TBILISI, December 4 – The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party confronted the liberal group in European politics Thursday, demanding that ALDE publicly distance itself from opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili. The ultimatum follows Elisashvili’s arrest November 29 on charges of attempting a terrorist act, a case that has fueled intense discussions in Georgia’s divided political scene … Read more
TBILISI, November 28 – The same day as Georgia’s opposition is staging a mass rally, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili launched a fierce attack on domestic critics and the country’s Western partners. Papuashvili spoke to journalists in parliament on Friday, one year after mass protests turned violent outside the same building on 28 November 2024. He … Read more
TBILISI, November 26 – Georgia’s former president Salome Zourabichvili is signaling that she may make another attempt to unite the country’s fragmented opposition, after comments she made during a visit to France. Speaking at a Paris university, Zourabichvili argued that the current moment calls for coordination between political parties and civil society. She said the … Read more
TBILISI, November 26 – At a hearing on Wednesday, Paata Burchuladze, a well-known opera singer turned opposition figure, told the court that the October 4 rally he helped lead in central Tbilisi was a “peaceful overthrow” carried out by the people, not an attempt at a violent coup as prosecutors claim. Burchuladze is on trial … Read more
TBILISI, November 26 – Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze spent Wednesday answering sharp questions in parliament over the huge Eagle Hills real estate project, describing it as a win for Tbilisi’s green spaces while critics kept warning about secrecy and political risk. The debate comes after weeks of controversy around the UAE-linked developer’s plans in Tbilisi’s … Read more
TBILISI, November 22 – Georgia’s ruling party says it is preparing the ground for a “healthier” political landscape after the Constitutional Court reviews a request to ban three of the country’s leading opposition parties. But critics are sounding the alarm, warning that the move looks more like an effort to clear the field for Georgian … Read more
TBILISI, November 21 – With one week to go before Georgia’s opposition stages a major rally on November 28, political groups, civil society figures and imprisoned activists are laying out their expectations for the next chapter in the country’s turbulent politics. The date November 28 was chosen, because on that day last year, Prime Minister … Read more
TBILISI, November 20 – Anti-government demonstrators again gathered on Rustaveli Avenue Thursday night demanding snap parliamentary elections and the release of people detained during previous rallies. Police deployed cordons around the legislature to prevent protesters from blocking the capital’s main traffic artery, a tactic that has led to repeated confrontations in recent months. With Rustaveli … Read more
TBILISI, November 20 – Tbilisi’s City Court has sentenced former Georgian defense minister Irakli Okruashvili to seven years in prison over a controversial 2004 police killing that shook the country during the early days of the Saakashvili administration. In the same ruling Wednesday, the court decided that ex-chief prosecutor Zurab Adeishvili, accused in the same … Read more
TBILISI, November 17 – Protesters in Tbilisi have shifted tactics after weeks of standoffs with police on Rustaveli Avenue, moving their demonstrations off the roadway and into long evening marches along downtown sidewalks. The change follows days of pressure from police, who repeatedly blocked attempts to obstruct traffic and warned participants that repeat offences could … Read more