TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia is placed 100 among 179 countries on World Press Freedom Index list 2013. This is an improvement by four places compared to last year. The report, published by Reporters without Borders, mentions Georgia only in passing together with a few […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The National Enforcement Bureau has started seizing the property of Tbilisi Minibus Ltd, which owns all the yellow minibuses in the capital. Their drivers are on strike for the seventh day. Employees of the bureau arrived in the garage in Gldani, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The governing Georgian Dream coalition is ready to cooperate with the opposition about the foreign policy. Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili said this on Wednesday after Saakashvili’s party accused the prime minister and his party […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The company which runs the minibuses in Tbilisi has given striking drivers an ultimatum: If they don’t agree with the company and end their protest, the company will fire them and announce new vacancies. But despite the threat, the drivers have […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili holding a photo of a sleeping Gubaz Sanikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili says that the governing Georgian Dream coalition is unable to gather together a constitutional majority in parliament – that’s why they are threatening the opposition. Saakashvili said this while visiting Kutaisi, […]
Venice Commission President Gianni Buquicchio (left) and Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze (far right). (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The Georgian Speaker of Parliament promises that his country will not adopt constitutional changes that are not in line with recommendations by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. After meeting with Venice Commission President Gianni […]
Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The Ivanishvili government is replacing Georgia’s ambassadors to 18 countries, and has sent the list of candidates to President Mikheil Saakashvili for approval. After he has signed it, the list will be sent to parliament to get its approval, […]
Giorgi Baramidze, spokesperson for the National Movement party. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili’s National Movement party wants to tie Georgia to the mast in terms of the course of its foreign policy. Spokesperson Giorgi Baramidze Wednesday presented a draft bill that will write into legislation what the […]
Agriculture Minister Davit Kirvalidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia is preparing to start distributing spring vouchers to its farmers. Preparations for spring are already finished, Agriculture Minister Davit Kirvalidze said after Tuesday’s government session. The ministry has completed registering about 800 […]
“We haven’t discussed the CIS issue at all,” says Zurab Abashidze,Georgia’s Special Representative for Russian Relations. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia is not considering to return to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). There is no contact with Russia about this issue. This is how official Tbilisi responds to Russian media who are reporting that there are negotiations with Georgia […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — British Airways will temporarily cancel its flights to Georgia from April 1, 2013, spokesperson Irakli Gordeli told journalists on Monday. The airline started flights to Georgia in 2012. Gordeli said they made this decision in the beginning […]
People in Gavazi and Kardenakhi, two Georgian villages, demonstrated Tuesday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Victims of a hailstorm last summer in the Kakheti region are demonstrating in several towns and villages Tuesday, claiming that the authorities have inaccurately calculated their losses. There are rallies ongoing in the villages Gavazi and Kardenakhi […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili claims the idea to reopen the old railway line through Abkhazia is a Russian game. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili says he will agree to open the railway line through Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia on one condition only: that the Russian occupation of Abkhazia is brought to an end. Otherwise, opening the railway will mean […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Armenian Diocese in Georgia accuses President Mikheil Saakashvili of making provocative statements regarding an ethnic Armenian prisoner, and calls on him to avoid such language. In 2008, Georgian police detained Vahagn Chakhaliani, a Georgian […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Another former government official was January 26 released on USD 120 000 bail. Tsezar Chocheli used to be governor of the Mtskheta Mtianeti region in Saakashvili’s government. According to the Finance Ministry, he supported the signing of […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — On their fourth day of strike, minibus drivers in Tbilisi were joined by more supporters, while Tbilisians either travel by crowded buses or metro — or walk. Even though Tbilisi City Hall took measures to increase the number of buses and wagons […]
Writing on Facebook. Vano Merabishvili would be “in emergency mode” if he had still been prime minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s foreign trade turnover experienced a sharp downward trend at the end of 2012, according to precise data from Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat. Although it is mostly the month of December which shows an alarming tendency, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Tbilisi international airport on Monday had to cancel or divert several incoming international and local flights due to heavy fog. One flight from Moscow (04:00 pm) was delayed, while a flight from Ekaterinburg (10:20 pm) is canceled, as well as a […]
Minister for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili said Holocaust first happened in the heads of people, then in reality. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, as the Ombudsman’s Office organized a meeting at Library of Parliament in Tbilisi. There were invited representatives of different religious confessions, foreign diplomats, […]
The minibus strike is stepped up as negotiations fail. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Almost no yellow minibuses are to be seen in the capital as the driver’s strike continues. Sunday morning, a rally was held at one of the largest minibus garages, and drivers negotiated with Tbilisi Minibus, the company they work for, without […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s new government has pardoned the National Movement party for law violations during the election campaign in 2012. The violations were described in a dossier published Friday by the Audit Office, a public body tasked with tracking […]
Empty cardboard boxes testify to how eagerly the parcels have been awaited. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — There is a small crowd gathered in the hall giving electronic signatures together with ID cards to get the parcel. ‘Parcel from America’, the tagline of the company says. There are several companies in Tbilisi like this one that offer to ship items […]
A third of minibus drivers in Tbilisi are on strike. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The strike among minibus drivers in Tbilisi continued Saturday. More drivers joined the strike which started Friday, creating more problems for the population in the capital. Their demands are same as before: to reduce the price of travel […]
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II on Friday visited All Saints Church in Moscow. (Photo: Salome Tsertsvadze and Ekaterina Tkachenko.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Ilia II Friday visited the All Saints Church in Sokol, in northern Moscow. The church is the site of a now defunct graveyard where there are buried many well-known Georgians and royals. There has been construction work in […]
Prison Minister Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The Prison Minister says the number of prisoners that will be released under a new law on amnesty, will increase from 3 000 to 5 000. About 3 000 prisoners are already released, Prison Minister Sozar Subari told TV9 yesterday. The rest will leave […]
The National Movement’s Giorgi Tevdoradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party has ceased work in the commission organizing public hearings about proposed constitutional changes. The National Movement party’s representatives say the reason is that they dislike statements made by the […]
600 drivers of minibuses (“marshrutkas”) in Tbilisi are on strike against a new license system. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — About 600 minibus drivers went on strike in Tbilisi Friday, causing crowding on buses and in the metro. The strike has the support of about 30 % of all minibus drivers in the capital. They are protesting against a new license system which has left […]
Beka Natsvlishvili is Research Associate at the Centre For Social Studies. Certain powers in Europe declare unconditional support for Mikheil Saakashvili and his National Movement whom the Georgian people replaced peacefully, through tremendous efforts and social consolidation. This article offers the reader a description of reasons behind […]
Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government in Georgia has presented a promised set of amendments to the labor code which it says will not only protect the rights of employers, like it was in the past. Georgia’s labor code was liberalized by the Saakashvili government […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says his brief encounter with his Russian counterpart was not more than a handshake and an introduction. But Ivanishvili says he had a feeling that Dimitry Medvedev is interested in mending relations […]
Three Georgian soldiers were wounded in Afghanistan Thursday. (Photo: Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Three Georgian soldiers have been wounded in Afghanistan when insurgents opened fire as they were out on patrol. Corporal Erekle Kharshiladze and Junior Sergeant Iaho Kakulia received minor injuries. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, […]
Tedo Japaridze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Representatives of Georgia and Russia will meet at the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Tedo Japaridze, head of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told journalists about the planned meeting on Thursday […]
Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze on Thursday confirmed that the prime ministers of Russia and Georgia met unofficially in Davos. Panjikidze told journalists in Davos that Bidzina Ivanishvili and Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday met […]
Zakaria Kutsnashvili, member of parliament for Georgian Dream. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The new government has started an overhaul of the election legislation. A group in parliament will prepare a draft of amendments, but some experts argue that the non-governmental sector and parties outside parliament should also be involved in the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Transparency International Georgia claims pressure may have been involved as over a thousand public employees have left their jobs after the change of government in October, 2012. The group writes that employees of public institutions are under pressure […]
Davit Bakradze, ex Speaker of Parliament for the National Movement party. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — A spokesperson for President Mikheil Saakashvili’s National Movement Party accuses the new government of harassment of their parliament members. Davit Bakradze, former speaker of parliament for the National Movement, said in […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili doesn’t want speculation about a possible presidential run for Defense Minister Irakli Alasania in October, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says the reason he removed Defense Minister Irakli Alasania from his post as vice prime minister was to end speculation in Alasania’s party about making him a candidate for president. The prime minister […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili delivering his speech in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 24, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The Georgian and Russian Prime Ministers met for the first time in Davos Thursday and had a several minutes long conversation. This is the first time heads of government of the two countries have met since diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Illia II on Wednesday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and passed on greetings from Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Vladimir Putin hosted Illia II and Kirill I of Russia at suburban residence in Novo […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is invited to a Russian breakfast on Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. But Ivanishvili insists that Russian officials won’t attend and that he will only be meeting with Russian businessmen. […]
Davit Nardaia (left) and Christopher R. Kilford, Jan. 23, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia and Canada Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding about defense policy. The agreement was signed by Colonel Christopher R. Kilford and Davit Nardaia, Chairman of Georgia’s International Affairs and EU Integration Department at […]
The National Movement Party’s Secretary General, Vano Merabishvili, says Georgia’s economy is in an alarming state. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The party of President Mikheil Saakashvili has started a campaign to gather signatures in support of his initiatives about tax amnesty and decriminalization of financial crime. The president presented his new initiatives to the government a few days […]
Irakli Alasania is no longer vice prime minister, only defense minister. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has relieved Defense Minister Irakli Alasania of his additional responsibilities as vice prime minister. The press office of the PM says a decree was issued January 21 and that Ivanishvili will explain […]
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania in the funeral of Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze Jan. 5, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Defense Minister Irakli Alasania says the Georgian Dream coalition has had ‘an awkward discussion’ about selecting a candidate for the presidential election, but he doesn’t consider himself a candidate, as he feels responsibility for the post he […]
Manana Archvadze Gamsakhurdia, widow of Georgia’s first president after independence. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s new government will transfer USD 80 000 to the family of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the country’s first president after independence. Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri told journalists on Tuesday that this money was debt that Eduard […]
Nikoloz Vashakidze was appointed during the National Movement’s time in government. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Nikoloz Vashakidze resigned on Tuesday, citing incompatibility with the current foreign policy of the country. Vashakidze is one of the officials who have stayed over from the previous government. He […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Activists for the governing Georgian Dream coalition continue to rally people around the country in their demand to replace local government tops, including those appointed by their own party. Tuesday, two rallies are being launched in Tsalka, a town […]
Davit Katsarava and Salome Gogiashvili, hosts of Imedi TV’s morning show. (Screen grab.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Two well-known Georgian TV anchors are accused of having used a homophobic slur. January 18, one of the anchors of a morning talk show on Imedi TV said: ‘I’m honestly sorry for both surrogate children of Elton John’. The other one […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili criticized the new Georgian government of trying to combine the impossible: Good relations with Russia and NATO at the same time. (CoE photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili criticized his own prime minister for saying that Georgia should have good relations with both Russia and NATO. In a speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (CoE) Monday, the president criticized his […]
The storm in Georgia in July 2012 ripped the roof off many houses. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The victims of a hailstorm in Georgia last summer will finally get compensation, ranging from USD 3 600 to USD 4 800. Davit Narmania, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, said Monday that the loss was estimated in such extreme […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili in an interview with DF Watch Dec. 20, 2012. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos and plans to hold meetings with leaders of several countries – but not Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze said at a press conference Monday […]
Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The government in Georgia has decided to offer more than 300 refugees their own house in the regions for a symbolic price of one lari, or USD 0.60. Refugee Minister Davit Darakhvelidze told journalists after the government session Monday that even more […]
Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili (Interpressnews). TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s chief prosecutor says he has “material” which is even more violent and shocking than videos leaked two weeks before the parliamentary election last year, which set off a wave of demonstrations. Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili […]
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (left), welcoming Georgian Patriarch Ilia II (right) in Moscow Jan. 20, 2013. (Photo published by the Russian Church.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Patriarch Illia II on Sunday left for Russia to receive an award. His visit will also include a meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin. “I want to ask you that I leave for Moscow and we will have a conversation on very […]
Ex Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili is believed to be in hiding in Belgium. All his four passports have been revoked. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili has been detained in absentia for things he did to Cartu Bank, which has links to current Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Five other persons who are also implicated in the case were released on bail. […]
Aslan Usoyan, or Ded Hassan (“Grandpa Hassan”), was shot and killed in Moscow January 16, 2013. TBILISI, DFWatch — The body of a mafia boss who was killed in Moscow was on a plane to Georgia to be buried, but had to be sent back after Tbilisi refused to let it in. Aslan Usoyan, better known as Ded Hassan (Grandpa Hassan), a 76 year-old mafia boss was shot in […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s foreign trade turnover increased by 11 percent in 2012 compared to the previous year. Georgia’s National Statistics Department on Friday published a report which showed that the country’s foreign trade turnover of goods was USD 10 220 […]
Vladimer Bedukadze was released on bail January 19, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — The man who published the videos that spurred the prisoner abuse scandal was today released on USD 1 200 bail. Tbilisi City Court Saturday evening released Vladimer Bedukadze, the former employee of Prison No 8, where the majority of torture cases […]
190 political prisoners were released last Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Political prisoners, who were released last Sunday when the new amnesty law came into force, visited the Georgian Patriarch, who blessed them. The prisoners came to Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi to attend the prayer for the Orthodox holiday of Epiphany, […]
Yuval Fuchs, Israel’s Ambassador to Georgia. (DF Watch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Yuval Fuchs, Israel’s Ambassador to Georgia, tells DF Watch that cooperation between Israeli and Georgia should be strengthened and he thinks Israel is able to help Georgia in terms of economic development, especially in agriculture. But there was […]
TBILISI,DFWatch — The Special State Protection Service of Georgia is now under the control of the government, and not the president. Parliament passed the law by 88 votes against 1 on Thursday. Earlier, the president had a right to appoint the chair of the Special […]
Vladimer Bedukadze blew the whistle on the abuse of prisoners in Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch — Police in Georgia Thursday morning detained former prison guard Vladimer Bedukadze at Tbilisi airport, as he arrived from Istanbul. Bedukadze last year published five video clips documenting prisoner abuse, which caused a public outrage that led […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili asks the government to award pension to all families which have had one of their members die in the military. He presented the initiative at New Year’s and described it again at a press conference at his palace […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili proposes to make it a crime to publish material exposing someone’s private life. A few days ago, the Prosecutor’s Office released information about a former government official ordering Defense Ministry officials […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili suggests that the government decriminalizes economic crime, because of the importance of continuing to attract investments. Saakashvili said at a press conference at his palace in Tbilisi Thursday that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A former Interior Ministry top was Thursday released on bail. Shota Khizanishvili, who after the National Movement’s election loss became Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, was included in a mass amnesty which applies to more than 18 500 prisoners. The […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A common economic market between Georgia and Armenia. This was one of the tangible results of a visit by Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to neighboring Armenia Thursday. He was accompanied on his official visit by a government […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Ministry of Internal Affairs has finished looking into what happened when a well-known musician was questioned, and says it did not find any indications that he was pressured. Beka Gochiashvili, 16, a jazz pianist who lives in the US but […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Another public hearing is ongoing in Kutaisi to discuss constitutional amendments about changing the location of parliament and limiting the president’s power. Members of parliament from the majority Georgian Dream and the minority National […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Rikoti tunnel, which connects the western and eastern parts Georgia, will be closed from January 18 to January 30, from 20:00 in the evening until 08:00 in the morning, because of work to repair the electric system. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, Shota Khizanishvili, was given an additional charge in relation with the disappearance of Besik Surmava, a former security guard for Bidzina Ivanishvili. Surmava disappeared shortly before the parliamentary election, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The former chairman of the Revenue Service ‘kind of admits’ being part of an effort to bankrupt Cartu Bank. Cartu Bank was one of the first targets of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s government after the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The human rights group Freedom House writes in a new report that Georgia is now an electoral democracy. The group gives Georgia an improved democracy score in its report Freedom in the World 2013, as a consequence of the peaceful transfer […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Police in Georgia have detained a regional director of the feared domestic intelligence service, the Constitutional Security Department (CSD). Temur Pataridze, who headed the CSD (in Georgian abbreviated to KUD, or ‘Kudi’) in the Autonomous […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 claimed there was a crisis between Georgia and Armenia after the Georgian Foreign Minister was misquoted regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. The comment fell during a visit to Lithuania. Mrs Panjikidze was asked by […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Ambassador David Moran on January 14 began work as the temporary trustee of the UK to Georgia, the UK embassy in Tbilisi informs. On his arrival, Moran said he was pleased to be in Georgia and to start working and living in this beautiful country. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A well-known Georgian musician claims he was harassed by police during a short stay in Georgia. Beka Gochiashvili, 16, a jazz pianist who lives in the US but spent his holidays here in Georgia, told the TV station Rustavi 2 about the incident […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — French gendarmes have detained 21 Georgians suspected of cooperation with Russian mafia. According to reports in French media, they are accused of stealing hundreds of bank cards and attempting to break into accounts and steal money. The operation […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The political prisoners who were released on Sunday demand to impeach President Mikheil Saakashvili. The former prisoners think a person who allowed having hundreds of political prisoners, and having a torture policy in the prison system, where many […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The president’s administration has published a letter written by the foreign minister, who writes to the president asking to call back several ambassadors. This comes amid a period when the president and the prime minister are trying to portray […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Prosecutor’s Office has published a video clip apparently showing that officials in the previous government ordered the secret filming of public persons while engaging in sexual acts, as a means to blackmail them. A statement issued by […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Georgian President and Prime Minister, who only have met once after the parliamentary election, Sunday celebrated the jubilee of the Georgian patriarch and shared what seemed to be a serious conversation. Last time the two leaders met […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Local supporters of the governing Georgian Dream coalition in a town in western Georgia are on hunger strike for the eighth day demanding that the local mayor resigns. Organizers plan to hold a demonstration January 16 if their demand is not met. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Clerics from different Orthodox countries will leave today, Monday. The guests arrived five days ago in order to congratulate Georgian Patriarch Ilia II with his 80th birthday and 35th year since his inauguration. Patriarch Bartholomew I of […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A group claims a bonus system for public employees has not changed after the parliamentary election, but that there is slightly more transparency. According to the Ministry of Finance, bonuses given to public employees amounted to over 750 000 GEL […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — 190 persons determined to be political prisoners were Sunday released from jail as a mass amnesty comes into force in Georgia. Prison Minister Sozar Subari was present at Prison No 6, which is in Rustavi, a town 20 km south of the capital. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The speaker of the Georgian parliament Saturday signed into law a bill which will release 3 000 prisoners and halve the sentence for 17 000 others in a mass amnesty. The bill is one of the most tangible results of the unexpected outcome of the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili says he will continue to appoint his party members to bodies under his control. Saturday, Saakashvili appointed Khatuna Ochiauri, member of parliament (MP) before the last election, as governor of Mtskheta Mtianeti […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia is sending documentation to Interpol in order to announce former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili wanted and issue a so-called Red Notice. The Interior Ministry on Friday said Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Georgia has submitted […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Friday, another rally was held to demand the resignation of the local government in a small town in eastern Georgia. The population of Tetritskharo, which lies in the Kvemo Kartli region, doesn’t want the former ruling party to govern their town, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili has presented a new initiative to double pensions for veterans and allocate permanent pensions for families of soldiers and policemen who have died in the line of duty. The president’s administration has prepared a […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Prison Ministry plans to release political prisoners no later than Sunday, immediately after a new law on amnesty comes into force. Prison Minister Sozar Subari said after the government session today that the ministry will publish a list […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili was Friday set free on bail, as prosecutors have dropped two of the four charges against him. The charge regarding setting up illegal armed units was today withdrawn, while a USD 9 000 bail was set […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A court in Kiev has prolonged the pretrial detention of a former Georgian interior ministry employee for 12 more months. Oleg Melnikov, who used to work at the Constitutional Security Department, probably the most feared body in Saakashvili’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Parliament’s judiciary committee has started reviewing a draft bill which will free former government officials from responsibility for crimes committed while in office. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili first announced the idea in the end of […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The former Georgian defense minister Bacho Akhalaia who is now in detention facing three charges wants to be judged by a jury. Davit Dekanoidze, lawyer of Akhalaia, on Wednesday said at a press conference that his client wants his […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvil has appointed a former government official who has twice been detained after the change of government as new governor in the Samegrelo region. Tengiz Gunava used to be Chairman of the General Inspection […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Another witness has changed his testimony in one of several court cases against former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili. The changed testimony led the Appeals Court to strip the case of one of the charges. Orkuashvili was minister […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Four Russian climbers have been taken by an avalanche in the Kazbegi mountains in northern Georgia. One has been brought to safety alive, the other three are presumed dead. Rescue workers have been unable to find their bodies because of thick fog. The four […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili accuses the new government of suspending a number of projects which his government started, and causing a loss of thousands of jobs. A few days ago, he said that the previous government started many projects and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia is to use juries in trials concerning crimes committed by officials, including abuse of powers. The initiative comes from the Prosecutor’s Office and was picked up by the Justice Ministry, which has prepared a draft bill and presented […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Two witnesses have changed their testimony in the case against Irakli Okruashvili, the former Defense Minister who turned against Saakashvili’s government and had to leave the country before he was sentenced to eleven years in jail. There are four […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Thick snow is now covering most of Georgia. Some villages are isolated while there are restrictions on traffic on several roads. Tbilisi airport works normally, but a few flights have been canceled: 17:00, January 9, from Mestia to Tbilisi, 09:30, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Prosecutor’s Office has forwarded the National Audit Office results of its investigation into the National Movement Party’s eleven rallies last September. The rallies were held September 8 in different regions of the country to show off support. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Prosecutor’s Office has dropped two out of four charges against former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili. He was part of the government of Saakashvili’s National Movement party, but turned against him and was forced to leave the country […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The Ivanishvili government is reducing the length of compulsory military service from fifteen to twelve months. Defense Minister Irakli Alasania on Tuesday said this will be the first stage of a reform to reduce the length of military service […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A large number of clerics from different Orthodox countries will start gathering in Tbilisi tomorrow to mark the 80-year jubilee of the Georgian Patriarch Illia II. Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is among the guests arriving in Georgia […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian troops serving in Afghanistan will not carry out battle functions after 2014, when the ISAF mission will end, but they will help Afghan security structures and army in military training. Irakli Alasania, Georgia’s Defense Minister, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The new Georgian government has decided to make child delivery completely free from July 1, 2013. Dimitry Khundadze, head of the parliamentary committee on healthcare, said on Monday that expenses for child delivery will be completely covered […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A traditional Alilo procession was held in Tbilisi on Monday to celebrate Christmas according to the Julian Calendar. Alilo, which is also a Christmas chant, was organized in each region and city of Georgia, as well as different districts […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Parliament will go back to work from mid-January in order to start work on a bill about constitutional amendments which will prevent the president from dismissing the government. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s government proposes to change […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — There are restrictions on road traffic in northern Georgia due to heavy snow fall. There is danger of landslide on the road between Kobi and Gudauri, a resort in Kazbegi the mountains, and along the road Mtskheta-Stepandtsminda-Larsi, due to a snow […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — A group of supporters of the former government have started gathering signatures in support of President Mikheil Saakashvili. The group has published a petition on its Facebook page which says that according to the constitution, Mikheil Saakashvili […]
Tbilisi, DF Watch – Georgia marks Christmas on January 7 by Julian calendar by two major picturesque processions in Tbilisi and many other towns of Georgia. Alilo, a Christmas chant, is organized almost in each district and regions of the country. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Five years after the last presidential election in Georgia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) claim that they have gathered 800 000 signatures in support of a demand that President Saakashvili should resign. Georgian Dream, the new ruling party, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Tbilisi City Court Saturday sentenced former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili in absentia to preliminary detention. Both his Georgian passport and diplomatic passport have been suspended. He left Georgia after the National Movement’s election […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili’s second term ended on Saturday, January 5. Five years ago, on January 5, 2008, Georgia held a snap presidential election, following a period of social unrest. The protests reached their peak on November 7, 2007, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze, the nineteenth Georgian soldier to lose his life in Afghanistan, was buried today in Rustavi. This was the second public funeral organized for a Georgian soldier dying while taking part in ISAF operations. His body was […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili Friday evening signaled that he largely agrees with the Ivanishvili government over what to do with the ambassadors. In a statement, Saakashvili’s press office writes that the president has decided to call […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and James G. Stavridis, Commander of the U.S.’ European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe have expressed their condolences over the death of Georgian Sergeant Giorgi […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is looking into why the Israel has denied a group of Georgian worshipers entry visa. Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze responded to reports that Georgian worshipers were denied entry into Israel for Christmas. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The parties that make up the Georgian Dream coalition will compete against each other in the local election in 2014, Levan Berdzenishvili, one of the coalition leaders, said today. The next election is the presidential election in October, 2013. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Salome Samadashvili, Georgia’s ambassador to the EU, claims 18 ambassadors will be replaced by the new government, but Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze says the number is only five. Samadashvili on Friday told Maestro TV that she was told that […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian Patriarch Ilia II will visit Russia in the end of January to receive a special award. He is to receive the Russian Church’s International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations, which is granted annually as a recognition […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The law on amnesty, which is in about to be enforced, will release 3 000 prisoners and halve the sentence for 14 000 more. Prison Minister Sozar Subari explained to journalists on Thursday the exact number of prisoners the new law will apply to. […]
Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze confirms in an interview with DF Watch that she has received a two page letter from a foreign country complaining about one of its citizens having been subjected to pressure from the previous Georgian government. She said a high […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The nineteenth Georgian soldier to die as part of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan will be buried January 5. The Ministry of Defense will cover the total costs of the funeral. December 19, Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze was announced missing. He was last […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili celebrated New Year together with Georgian soldiers serving in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. The president’s press office yesterday informed that there was intense shooting while the president was in the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — From January 1, 2013, Georgia holds the chairmanship of GUAM, an international organization between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. After assuming leadership Tuesday, Georgia presented a program to other member states. Georgia’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The house of an Olympic champion who represents the Georgian Dream coalition in parliament was riddled with automatic rifle fire the early morning on New Year’s Day. The shooting happened at 1 am on Tuesday in Akhmeta, a town about 150 […]
Deputy Minister of Justice Alexandre Baramidze says that there are many regulations in the current judicial system which contradict the Georgian constitution and international human rights principles. The reform of the court system which the Ministry of Justice has […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — President Mikheil Saakashvili says he is ready to cooperate with the governing Georgian Dream and its leader and has proposed a plan of cooperation. The invitation came during Saakashvili’s New Year’s speech Monday night. He focused on cooperation […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — 2012 ended differently than previous years for Tbilisians, as there was no concert or other event organized in the center of the city on New Year’s Eve. Mayor Gigi Ugulava said the reason is that people don’t like outside concerts and therefore […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — The richest person in Georgia, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, paid a total of USD 122 407 in taxes, according to property declaration published in accordance with legal requirements. The declaration is 30 pages long and shows that apart from […]
TBILISI, DFWatch — Another TV commercial in Georgia has caused controversy, as critics says it is sexist. The ad is for Elit Electronics, a large electronics stores chain, and shows a woman sitting in the front of a car, while a man tries to squeeze all the Christmas […]
