TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is extending maternity leave and increasing the amount of paid leave. Parliament Wednesday began a fast-track review of the new bill, which will amend the labor code; an initiative of the healthcare committee. With the new […]
Dvani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ossetians ask locals in the village Dvani to empty their storage rooms, which they claim are on South Ossetian territory. “Ossetian villager came to us yesterday afternoon, called us and required to empty storage rooms in two days, because the […]
From left to right: Rusiko Machaidze, Keti Chachava, and Irina Putkaradze. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–DF Watch organized another round table discussion on September 18 about election. It was attended by the representatives of two local non-governmental organizations, and the purpose was to discuss problems in the election period and what steps have […]
Nino Burjanadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The State Audit Office says it found violations in the financial declaration of the Democratic Movement party, the leader of which is presidential candidate Nino Burjanadze. According to the office, Burjanadze’s party recently started opening new […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–23 people have registered as candidates in the upcoming presidential election in Georgia, according to the Central Election Commission. There were 54 applications, out of which 31 were rejected due to various reasons. 42 of the applications came from […]
Davit Jalaghania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two government spokespersons in Georgia Tuesday sought to downplay the significance of a news report that the Georgian breakaway regions will take part in the Olympics as independent nations. Georgia was planning to send a note of protest after the […]
US President Barack Obama and President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. (Photo from Saakashvili’s Facebook page.) (Comments from Saakashvili added.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili Monday met with President Barack Obama in New York. The brief conversation too place at a civil society event in connection with the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–According to the new survey of the National Democratic Institute, people think the government is making important changes for them, but do not like the prime minister’s decision about leaving his post. NDI’s survey of public attitudes, which was […]
Zurab Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s representative in trade talks with Russia says there are considerable risks involved in entering that market. Zurab Abashidze, the prime minister’s special representative in Russian relations, nonetheless has a positive view of the […]
Davit Jalaghania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says Georgia can only use peaceful and civilian methods against Russia’s action to move the border to the breakaway region South Ossetia. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Jalaghania said on Monday that Russia […]
Thomas Hammarberg. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–EU’s Special Advisor Thomas Hammarberg asks the government of Georgia to not politicize investigation of former officials and says Georgian society must stop looking back into the past and instead think about the future. Hammarberg, who is EU’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili has left for the US to go on a working visit and deliver a speech at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The president will also hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of different countries, […]
TBILISI, DFWath–Heavy rain on Saturday flooded more than 60 houses in Kakheti, a region in eastern Georgia . Rivers burst their banks and water flowed into the first floors and basements in the village Kistauri, in the Akhmeta region. Water destroyed home equipment […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers Sunday moved the border 600 meters into Georgian-controlled territory in the village Dvani, close to South Ossetia. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Russian soldiers started preliminary work to install wire fences, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A new study shows that there are some challenges with the visa facilitation agreement Georgia has with the European Union. The agreement has led to a considerably simpler procedure for Georgians who want to travel to EU, as the number of documents […]
Oleg Melnikov. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ukraine has extradited a former Georgian Interior Ministry official to Georgia. Oleg Melnikov was brought to Georgia Saturday morning. He was detained ten months ago in Ukraine after being subject to an Interpol search. Melnikov is charged with […]
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s economy is growing and will grow faster after the presidential election, the country’s economy minister said before the opening of a business forum on Friday. Saakashvili’s party, the National Movement, has frequently criticized the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian citizen from Chechnya who was recently detained for a shooting in Batumi is a suspect in the murder of a Russian diplomat in Abkhazia. The information comes from the de facto General Prosecutor of Abkhazia. According to Russian media, the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The United States expresses concern about Russian soldiers installing wire fences at the South Ossetian border. A statement issued by the US Embassy to Georgia on Friday on instructions of the Department of State says the US is concerned with […]
Zurab Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The recent border reinforcement work by Russian soldiers near South Ossetia was one of the topics at the fourth round of bilateral talks between Russia and Georgia in Prague Thursday. Georgia was represented by the Prime Minister’s Special […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian citizen who was detained for shooting a cop in Batumi is suspected of murdering a Russian diplomat in Abkhazia on September 9. According to Russian channel NTV, Yusuf Lakayev is suspected of murdering the Russian envoy to the breakaway […]
The Khudoni dam will lead to forced resettlement of 800 people and destruction to the environment and historic sites. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A public discussion on Thursday about the construction of a new hydro electric power station in Svaneti led to a physical scuffle between supporters and opponents. The reason for disagreement was Khudoni power station, a mega project that was […]
Eka Kvesitadze and Davit Paichadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Public Broadcaster has dismissed Channel 1 talk show hosts Eka Kvesitadze and Davit Paichadze. The two journalists claimed at a press conference on Wednesday that their dismissal, which they learned about the day before, was politically […]
A second wave of changing gamgebelis has just begun, says Nino Lomjaria, head of ISFED. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Staff changes and dismissals at municipalities that began after the 2012 parliamentary elections continuing in Georgia. About 2300 person have lost their seats during the last 9 months. According to a report by International Society for Fair […]
Deputy Interior Minister Levan Izoria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ministry of Internal Affairs has defined the meaning of ‘immoral behavior’ in public places, a crime punishable with a fine of 200 lari (USD 120). ‘Immoral behavior’ is defined as actions which show disrespect to others, including sexual type […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Wednesday there were two more false bomb reports in Georgia. The target of one of the hoax calls was the central office of Bank of Georgia. No bomb was discovered. An adult was apprehended and may be risking up to three years in jail. The other […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers have halted the installation of wire feinces in the border village of Ditsi near South Ossetia. According to the Interior Ministry, the situation is now peaceful in Ditsi, while police are continuing to patrol and the village. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers are continuing to install wire fences along the border with South Ossetia in the village Ditsi. The fence now run a few meters from the house of the Beruashvili family. But locals say the three houses, which it seemed might end up on […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The public broadcaster in Georgia on Tuesday reported that the Russian Olympic Committee has listed Abkhazia and South Ossetia as separate countries to take part in the winter Olympics in Sochi in February. “This is very unpleasant precedent and we […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The TV station Maestro was evacuated twice on Tuesday, as Georgia is increasing the sentence for making false terrorism reports from three years to five years in jail. The government explains that it is doing this after the many false bomb reports […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry appeals to the international community to take measures in order to prevent illegal actions by Russia in the conflict zone. The appeal comes in response to reports about new activity by Russian soldiers on the […]
Russian soldiers have restarted work along the de facto border around South Ossetia in the village Ditsi. Locals say three houses are in danger of ending up on the other side, inside Russian-controlled territory. A few months ago […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A suspect detained for a street shooting in Batumi on a list of 88 persons considered a security threat to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. The list presents persons who are allegedly involved in extreme activities and terrorism, and includes Yusuf […]
Zurab Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, will meet with the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia, Gregory Karasin, in Prague on September 19. Abashidze said Monday that they will discuss issues like export of Georgian product to Russia, cultural issues, and transport. “We will discuss these issues on the level of ideas […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover was reduced by 0.1 percent in the first eight months of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012, according to new figures from Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat. The preliminary foreign trade data […]
Levan Avalishvili, Chairman of Institute for Development of Freedom of Information. (IDFI.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Access to public information has improved in Georgia after the October 1, 2012 parliamentary election, according to a new survey. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) named the most accountable and most closed public […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The wave of bomb hoaxes continued in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Monday morning, with first a call about a bomb in the parliament building in Kutaisi and in the building of Imedi TV. Both of the threats turned out to be hoaxes, but both buildings […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is considering simplifying the procedures for impeaching some holders of high office. Apart from the president, the change will apply to the head of the Supreme Court, members of government, the general auditor of the State Audit Office and […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia is considering suspending work in October before the presidential election on October 27. Zviad Kvachantiradze, MP from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, on Saturday told journalists that the parliamentary majority agreed […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–On Sunday the TV studios of Rustavi 2 had to be evacuated because of a bomb threat. This is the fifth bomb threat in four days in Tbilisi. The live Sunday night show Post Scriptum was interrupted when the host, Davit Kikalishvili, said there was […]
Ranko Krivokapic. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE, Ranko Krivokapic, is visiting Georgia for three days, starting Monday. Krivokapic, who is also the Speaker of Parliament in Montenegro, will hold meetings with government officials and members of […]
Direct foreign investment 2011-2013. Preliminary data. (GeoStat.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Direct foreign investments in the second quarter 2013 was USD 232 million, according to preliminary information. This is three percent more than in the first quarter and seven percent more than it was in the second quarter of 2012. According to […]
National Movement presidential candidate Davit Bakradze addressing supporters in Zugdidi Sept. 11, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–On September 11, the National Movement’s presidential candidate David Bakradze rallied supporters in Zugdidi while representatives of Defend Georgia gathered for an anti-UNM demonstration. Unlike the events of July 20, there was no violence against […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three men were wounded in a shooting in Batumi on Friday night. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the incident began as a Russian citizen started shooting at the police. Ministry spokesperson Nino Giorgobiani said on Saturday that the […]
Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter. (Panjikidze’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia and Switzerland has signed an agreement about simplifying procedures for the issuing of visas between the two countries. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze signed the agreement during a visit to her Swiss colleague Didier Burkhalter, according […]
Zakaria Kutsnashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s inter-faction group to oversee the election asks the Central Election Commission (CEC) to lift restrictions on the media in election precincts. Former head of CEC Zurab Kharatishvili last year enforced restrictions on where journalists […]
Manana Manjgaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili Friday granted Georgian citizenship to almost 1000 Turkish citizens. According to the president’s administration, the reason for the decision is that all the persons concerned know Georgia and for practical purposes they […]
Vladimir Putin. (Official Kremlin photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an order to sign an agreement with the de facto government of South Ossetia about the ‘state border.’ The order instructs the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs to hold negotiations with the de facto […]
Vano Merabishvili in Kutaisi City Court Thursday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili on Thursday appeared in City Court in Kutaisi in an extensive criminal trial. Merabishvili is charged in several different cases, including the violent dispersal of protesters on May 26, 2011. […]
The terminal building at Tbilisi international airport was emptied of people and flights delayed. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Thursday there were three more false bomb reports in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Two TV buildings and Tbilisi international airport were evacuated, but no bombs were found. A number of flights were postponed because of the evacuation of the airport. […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili asks President Mikheil Saakashvili to release secret documents. One of the documents concerns the TV station Imedi. The PM says he is ‘shocked’ by all the material which is classified as top secret, as ‘crime […]
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas O. Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas O. Melia says the United States is looking forward to cooperating with the new prime minister and president of Georgia. Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human […]
The commercials claim Georgian Dream has broken its promises. (Frame from UNM’s commercial.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Public Broadcaster has turned down the National Movement party’s request to place free election commercial on its channels. According to a statement by the UNM, the party provided six commercials, one of which was about the ‘unfulfilled […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–According to Transparency International Georgia (TI), municipalities in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region issued bonuses to civil servants worth more than half a million lari without speficying the reason. The organization’s third report about public […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Election Commission in Georgia Wednesday chose Tamar Zhvania as new chair. Zhvania previously worked on election issues at UNDP. She received the votes of all six of the commission members. President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia had 28.2 percent more visitors in August 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, according to the Interior Ministry. The ministry every month publishes data about visitors. There are three categories of visitors: tourists, transit travel […]
(DFWatch photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ruins of what may have been an ancient palace were discovered on Monday in the old part of Tbilisi. Archeologists Merab Dzneladze and Levan Latsabidze said the ruins may date back to the fourth or third century AD, going by the architectural style, […]
Levan Davitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A third team of Russian experts are coming to Georgia on September 16 to check the quality of wine and mineral water. The experts come from the consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor and will check approximately 30 Georgian wine […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The EU Commission is sending a team of experts to Georgia in mid-October in order to evaluate the implementation of the action plan for visa liberalization, according to Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. This was the outcome of […]
Salome Zourabichvili (right). (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia Tuesday upheld a decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to not allow Salome Zourabichvili to register as a presidential candidate. Zourabichvili earlier lost an appeal in Tbilisi City Court. The CEC’s decision, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The customs checkpoint at Kazbegi, on the border between Russia and Georgia, was opened on Tuesday after a year of construction work. Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri told journalists that new checkpoint help boost Georgia’s export. […]
Sukhoi SU-25 “Frogfoot” at Tbilisi Airshow Monday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Alexander Kartvelishvili Air Show was held in Tbilisi on Monday, with a display of Sukhoi SU-25 “Frogfoot” and the Aero L-39 Albatros. The first air show ever in the Georgian capital was held at the air field at the plane factory Tbilaviamsheni, […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has presented three candidates for head of the Central Election Commission (CEC). Saakashvili’s proposed candidates are Tamar Zhvania, Manuchar Gamkrelidze and Konstantine Amirajibi. The candidates were […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO on Saturday held a joint exercise with Georgia’s coast guard in Batumi. According to the Interior Ministry, three mine sweepers arrived in Batumi on Friday. The aim of the exercise was to demonstrate and test the existing mechanisms […]
President Saakashvili and his team on Mount Kazbegi. (President’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili continued his walk on Mount Kazbegi with one of the leaders of the Russian opposition, Andrey Ilarionov. The Georgian president wrote about his trip on his official Facebook page. “Who said we would not climb up […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The first secretary at the Russian embassy in Abkhazia, Dmitry Vishernev, was Monday morning shot and killed in Sukhumi, the capital of the breakaway region. According to Abkhazian and Russian media, Vishernev was shot in the morning […]
Georgia’s Prime Minister meets with the Polish Foreign Affairs Minister (official photo) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says Georgia will sign an Association Agreement with the EU ‘by spring’, according […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Five of the Georgians who have been waiting to get out of Syria were brought home on Sunday. The five arrived from Istanbul the Tbilisi by plane and are among in all 18 Georgians who are expected to make it home soon. Seven more Georgians will arrive […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new oil refinery will be constructed on the Black Sea coast with Azerbaijani money, according to Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Mr Ivanishvili was speaking during a visit to Riga, where he attended Riga Conference 2013. Government […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–54 persons are through the first hurdle in the upcoming presidential election in Georgia as the deadline to register as a candidate expired on Friday. Among applicants are Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate, and Davit Bakradze, […]
The Georgian PM’s special representative Zurab Abashidze says if the railway through Abkhazia is to be opened it must happen based on the principle of Georgia’s territorial integrity. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government denies information from Armenia’s Secretary of National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan that Georgia has agreed to open the railway through Abkhazia. Baghdasaryan said Georgia, Russia and Abkhazia had all […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A 17-year old boy has been detained for being behind a bomb scare in the parliament building in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city. The Interior Ministry said Saturday that the suspect yesterday at 20:40 called in to the 112 call center to report […]
Salome Zourabichvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Friday upheld a decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to not allow former Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili to register as a candidate for the presidential election. Zourabichvili’s appeal against the CEC’s decision […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia played 0-0 against France in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match Friday. The teams met at Dinamo Stadium in Tbilisi. Goalkeeper Giorgi Loria successfully blocked what could have been a goal, and the game ended in a draw. “I am proud […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian parliament building in Kutaisi was evacuated Friday due to a bomb threat. Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili appealed to lawmakers to leave the building, despite the fact that a bomb threat earlier this year turned out to […]
The new Stalin bust in Vanta. (ick.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new Stalin bust has appeared in the village Vanta in Kakheti. It stands on the fence of one of the houses, in front of a shop. Dali Kirvalidze, a resident in the house with the fence, says strangers installed the bust without their permission when the family […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili on top of Mount Kazbek (Kazbegi). (President’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili has gone for another mountain walk, this time to conquer Mount Kazbeg, one of the highest peaks in the Caucasus, reaching 5 047 meters above sea level. According to the president’s administration, Saakashvili accepted […]
Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is visiting Latvia for two days, starting Friday. The visit begins with a meeting with Andris Bērziņš, President of Latvia, and Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis. Ivanishvili will also meet with the speaker of […]
A fallen tree on the waterfront in Batumi. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite heavy rains and wind in the west of Georgia the last two days, no serious damage was done to villages and towns. But there is still a danger of landslides. Strong wind and rain caused problems in several regions of Georgia for the last two […]
Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili feeding a surveillance DVD into a shredding maching Thursday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The interior minister in Georgia Thursday destroyed 110 DVDs containing highly sensitive footage illegally acquired by the domestic intelligence during President Saakashvili’s government. The DVDs contained 144 files, totaling 181 hours, and were fed […]
Archil Dzuliashvili, Georgian Ambassador to Egypt. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian citizens who are currently in Syria will return home on September 8, Archil Dzuliashvili, Georgian Ambassador to Egypt, said Thursday. Georgia will cover transportation costs for 18 of its citizens in order to bring them home from Syria, […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite the great public interest, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili refrains from naming his replacement as he steps down in the near future. Georgia’s next head of government will benefit from a constitutional change which invests the prime minister with […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he trusts the US’s conclusion about chemical weapons use in Syria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia offers to assist in returning Georgian citizens to their home country from Syria. Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili told media Wednesday that the offer was conveyed to Zurab Abashidze, the prime minister’s special representative for relations with […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he will only deal with Mikheil Saakashvili’s National Movement party through mediators and suggests that they present their views to experts who then will explain it to the government. Ivanishvili […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanisvhili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanisvhili doesn’t rule out that Georgia might join the Eurasian Union, which will span most of the former Soviet Union when it is realized. But Ivanishvili says Georgia will only become member if it is benificial for the […]
Zurab Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia and Russia plan another round of direct talks in Prague in the middle of September. The Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, Zurab Abashidze, told journalists on Tuesday that the details of the meeting are […]
Batumi. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A storm system is expected to hit western Georgia for the next two days, starting late on Wednesday. The weather forecast predicts a storm that will spread from the Baltic Sea to the shores of the Black Sea with cold and humid air masses, and […]
Salome Zourabichvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Election Commission refused to let former Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili register as a candidate for president in the upcoming election. The reason is that under Georgian legislation a citizen of a foreign country cannot […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A new Stalin monument in the east of Georgia was paint bombed the same day as the opening ceremony. As Stalin monuments are resurrected around Georgia’s towns and villages, protesters paint them with slogans against the dictator […]
The Interior Ministry’s “Moduli” building in Saburtalo, Tbilisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A date has been set for destroying the Soviet-style ‘dirty archive’ accumulated by the secret police during the Saakashvili regime: September 5 at 15:00. Some of the archive consists of videos from hidden cameras pointing into the bedroom of […]
Health Minister David Sergeenko said Iashvili Children’s Hospital was sold without any consultations with the ministry. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Doctors at the largest children’s hospital in Georgia accuse its new owner of sexual harassment, physical abuse and religious discrimination. Staff of several hospitals gathered outside the main entrance of Iashvili Hospital on Monday to protest against what […]
Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Press office photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili seems to be sticking to his word and really plans to leave politics after two years in the game. On Monday, he issued another open letter explaining the reasons for his leaving. But again, he left the main […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is holding a conference for its diplomats. Maia Panjikidze, Foreign Affairs Minister, opened the conference in Tbililsi Monday. Prime Minister Ivanishvili and other government representatives will also attend the meeting, […]
Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the government is growing impatient as President Saakashvili has delayed for nine months the confirmation of seven new ambassadors. Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said Saakashvili has not fulfilled his promise, but National Movement […]
A new statue of Joseph Stalin was unveiled in Telavi, Georgia. (tv1.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–A monument of Stalin has been installed in Telavi, a town in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region. The new statue is the work of two organizations, Stalineli and Veteran Union, and the creation of the monument was financed by donations. It now stands at the […]
Croatian climber Nenad Culic, who died in 1974, has been found. (police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rescue crew for the Georgian Interior Ministry’s emergency service have discovered a corpse of a Croatian climber who was lost in Caucasian mountains in 1974. A group of Croatian rock climbers went on an expedition to Ushba in the Svaneti region […]
The mosque in Batumi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Muslims in Batumi have asked the central government for permission to build one more mosque in the Black Sea coastal city, as the one mosque they have is not big enough. On Friday, people gathered and conducted prayers at the a deserted plot marked […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is without ambassador in seven countries, because the president has failed to sign their confirmation. Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze said on Saturday that President Mikheil Saakashvili still hasn’t signed the document to confirm […]
(Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The minaret that was dismantled in southern Georgia earlier in the week and taken to Tbilisi has been returned to its village, but remains in pieces for the time being. The Revenue Service, which promised to rebuild it where it once stood […]
Zurab Abashidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russia is to simplify visa rules for Georgian citizens. Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian PM’s Special Representative for Russian Relations, told Russian media that visa rules will be simplified for Georgian citizens who are planning to visit Russia […]
Kenneth S. Yalowitz is former US Ambassador to Georgia. DFW: Almost eleven months have passed after Georgia’s parliamentary election of October 2012 when the Georgian Dream coalition defeated United National Movement and the entire politics changed. It led to a mixed response from the US. Now almost a year after the elections, what […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Foreign Affairs Ministry in Georgia is working on providing a safe route out of Syria for Georgian citizens who are in Damascus. Two days ago, Rustavi 2 reported that there are 22 Georgians in Damascus requesting help from the government. They […]
“Give us freedom of faith” says this poster. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Agreement was reached by Muslim and Christian leaders in Georgia on Thursday about what to do with a minaret which was removed from a mosque earlier in the week. The Georgian Orthodox Church — the Patriarchate — and the organizations Muslims of […]
Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili Thursday announced a separate inquest into the Lapankuri border skirmish in August 2012, which claimed the lives of fourteen people. Nanuashvili told Interpressnews a new inquest is necessary because more than a year has […]
Khatuna Kortava says her nephew was a victim of the Saakashvili regime. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Saakashvili’s National Movement is meeting resistance in its efforts to play the crime card in the election campaign. “No-one should be led by Saakashvili to try to score political points in my child’s name,” says Khatuna Kortava, aunt of Levan Kortava, […]
“Everybody has a right to pray”, says this poster. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–On Wednesday, it seemed that a minaret which was taken down, ostensibly for tax audit purposes, would be put back up. Archil Khabadze, head of government in the Adjara region, said the minaret in Chela would be rebuilt on Thursday. Muslims had come […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili (left) compared Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili to a zoo director for releasing prisoners. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili called Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili a “zoo director” and compared persons released in an amnesty to animals. Saakashvili said he usually gets a warm welcome in Batumi, and was surprised when there was a demonstration […]
Dimitri Shashkin yesterday said he didn’t know there was abuse in the prisons until October 2012, although nine prison staff were reprimanded in 2011 after the Council of Europe exposed systematic mistreatment. (Maestro.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The exiled Saakashvili ally Dimitry Shashkin returned to Georgia on Wednesday to answer questions about the abuse in the prisons. Shashkin was among many officials in the former regime who fled the country after the National Movement’s election […]
Tsitelubani. (tv1.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three Georgians were released on Wednesday by Russian soldiers in South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway region. Irakli Merebashvili, and the couple Nana Vanishvili, Alexandre Tsertsvadze and their teenage child were detained on August 22 in the village […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–429 prisoners were released on Wednesday in connection with the Georgian religious holiday Mariamoba. August 28, Georgia celebrates the assumption of Mary, known as Mariamoba. In connection with the holiday, the president customarily pardons […]
The Public Defender calls for an immediate investigation of the violence during a demonstration against the dismantling of a minaret in southern Georgia. (Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–All the people detained while protesting against the dismantling of a minaret at a Mosque in the village Chela, in southern Georgia, have now been released. Meanwhile, the protests continue in the village and support rallies are held in the capital […]
In Chela, where a minaret was recently taken down from the local mosque, the head of the local government has been detained. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia on Tuesday detained the head of the local government in Adigeni in the south of the country, where a minaret of mosque was recently dismantled. Gamgebeli Simon Parunashvili, who is member of the National Movement, is charged with […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili has asked the Ivanishvili government for a dialogue to discuss how to establish ‘civil peace’ after the dismantling of a minaret, but the government rejected the idea, and the vice premier said there have never been […]
Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania visited the United States and met Edmond Mulet, the UN’s Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations. (Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may take part in UN-led peacekeeping operations. This is clear after a visit to the U.S. by Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. During the visit, Alasania and Irakli Dzneladze, head of Joint Staff of Georgia’s armed forces, met with Edmond […]
Conflict along political fault lines were brought to the surface in Bolnisi. (Channel One.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There was tension outside Bolnisi municipality building on Monday when some members of the city council wanted to hold a secret ballot and impeach the new head of the municipality, who was appointed in January by the Georgian Dream coalition. 13 […]
De facto president Alexandre Ankvab (left) and Russian president Vladimer Putin. (Kremlin photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Union Delegation to Georgia expresses concern about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. The EU delegation on Tuesday issued a statement saying that it recalls that the EU doesn’t […]
Police in Chela, Adigeni. (Samkhretis Karibche.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The local municipality in the village Chela in Adigeni in Georgia has started to dismantle the minaret of a mosque, which has caused concern of Muslims. The police was at the site of the minaret from morning and prohibiting local Muslims from […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The former head of Georgia’s National Olympic Committee and the founder of Artesi Ltd were released on 200 000 lari (USD 120 000) bail each and will have 30 days to pay the bail. The Prosecutor’s Office asked for 300 000 bail for each of them. 16 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–For the last few days people have been reporting that the police have stopped them in the street and searched them. Some have also been taken to the local police station for further questioning. The incidents have taken place mainly in the capital. […]
De facto Abkhazian President Alexandre Ankvab (left) and Russian President Vladimer Putin. (Official Kremlin photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia Monday and congratulated de facto President Alexandre Ankvab on the ‘five year anniversary since Russia recognized its independence’. Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has […]
Used cars is still Georgia’s number one export article. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Precise data from Georgian Statistics Department (GeoStat) show that Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first seven months of 2013 was two percent less than in 2012. The total amount of foreign trade turnover in January-July 2013 was USD 5 662 […]
(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Turkey has lowered the transit fee for Georgian registered trucks to a quarter after several Georgian trucks failed to pay the amount usually paid by every other country. From September 1, so-called panel vans and minibuses will have to pay 150 or 300 […]
Most visitors on Friday had come to see Sleep Party People. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The third day of Batumi Summer Set electronic music festival had to be canceled due to bad weather as water flooded the festival area and destroyed equipment. The festival in Georgia’s largest Black Sea beach resort started on August 22 with Danish […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former member of parliament and chairman of the Olympic Committee Gia Natsvlishvili is charged with appropriation of 4 052 108 lari (USD 2.5 million) of public money. He denies guilt. The investigative service of the Ministry of Finance said Saturday […]
Power will shift from president to prime minister after October’s election. Pictured: President Mikheil Saakashvili (left), and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Photo published on Ivanishvili’s Facebook page.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia will change from a presidential republic into a parliamentary one after the election on October 27. We give you the details. The new president will start fulfilling his duties as soon as he has been sworn in, and after this ceremony, the […]
Elene Tevdoradze, head of the pardon commission. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The pardon commission on Friday reviewed the cases of 500 prisoners. 217 were given a positive recommendation. The commission received recommendations from the president, who has the right to pardon prisoners independently or based on the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian soldiers Friday detained three Georgian citizens close to the breakaway region South Ossetia. The incident took place as the father of one the detainees, Aleksandre Tsertsvdze, was being driven by his neighbor to the neighboring village, […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says many of Channel 9’s journalists were not professionals. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says journalists and employees of TV9 made a mistake when they closed down the channel immediately after his statement. “Journalists didn’t come to TV9 from BBC and CNN. Many of them weren’t professionals; [they] […]
Prison Minister Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prison Minister Sozar Subari on Friday responded to accusations made by the National Movement yesterday that the government has allowed the mafia to make a comeback in Georgian prisons. Prisoners with influence over other inmates, called supervisors, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A mosque is going to be built in a village in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region. Badrudin Ibragimov, Chairman of National-Cultural Autonomy of Avar in South Caucasus, told Intepressnews that at the moment, the project is acquiring all the necessary […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Eleven non-governmental organizations which work on election issues will Friday name their candidate to fill the vacant position as chairman of the Central Election Commission. The NGOs plan to propose Tamar Zhvania, a project manager at […]
Dinamo Tbilisi lost 0-5 to Tottenham Hotspur in Tbililsi Thursday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Dinamo Tbilisi lost Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur 0-5. The play-off match for UEFA Europa League was held at Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi. Tottenham scored in the 13th minute and added one more goal in the first half. By the end of [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Movement blames the government for allowing the mafia to run the prisons in Georgia. Mikheil Ghurtskhaia, spokesperson for the Prison Ministry, does not deny that criminals have power in the prisons, but told DF Watch that when UNM was in […]
Tottenham players training in Tbilisi before Thursday’s match. (Tottenham Hotspur website.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Dinamo Tbilisi plays against Tottenham Hotspur at 20:00 today at Dinamo stadium in Tbilisi. The London team arrived in Georgia on Tuesday and left the airport without comment. Practicing matches were held at Dinamo stadium. The match is part of the […]
Giorgi Mebonia. TBILISI, DFWatch–A recruit has died at a Georgian military air base near the capital Tbilisi. According to the ministry, the incident happened on Wednesday at a checkpoint while he was on duty. The body of the deceased, Giorgi Mebonia, has been taken to the National […]
Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri has sent out a special statement to ministry employees that makes clear what restrictions they must follow regarding election campaigning. The statement concerns the Code of Conduct for public servants and includes […]
Batumi is getting ready for three days of electronic music. (Festival handout photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s sea resort Batumi is hosting a three-day summer festival of electronic music starting Thursday. Batumi Summer Set Festival runs from August 22 to 24 and will host many well-known names in the genre. Among the headliners are Denmark’s […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Bank of Georgia was subject to an armed robbery in downtown Tbilisi late on Wednesday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was tight-lipped about the details, beyond noting that an investigation has been launched and criminal experts are studying the […]
President Mikheil Saakashvili is feeling bored sitting in his office. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Saakashvili plans to open an education center for viticulture, wine-making and vine care in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region, where he owns a house and vineyards. Speaking in front of journalists at his palace in Tbilisi Wednesday, […]
Mikael Botkoveli, head of the press office at the Patriarchate. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Church, the Patriarchate, has suspended a priest who recently claimed that the Prosecutor’s Office pressured him to give testimony against former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia. Mikael Botkoveli, head of the press office at […]
Ex-prisoners are queueing outside the presidential palace after Saakashvili promised to clear their records. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former prisoners and people on probation crowded outside President Mikheil Saakashvili’s palace in Tbilisi after he offered to pardon them and clear their criminal record. The president said August 19 that people who are probationers or have […]
Davit Chkhitunidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian man is in hospital in a serious condition after being beaten while in detention awaiting his extradition to his home country. The man, Davit Chkhitunidze, was detained at Athens airport on August 14 as he was preparing to fly to Turkey, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is in 55th place of 178 countries on the Failed States Index for 2013. This is a slight improvement position compared to previous years. On top of the list are Somalia, Congo, Sudan and South Sudan. The least failed countries are Finland, […]
From left to right: Levan Natroshvili (TI), Lela Taliauri (GYLA), Irina Imerlishvili, MP, and journalist Rusiko Machaidze. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–DF Watch organized a round table on election issues with representatives of two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition. They discussed amendments to the election legislation and also problems which […]
Minister of Justice, Thea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s interagency commission for free and fair elections on Monday held its first session. It was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice. The commission was created ahead of last year’s parliamentary election to prevent […]
TV 9 director Luba Eliashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several persons have already expressed interest in buying Georgia’s Channel 9, which yesterday stopped functioning. The TV station’s director Luba Eliashvili said to employees gathered outside its office building that several persons already have […]
Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A majority of Tbilisi City Council has voted for expanding the city budget by 17 million lari (USD 10.2 million) to 740 million lari (USD 445 million) — a four percent increase. Mayor Gigi Ugulava from the former ruling National Movement party […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–TV9, a channel affiliated with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, went off air on Monday. It had earelier announced that it would close on September 1. The news program at 21:00 was its final broadcast, with News Director Luba Eliashvili saying goodbye […]
Landslides have been accelerated by the heavy rain, says Valerian Chitashvili, governor of Guria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several families have been forced from their homes in Ozurgeti, in Georgia’s western Guria region, due to a landslide. Valerian Chitashvili, governor of Guria, told journalists that two days of heavy rains in the region accelerated the landslides […]
Luba Eliashvili, head of Channel 9’s news division. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Channel 9, a TV company affiliated with Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is to be closed from September 1. Luba Eliashvili, chairman of the TV company’s news division, explained that for the last ten months they have been looking for new owners […]
Nino Evgenidze is Executive Director of the Economic Policy Research Center. We often hear pre-election promises of various political parties that envisage increasing pensions to equal the subsistence minimum. Such promises enjoy a positive reaction from society, however the necessity of a pension reform in the country is underestimated and is […]
The flood struck the village Ureki in the middle of the tourist season. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–22 families are cut off from the outside world due to flood in the village Chanchati, in Georgia’s western Guria region. Gulnara Chichua, government trustee in the village, told journalists that the flood also has affected other villages in Guria, […]
Police cars in Duisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A conflict of unknown nature has developed between Kists and local Georgian youth in Pankisi Valley, which lies in the northeast of Georgia, at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. No-one is injured, but the situation is tense and the Interior […]
The flood water was one meter high and rising, locals said Sunday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Black Sea resort Ureki was flooded after heavy rain on Sunday. Part of the population is leaving the place and requesting help from the government. Tens of houses were flooded, and a landslide has blocked the roads. Kote Sharashenidze, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court releasing six policemen on bail who were detained for fabricating evidence to build a case against Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s father-in-law, Tamaz Tamazashvili. The six are charged with planting a weapon on […]
Irakli Okruashvili in Tbilisi, January 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili was Saturday briefly detained by French police after a scuffle with another Georgian politician, former MP Merab Samadashvili. The scuffle took place at Nice airport. Okruashvili was later released by airport police. […]
Bacho Akhalaia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Law enforcers are considering another charge against former Interior Minister Bacho Akhalaia and want to question him about the murder of Sandro Girgvliani in 2006. Tbilisi Prosecutor Maya Mtsariashvili told journalists that in the course of the […]
“Of course I didn’t know,” Khatuna Kalmakhelidze said on Friday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia Friday summoned the former prison and defense ministers to question them about the torture in the prisons during the Saakashvili regime. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, it has found, after a number […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–OSCE’s long term observers for the upcoming presidential election will arrive in Georgia on September 16. Maia Panjikidze, Foreign Affairs Minister, on Friday told journalists that Georgia has received a positive response from the NATO Parliamentary […]
Newly elected TSU rector Vladimer Papava (left) and his predecessor Aleksandre Kvitashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Vladimer Papava, an economics professor who was economy minister during President Shevardnadze in the 1990s, has been elected as rector of Tbilisi State University. Papava was supported by ten of the board’s 12 members, the remaining two voted for Irma […]
Data for January-July of previous years. (GeoStat.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Foreign trade turnover in January-July 2013 fell by 2 percent compared to the same period in 2012, according to preliminary data from Georgia’s National Statistics Department, GeoStat. The total foreign trade turnover in the first seven months […]
Minister of Internal Affairs, Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s interior minister says the dirty Soviet-style archive of compromising surveillance videos illegally amassed by the Saakashvili regime will be destroyed in the ‘next few days’, but the date remains unknown. Interior Minister Irakli […]
FDI in Georgia in 2012, broken down by sector. Preliminary data. (Source: investingeorgia.org.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Direct foreign investments in Georgia fell by almost a fifth in 2012, compared to 2011, according to data from the National Statistics Department (Geostat). In 2012, the total amount of foreign investments was USD 912 million. This is five percent […]
Zurab Kharatishvili, for years head of the Central Election Commission, left his job to become a politician. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Zurab Kharatishvili, head of the Central Election Commission in Georgia, on Thursday explained that he resigned in order to go into politics and may even run for president. On Monday, Kharatishvili applied to parliament for permission to leave as CEC head. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Students at Tbilisi State University are planning a protest on Friday against the system of having the 12-member academic board of the institution elect a rector. Organizers say it is not right that only 12 persons decide this, when there are more […]
Minister of Agriculture Shalva Pipia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is subsidizing the grape harvest with 25 million lari (USD 15 million) in the form of cheap loans to wine companies. This is a threefold rise, compared to previous years. Explaining the increased stimulation of the wine […]
President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–“The war didn’t start between Georgians and Abkhazians – this war was imposed on our people, that’s why we will win together – Georgians and Abkhazians,” President Mikheil Saakashvili said 21 years after the Abkhazian War started. The war […]
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said the UNM’s call for a crisis meeting was election PR. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A planned meeting between two top people in the main political blocs in Georgia has been scuttled by a disparaging remark by one of the sides. Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili from the Georgian Dream coalition, and Davit Bakradze, the National […]
Giorgi Gabedava was detained Tuesday at the trial of Bacho Akhalaia, who by many is seen as responsible for the prison torture. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–National Front member Giorgi Gabedava, who was detained yesterday at a rally outside Tbilisi City Court, was today released and given a 100 lari (USD 60) fine. He was charged with petty hooliganism and admitted guilt. During the hearing, Gabedava […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has charged an citizen of Uzbekistan for human trafficking. The suspect, Nargizbegim Nakhmanova, born in 1984, is charged in absentia for four different violations, according to the Interior Ministry. Apart from […]
The Oncological Clinic in Tbilisi. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hospitals which are owned by Aditti, and the Oncological clinic in Tbilisi, will become government property, the Health Minister Davit Sergeenko says. The Oncological center in Tbilisi was privatized and bought by Canadian Pegasus Pharmaceuticals […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–According to a new survey by Transparency International Georgia (TIG), about 6 000 employees have been dismissed from public institutions after the 1 October 2012 parliamentary elections. Almost half of them have resigned and only 4% of newly hired […]
Crowds awaiting the verdict in the case against Bacho Akhalaia. Many see him as responsible for the prison torture. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three people were Tuesday detained at a rally outside Tbilisi City Court where the case against ex-minister Bacho Akhalaia went on. In a few days, the court will announce its verdict in the final case against Akhalaia which deals with torture […]
Mine workers in Chiatura pictured during the strike in November, 2012. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two mine workers have drowned in a mine in Chiatura as result of an accident as water flowed up while they were drilling in an old mine. Roland Nozadze, 51, shift leader, and Iuza Samkharadze, 49, worker, died as result of an accident. Two other […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) and candidate for president Giorgi Margvelashvili with supporters in Nokalakevi. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili opened the Georgian Dream coalition’s election campaign on Monday, in the historical town Nokalakevi. The event marked the official launch of the coalition’s election campaign and its candidate for president, […]
Police used excessive force on May 26, 2011, according to Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association. TBILISI, DFWatch–The lawyer of the detained former prime minister Vano Merabishvili demands to stop the criminal prosecution against his client, or at least release him on bail, after the publication of a report commissioned by the US Justice Department. […]
The village Kveshi. (Radio Tavisupleba.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In the morning of August 10, there was a shooting incident close to the so-called administrative border around South Ossetia. A patrol car of Georgia’s Interior Ministry and representatives of EUMM were present. The Georgian Interior Ministry in […]
The Black Sea coast is a popular destination in summer. Here Ganmukhuri. TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of people who visited Georgia has increased by 26 percent in the first seven months of 2013 compared to the same period last year. Giorgi Sigua, Chairman of the National Tourism Administration, said at a briefing that in the first seven […]
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili taking part in a village tradition at an Adjara wedding. (ISFED.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili might have violated election legislation after he gave a ring to a wedding couple during a visit to a village. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), which is observing events around the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says Georgia’s bank sector is in ‘a very good shape’. Sir Suma Chakrabarti, EBRD President, said in an interview with the Georgian edition of Forbes Magazine that many […]
Zurab Kharatishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two months before Georgia’s presidential election, the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Zurab Kharatishvili, has resigned. Kharatishvili’s reason for leaving is not known. He has published a statement saying that he is leaving, but will […]
Demonstrators in Batumi don’t want any ‘cohabitation’ between the Saakashvili regime and the current government. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former political prisoners and refugees from Abkhazia held a rally in Batumi on Sunday outside the prosecutor’s office in Adjara to demand the arrest of Supreme Court Chairman Kote Kublashvili and the dismissal of Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili. […]
The hospital in Kharagauli, owned by Aditti. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Doctors demonstrated in six towns in Georgia Saturday, demanding to have their salaries. Their target is the company Aditti, which has bought many of the formerly state-owned hospitals in the country. Doctors have gone without pay for more than six […]
The court building in Kutaisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three prison staff suspected of wrongdoing in connection with the death of a prisoner in a town in western Georgia were Saturday released on bail. The Appeals Court in Georgia’s second city Kutaisi decided to release Giga Kokhodze, Aleko Babunashvili […]
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five Georgian sailors are stuck on a ship in Croatian waters. Seven other Georgians are stuck on another ship off the Algerian coast. The sailors haven’t been paid salary for months and cannot return to Georgia. Owner of both ships is a Slovenian company which […]
People in Khoni were up since 4 am Friday removing water from their homes. (tv9.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rain water poured into the village Khoni in western Georgia Friday, flooding the basements and first floors of 500 houses and killing poultry. Locals tell journalists they haven’t slept all night but have been out cleaning their houses and saving […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Saakashvili Friday left the capital for a three day hike at Tobavarchkhila Lake. He brought with him several members of the National Movement. Saakashvili spoke about his trip in an interview with the Public Broadcaster’s channel 1 […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The judiciary system has progress after the October 1, 2012, parliamentary election, a new survey has shown. Transparency International Georgia (TIG) has scrutinized the changes in the judiciary system during the last year and concluded that the […]
Tengiz Jgushia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police have detained former MP Tengiz Jgushia, who is suspected of yesterday having shot at the deputy head of a local government near the town Zugdidi, in western Georgia. Jgushia was member of parliament for the Citizen’s Union from 1995 to 1999 and […]
Cheap tractors were bought, and public money siphoned off, prosecutors say. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court Thursday released on bail the last two persons who had been detained in the so-called tractor case. All in all, seven are accused on charges spanning negligence, state money embezzlement and pressure on experts. […]
Dvani, a village in the conflict area. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five years after the war between Russia and Georgia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has called for action to help the people in the conflict-affected areas. Supporting political negotiations is not enough, the OSCE […]
The National Movement’s candidate for president, Davit Bakradze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–National Movement presidential candidate Davit Bakradze has put forth a plan called the national agreement and asked the ruling Georgian Dream coalition to make changes to solve the country’s economic problems. Presenting his party’s initiative […]
The deceased, Levan Kortava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office has detained another suspect in the case of the death of Levan Kortava. Prosecutors at the western regional office detained Iveri Gogoberidze on the basis of a court decision, according to a statement by the Prosecutor’s Office. […]
Torch lighting event on Wednesday to commemorate the 2008 war. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Every year after the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 there have been planned different events for the five days the war lasted to pay tribute to the victims. Events were planned today in Gori, a town close to where the war took place. In the morning there […]
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has answered its critics who say that the economy is in crisis, assuring them that all commitments and plans will be fulfilled and that the economy is in no danger. Georgian Dream coalition MPs on Wednesday met with the […]
TBILISI, DFWatch-Georgia and Ukraine plan to increase bilateral trade turnover to one billion USD in 2013. This was reported by Ukrainian media after a meeting between Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Vilkul and Georgian Ambassador Mikhail Ukleba. Vilkul said […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The situation is still tense in the conflict region five years after the Russia-Georgia war, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and the occupation of two Georgian breakaway territories by Russia. The recent tension was caused by Russian soldiers […]
Prison Minister Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–45 inmates are on hunger strike in the women’s prison in Rustavi, demanding to bring back the recently fired director of the facility. Later today, 80 other prisoners in a sign of solidarity refused to eat bread. They demand that Salome Janelidze […]
A construction company needed an access road and cut through the limestone. Environmentalists say it will take centuries for the rock to reform. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A large part of a massive limestone formation in Georgia has been destroyed during repair work on a tunnel. The rock formation is located at a section of road between Gudauri and Kobi, leading up into the Kazbegi mountains in the north of Georgia, […]
In the village Ditsi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that the installation of razor wire close to the so-called administrative border with South Ossetia was not agreed with the Kremlin. In May, Russian soldiers moved a de facto border line around South […]
