascus.
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Orthodox Church on Thursday denounced the largest private TV channel in the country, and asked its clergy to stop giving interviews to or participate in any of its programs.
The reason for the unprecedented step was that Rustavi 2 has engaged in ‘blasphemy’
GALI, DFWatch–For almost a year and a half, people in Gali, in the south of breakaway Abkhazia, have been waiting for a new checkpoint to open on the administrative border line to Georgia proper, so far in vain.
TBILISI, DFWatch–After seven years of delay, Russia has finally inked an agreement with the Swiss company SGS to carry out monitoring of goods passing through the border with Georgia.
SGS will carry out customs monitoring
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is bringing in stricter rules for acquiring permanent residency, in order to stem the tide of irregular immigration, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has said.
According to the amendments submitted by the government, foreign nationals
TBILISI, DFWatch–Separatists prevented a Georgian bishop from conducting St George’s Day mass on Sunday in a chapel on the administrative border line between the disputed territory South Ossetia and Georgia proper.
Guards have allowed archbishop Andria to conduct the important mass
TBILISI, DFWatch–Long queues on the Enguri bridge has caused major interruptions for people wanting to cross the de facto border between Abkhazia and Georgia proper.
Locals told DFWatch the immediate reason for the traffic jam is that only one out of four passport counters is operational on the Abkhaz side,
TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in Georgia has banned three types of condoms because the packaging was found to be unethical.
Human rights groups see the ruling as an attack on freedom of expression.
Tbilisi City Court’s decision bans the sale and promotion of three types of condoms sold by the company Aiisa.
TBILISI, DFWatch–A conservative MP in Georgia has presented a bill that would prescribe punishment of up to one year in jail for ‘offending someone’s religious feelings’. The human rights committee in parliament agrees with the bill ‘in principle’.
“I’m ready to take part in and make
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Alania diocese, which covers the area of the separatist region South Ossetia, is facing an uncertain future after law enforcers for the breakaway republic confiscated the ‘passport’ of the head of the diocese.
The ‘passport’, which is required