Tbilisi, DFWatch – The European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case Identoba and others vs Georgia can be considered a landmark decision, as it stated that hate crimes, committed against individuals based on their sexual orientation is a violation of the European Convention on Human rights. […]
Tina Khidasheli (IPN) Tbilisi, DFWatch – There are no direct links between signing of arms deals with western manufacturers and recent activities of the Russian troops in South Ossetia, Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli says. “Any activity undertaken by the Georgian […]
Kakha Kaladze during cleaning works after flood (press-office) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Minister of Energy and the first vice Prime Minister of Georgia was awarded by the president with Order of Honor for his active efforts in the rescue operation after deadly flood in Tbilisi in June 13. Along with Kakha Kaladze […]
Georgian farmer behind a razor wire near Khurvaleti village. July 13 (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Recent push of the Russian border troops inside mainland Georgia left behind parts of Georgian settlements and agricultural lands, as well as an underground portion of significant pipeline that is used to export crude oil from Azerbaijan via Supsa terminal on Black Sea coast bypassing Russia, and caused massive outrage in Tbilisi. […]
Rustavi used car market. (rustavi.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first half of 2015 was 13 percent less than last year, according to preliminary figures from Georgia’s National Statistics Department, GeoStat. According to the short monthly report, Georgia’s foreign trade […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ticket sales for the August 11 UEFA Super Cup match between Sevilla and Barcelona ended at 5:15am Sunday, leaving thousands of fans disappointed. 22,089 tickets were sold at booths. When ticket sales opened at 9am on Sunday, […]
Davit Usupashvili is Speaker of the Georgian Parliament. Shakespeare would no doubt concur that democracy has an element of drama. In this drama, a constitution may be likened to a play, minus the actors. Setting the scene, a constitution lays out the notion of a state, like the preamble of a play. Articulating the script, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several thousand people showed up in Vake Park near Meskhi stadium on Saturday to buy tickets for the UEFA Super Cup match between Sevilla and Barcelona in Tbilisi on August 11. The Georgian Football Federation (GFF) […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of Georgia fans rushed to line up in Tbilisi’s Vake Park to secure seats for the UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla a day before ticket sales starts. Tickets for the match should have been sold online weeks in advance, […]
Mayor Davit Narmania inspecting the location of the city’s new zoo. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After being partly destroyed by a flood a month ago, Tbilisi Zoo will move into a new facility to be built on the shores of Tbilisi Reservoir, the largest lake in the capital. Reflecting on the future of the zoo, director Zurab Gurielidze and spokesperson […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three years after coming to power, the Georgian Dream government has delivered on an election promise to split the intelligence service the from the Interior Ministry. It will be a separate body from August 1. According to an amendment approved […]
“Crimea is Russia” – Nino Burjanadze (IPN) TBILISI, DFWatch–“Crimea is a part of Russia, and will never come back to Ukraine” – Nino Burjanadze, former speaker of the parliament and former acting President of Georgia, said during her visit to Moscow. “Crimea is part of Russia. I can say that […]
“Borchali is the land of our ancestors” – posters of Azerbaijani fans during the match (Facebook) TBILISI, DFWatch–Azerbaijani football supporters took revenge against their Georgian counterparts on Wednesday by holding a poster with a subtle political message during a match in Gabala. A few days ago, Georgian supporters trampled on an Azerbaijanian […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia are accused of beating a young woman during a brawl at a youth club in Tbilisi. A video where the young woman describes her treatment by police has gone viral on social media in Georgia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There was a small landslide this morning in a village near Tbilisi, the same place where a landslide caused a catastrophic flood wave in a river valley June 13. Thursday’s landslide damaged a road and utility pipe which supplies households […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Russian and a Georgian diplomat will meet on July 15 in Prague. The Abashidze-Karasin talks are an informal channel for discussing trade and other cooperation between the two countries, which don’t have diplomatic relations. […]
Raul Khajimba, leader of breakaway Abkhazia (Pia.ge) The latest developments in Abkhazia–Russia relations turn increasingly sour as Russia attempts to strengthen its presence in the region. As continued Russian funding is dependent on the implementation of the provisions of the Abkhazian–Russian treaty, many Abkhazians grow disenchanted with their key ally. […]
Davit Narmania. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Dinamo Stadium is now ready for the August 11 UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla, the mayor of Tbilisi said after a session of the organizing committee on Tuesday. Mayor Davit Narmania said his city is ready to host the Super Cup […]
From an anti-KaZantip demonstration in Tbilisi in 2014. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The manager of KaZantip has called Georgians ‘ridiculous, poor and wild’ people after learning that someone demolished a sculpture built by the music festival’s organizers in Anaklia last summer. KaZantip is an electronic music […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tickets for the UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla will be sold from booths in Tbilisi, starting July 12 at 9am. Tickets will be available only in booths at Mikheil Meskhi stadium in Tbilisi after the website biletebi.ge […]
Davit Sakvarelidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The new government in Ukraine has detained the deputy chief prosecutor and deputy head of the investigation service on suspicion of corruption. Ukrainian media report that the General Prosecutor’s Office and Ukraine’s security service […]
National Bank recommends to reduce expenses (IPN) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Bank of Georgia advises the government to cut expenses and revise its tax policy in order to avoid currency fluctuation. The NBG sent parliament its recommendations letter over the adjusted state draft budget 2015, concluding […]
(Marine Traffic) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Coast Guard has fined a captain of a cargo ship under the flag of the Comoros, a tiny state located in Comoro Archipelago, off the East African coast, 50,000 laris (USD 22,200). According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, the crew […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–14 people died, and 11 were severely injured during construction work in Georgia in 2014, according to a report published by the country’s United Trade Unions and the Union of Construction Workers and Forestry. A deadly collapse of a building […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four people died when a building collapsed in central Tbilisi on Monday. Three of them died on the spot, while the fourth, believed to be 17 or 18 years old, died of his injuries at the hospital. The three dead were laborers working to demolish […]
Khevsur girls – girls in the village of Khakhmati, Khevsureti in 2002 (Paul Manning) TBILISI, DFWatch–When I heard Paul Manning, an anthropologist from Trent University (Canada) is visiting Tbilisi, I knew I had to meet him. Not only because of his papers on toasts and supra culture, cartoons during the Rose Revolution, notion of terror in Pankisi, […]
Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Sunday that a week of halted money transfers will not hamper the flow of money sent home by Georgian migrants in Greece. Banks in Greece shut down last week after the Tsipras government’s […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There was a fire in Gardabani in the south of Georgia on Sunday. Several abandoned houses burned down, and a woman was slightly injured. Hundreds of firefighters and rescue workers managed to put out the fire in Kumisi settlement […]
Invisible Protest for May 17, 2014, Tbilisi, Georgia (DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch–Same sex marriage legislation in the U.S. is a landmark decision, but LGBT* people in Georgia have bigger problems than not being allowed to get married. On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriages country wide […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A tiger which escaped from Tbilisi Zoo during a flood three weeks ago has been found dead at a leisure park a few hundred meters from the zoo. The discovery of the dead Siberian tiger “Salima” at Laguna Vere concludes the search for dangerous […]
Zviad Darsadze (Facebook) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 42 year old Georgian mob boss and 35 others, mostly Georgian nationals, have been arrested in Madrid, Basque Country, Valencia and other places in Spain on Friday, in a raid classified by the EUROPOL as ‘the most important development […]
(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian football fans are accused of having insulted supporters of the visiting team by trampling on an Azerbaijanian flag after a match between Dinamo and Gabala in Tbilisi on Thursday. The UEFA Europa League qualifier ended 2-1 to the […]
DFWatch (23–30 June 2015) Daghestan President Ramazan Abdulatipov expressed his ‘complete loss of confidence’ in the acting mayor of Makhachkala Magomed Suleymanov. According to Abdulatipov, 148 houses are being built in the capital without proper […]
Abdulaziz al Saud with PM Garibashvili. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The crown prince of Saudi Arabia is donating USD 300,000 to assist the victims of the June 14 flood in Tbilisi. Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who visited Georgia a few weeks ago, wrote in a letter to the prime minister that they carefully […]
Lincoln Mitchell. Lincoln Mitchell, Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, recently visited Georgia to attend a conference in Batumi from 18th to 19th June Georgia’s European way. After arriving in Tbilisi Mitchell, who is a Georgia-analyst, met with us […]
Davit Kezerashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office on Thursday charged a former defense minister with appropriation of property from private persons during his time in office. The Prosecutor General’s Office said Davit Kezerashvili in August, 2010, […]
(National Food Agency.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Food Agency in Georgia on Thursday seized 200kg of suspicious meat at the Dezertirebi market in Tbilisi. According to the short statement, Beka 2015 Ltd had prepared for selling the meat, however some of it didn’t have a seal […]
Konstantine (Kote) Lashkhia. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A Georgian, who was fighting for Ukraine in Mariupol, has been reported dead. The death of Konstantine (Kote) Lashkhia has not yet been officially confirmed. Rustavi 2 reported it based on information from Davit Makashvili, who is also […]
(National Bank.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The National Bank of Georgia is increasing the refinancing rate because of an expected increase in inflation, which means that loans for a certain category of clients will get more expensive. The explanation given for the National […]
“We’ve been hindered by the (sinister) system that had been cemented for 25 years and now it is trying to knock out reforms as an alien body,” Alexandre Kvitashvili snaps back at his critics. Tbilisi, DFWatch – Embattled Ukrainian Health Minister, Alexandre Kvitashvili, resigned Thursday after harsh criticism by the parliament, Verkhovna Rada and even by his former boss and current informal leader, Mikheil Saakashvili. “The old system breaks […]
(adjara.gov.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–There were 9.3 percent more visitors to Georgia in June, 2015, compared to same month last year, according to the latest monthly report from the Interior Ministry. The new figures show that 496,758 people visited the country in June […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have detained a 20 year old man who is accused of raping and bringing an 11 year old boy to the point of suicide. The boy who was raped is dead. Investigators think he committed suicide, but the relatives are sure he didn’t kill […]
Presentation of the EPRC report at OSGF office on Tuesday (EPRC) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgian government and business should switch their focus away from the trade with Russia towards taking full advantage of the opportunities created by the free trade agreement with the European Union, the report by Economic […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rescue workers on Tuesday pulled a number of dead animals out of the river Mtkvari in Tbilisi, while looking for victims of the June 14 flood. 19 people died in the flood, while three are still missing. Apart from the human victims, also many […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Online ticket sale for the August 11 UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevilla began Tuesday morning, but was stopped in the evening due to technical problems. The site biletebi.ge began selling tickets at 9am, but at 9pm […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Rustavi Poladi, a smelter plant in a town 20km away from the capital, has fired hundreds of employees because of a lawsuit. Nugzar Kachukhashvili, Director of Rustavi Poladi Ltd, said at a press conference on Monday that the […]
(DF Watch.) The lukewarm Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga further outlined the value of Georgia’s two most important interconnected strategic goals: transforming the country into a modern European state and its European perspective of joining the EU. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The crisis in Greece has also hit hard for as many as 200,000 Georgians who are living and working in the country, and their families back home in Georgia. Money transfers are currently halted, as well as trailer transport. The crisis in Greece […]
Mustafa Shalan Tbilisi, DFWatch – According to the estimates from the UNCHR, as of December 2014 there were over 1200 asylum seekers and over 800 refugees in Georgia. 26 year old Mustafa Shalan is one of them. His story, which he told me one spring afternoon in a sunny balcony in the center of Tbilisi, is a tale of a young man seeking a place to settle, as he is no longer welcome at home. […]
Irakli Garibashvili Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgia’s PM will do his best to fix definition of a marriage as ‘union of a man and a woman.’ In a lengthy interview published on Monday by a popular Georgian ultra-conservative newspaper Asaval-Dasavali, Irakli Garibashvili, PM, says that the state firmly stands […]
U.S. Representative Peter Roskam. (house.gov.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A delegation from the U.S. congress is to visit Georgia from July 2 to 5. Among the delegation are members of congress from the Republican and the Democratic parties, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Davit Kereselidze. Peter Roskam […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia approved a bill on Sunday which will relieve the National Bank of responsibility for supervising private banks and instead transfer such authority to a new agency. The vote was preliminary, as the bill must go through […]
Information Center of Kakheti published this photo of Turpal Borchashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch–A 23 year old was reported by locals in his hometown in Pankisi Gorge Sunday to have died in the Syria war. Turpal Borchashvili is at least the thirteenth Georgian citizen who has died in Syria fighting for Islamists. Borchashvili was from […]
Armin Van Buuren (Gem Fest) Tbilisi, DFWatch – A western Georgian Black Sea resort Anaklia is going to host one of the largest electronic music festivals this summer. GEM Fest features popular electronic music stars, such as world renowned Dutch DJ and trance guru Armin van Buuren, […]
Manana Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The deputy speaker of the Georgian parliament, Manana Kobakhidze, is criticized for recent remarks about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. “Even if we are left all alone on earth, if every one of our friends or partners abandons us, I will not […]
May 17, 2015 (DFWatch) TBILISI, DFWatch -The U.S. State Department criticizes Georgia in a new report about human rights published on Friday. Among a whole a number of problems highlighted in the report, it pays particular attention to the violation of the rights of gays and other sexual minorities. […]
Committee head Vakhtang Khmaladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian parliament’s judiciary committee agree with the president about a proposed bill to strip away the bank supervisory function from the National Bank, claiming that it violates the constitution. Committee chair Vakhtang Khmaladze said on Friday […]
(police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has extradited a man holding dual Iranian-U.S. citizenship to the United States. The man has been subject to an Interpol red alert notice since 2011. The man, who is born in 1979, was detained on January 23, 2015 by Georgian police. Interpol has determined […]
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili (left) with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg i May. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Georgia this August, according to the Defense Ministry. The visit was agreed during a meeting Wednesday between Georgia’s Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli and Deputy Secretary General of the alliance […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–80% of tickets for the August 11 UEFA Super Cup match between Barcelona and Sevillia in Tbilisi will be sold exclusively to Georgians. Only 6,000 tickets will be earmarked for visiting football fans from abroad. Eka Eloshvili, spokesperson for Georgian […]
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–For at least the second time, the situation between the Georgian parliament and the president has become tense. Now the president plans to veto an initiative concerning the president of the National Bank. Since the president and non-governmental […]
(EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The sides in the 2008 Georgia war met for a field meeting on Wednesday at Ergneti, a village on the border with the Georgian breakaway region South Ossetia. Also this time, border issues were on the agenda at the so-called Incident […]
Alexander Rondeli Alexandre Rondeli (Alika for most of his Georgian friends and colleagues) was a charming and talented man, a close friend, a consul, a strategic ally, from the category of “usual suspects”, and, at times, a political opponent. Most of the people who dealt with him called him a “Wise Man of the Caucasus,” at times because he […]
Photo: Tea Tsulukiani (from the left), Hovannes Manukyan and Giorgi Mghebrishvili (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union is not an obstacle but rather an opportunity of ‘mutual enrichment and opening of new opportunities’, Minister of Justice of Georgia said in an interview with Mediamax, Armenian e-newspaper. […]
(Tbilservice Group.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A missing hyena was found dead on Wednesday during clean-up work inside the partially destroyed Tbilisi Zoo. The hyena was found by employees of Tbilservice Group, close to the cages of tigers and lions near the administration building. A tiger […]
A rally of solidarity at Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch — A crowd of a few dozen gathered in front of the Armenian embassy in Tbilisi on Wednesday afternoon to show their solidarity with protesters in Yerevan. One of the rally organizers Rezo Karanadze […]
President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The president is starting consultations to find a new head of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). Current NBG head Giorgi Kadagidze was appointed during Saakashvili’s presidency for a seven years term which expires in February, 2016. According […]
The offensive cartoon. TBILISI, DFWatch–Several journalists in Georgia have been threatened by a radical Islamist that he will ‘spill their blood’ if they don’t remove a cartoon from a website. The journalists launched the site to help ethnic minorities get an education and rid themselves of the chains […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The website responsible for selling tickets to the August 11 UEFA Super Cup between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC has been given 48 hours to solve its technical problems. Zviad Sichinava, President of the Georgian Football Federation, told journalists that the tickets won’t […]
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia plans 140 million of budget cuts, about USD 60 million with today’s currency rate. The finance minister on Monday presented an adjusted budget to the cabinet of ministers. He said that the state budget, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–As a penguin was discovered alive Tuesday, Tbilisi Zoo for the first time published the complete list of animals they had before the flood on the night of June 13-14. The penguin was found by soldiers as they were cleaning the lower section […]
Bela Mutoshvili and Benjamin Wheeler. Joqolo, Pankisi (Dominik K. Cagara) A group of ethnomusicologists known as the Sayat Nova Project has been documenting the musical heritage of the South Caucasus, trying to de-emphasise national divisions, explore the shared heritage, and pay attention to the underrepresented forms of musical expression. […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The search is still on for three people who are missing after a devastating flood in Tbilisi early morning on June 14 which killed at least 19 people. Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri said on Tuesday that a large part of the gravel […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has accepted evidence presented by the Prosecutor General’s Office in a criminal case against ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. The former leader was charged last November in a case that concerns the murder of a bank employee […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The website biletebi.ge, which is responsible for selling tickets for UEFA Super Cup 2015, went down Monday morning. Administrators claim they have been the target of a cyber attack and that enormous amounts of users have tried to enter the site at the same time. […]
Tamar Beruchashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia plans to allow short visa-free visits for citizens of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchasvili announced as she began her first visit to South America. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Davit Kereselidze said the aim of Beruchashvili’s […]
(Photo by Marneuli municipality.) TBILISI, DFWatch–High winds toppled trees which crashed into several houses in Marneuli in southern Georgia on Saturday. According to the head of Marneuli municipality, the fallen trees also blocked several of the roads in the surrounding villages. Heavy rainfall and hail also […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A group of animal rights activists demonstrated Sunday outside City Hall in Tbilisi, demanding to shut down the zoo, after a flood killed more than 50 percent of the animals held there, and others escaped. The demonstration was organized by Vegan Georgia […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Health Ministry in Georgia has sent teams to disinfect five areas that were hit by a disastrous flood in Tbilisi on June 14 to prevent the spread of disease. Health Minister Davit Sergeenko named the targeted areas as Mziuri Park, Zoo, Svanidze Street, […]
Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Justice Ministry in Georgia has introduced a package of legislative amendments to prevent violence against women. The amendments apply to about 20 different sections of laws and will target illegal spying, communication by phone or by […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five Defense Ministry officials who were detained last fall on embezzlement charges were released Friday on the basis of personal guarantees from several MPs. The Prosecutor General’s Office wanted to set a bail bond, but backed down. The so-called […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s first comments about the flood disaster, which killed at least 19, destroyed forty homes and a zoo, were criticized for being too late. It took six days until he commented publicly, but his organization […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Law enforcement bodies are still searching for escaped predators from Tbilisi Zoo after the flood disaster on June 14. Hunters involved in the search yesterday installed video traps fitted with meat as bait at possible locations of the predators. This is an area […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The Finance Ministry’s investigative service has uncovered a case of trafficking in babies and arrested nine people at two maternity clinics. The arrested are the director of Rustavi Maternity House and his deputy, and one of the owners of New Maternity […]
Guests in the opening of the temple (Teimuraz Shamoian ) Tbilisi, DFWatch – on Tuesday, Yazidis celebrated the opening of their first temple and a cultural center in Tbilisi. More than 2000 guests attended the opening ceremony of the temple in uptown Varketili district, built on the donation by the state. […]
Survived animals of the zoo (DFWatch) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Georgian authorities apologized for releasing the wrong information regarding escaped zoo animals, but they still blame the director of the Tbilisi zoo, Zurab Gurielidze. “The report was based on the information provided by the zoo administration, […]
A village in Tusheti (Facebook) The Batsbi language, a minority language related to Chechen, has been driven to the brink of extinction. Traditionally spoken in Zemo Alvani, Akhmeta Region, Kakheti, it has already lost its role as a community language and without institutional support it continues to decline at a rapid pace. […]
Liza (left) and Indira Zarandias (Facebook) The number of Tbilisi flood victims has increased to 19. According to authorities, body of a man, who had been deemed missing, was found on Wednesday, while on Thursday rescuers recovered the body of a woman. […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–While the total damage of the flood in Tbilisi on June 14 is expected to reach 100 million lari, according to PM Garibashvili, money is pouring in from private donors, businesses and foreign states. More than 4.2 million lari has already been donated, according […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–“I acknowledge that based on me as a source, government bodies reported this information and it was considered that there was no longer a threat. It is all my fault,” says the director of Tbilisi Zoo after an escaped tiger killed a man Wednesday. […]
(police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--As Tbilisi reels from the shock of a tiger attack which killed one man in a warehouse around noon today, a bear and a hyena may still be on loose in a city with a million inhabitants. The man who was killed by an escaped zoo tiger has been identified as a [...]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s interior minister said Wednesday that the number of flood victims is 17, while five people are missing. A man found dead in the river Khrami yesterday was not a victim of the June 14 flood, he Vakhtang Gomelauri said. Two persons were found dead […]
TBILISI, DFWatch--One man was killed by a white tiger in Tbilisi on Wednesday. The animal attacked the man at Laguna Vere, a few hundred meters from Tbilisi Zoo, which was destroyed in a flood June 14. A witness told DF Watch that a tiger attacked a person, who was seriously injured. The victim was taken to [...]
Imam Omar. (DF Watch.) PANKISI, DFWatch–Pankisi residents suggest to counter radical Islam by providing moderate Islam lessons for the young generation. Recently, four people were detained for recruiting new ISIS members in Pankisi Gorge. Journalists on a media tour here organized […]
(Georgia’s Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli on Monday finally signed a procurement deal with a company in France which is meant to bolster Georgia’s air defenses. The content of the agreement is secret. Signing the document in France on June 15, she said the treaty […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The disaster in Tbilisi has made the government bring up a plan to relocate the zoo outside the city center, to an area by Tbilisi Sea, the largest body of water near the Georgian capital. The flood shortly after midnight June 14 killed more than 50 percent of the zoo’s animals, [...]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of victims of the flood in Tbilisi increased to 19 Tuesday evening, the Security and Crisis Management Council confirmed. 17 have been identified, while two are in the process of being identified. One of the bodies was found in Mziuri Park, while the other […]
(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The clean-up effort continues after Sunday’s flood, which left at least 17 dead, as attention turns to what might have caused such a disaster. A handful of reasons have been given, which all may be grouped according to political affiliation. Some people blame […]
Two more people were found dead in Mziuri park Tuesday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–According to the most recent data from the Security and Crisis Management Council, 17 people died during flood Sunday morning, while 6 are still missing. Sixteen of the victims have been identified so far. The two last victims were found Tuesday in Mziuri park […]
(Police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four people were detained in Tbilisi and Kakheti, accused of joining the terrorist organization ISIS and recruiting Georgians to fight in Syria. One of the detainees is a local from Pankisi Gorge, father of 9 Ayuf (Gaioz) Borchashvil. The Ministry of Internal Affairs […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of flood victims has increased to 13, according to the emergency service department of the Interior Ministry. Department head Zviad Katsashvili told journalists that 13th victim was discovered about an hour before. “We are now looking for the nine […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi residents are mobilizing to help victims of the flood via social media, people are encouraged to volunteer and to donate money or things needed. People working in Mziuri park. (DF Watch.) A Facebook group 13 June – Volunteers currently have over 12,000 members, and the number is still growing. They […]
The hole in Melikishvili Street. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Large holes appeared on two of Tbilisi’s main streets Sunday, sparking fear that the heavy rain and flood may have destabilized the soil under the city. The holes were first spotted Sunday evening on Melikishvili Street, which lies on a hill above Heroes […]
Omar Al-Shishani, or Tarkhan Batirashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian police on Sunday carried out a special operation in Pankisi, a valley in the northeast of the country mostly inhabited by Kists, who are ethnic Chechens. Omar Al-Shishani, or Tarkhan Batirashvili, one of the field commanders of ISIS, was born and raised in Pankisi. He left [...]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--While walking along the path through River Vere valley after the flood, a man approaches and asks to look in a certain direction, where there is just a rock and a river and nothing else. The empty space over the river was once his house. He says he borrowed some boots [...]
Some of the 24 who are still missing are believed to be buried in their cars under the mud near Heroes’ Square. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The latest figures from the flood in Tbilisi are that 12 people have died, 24 are still missing, and 40 houses have been destroyed in the Vera and Vake district. The flood released dozens of dangerous animals from Tbilisi Zoo, […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The death toll after last night's flood had risen to nine people by 14:00. Four of the victims are rescue workers. According to the most recent data, the damages caused by the flood exceeds 10 million laris, but this includes only part of the damaged areas.
A hippo that wandered around Heroes’ Square was finally led back to its cage. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There are virtually no predators left in Tbilisi Zoo, a spokesperson for the zoo told DFWatch. A large part of the animals were unable to escape their cages. Some of the animals that escaped have now been put down, particularly the larger predators, […]
A bear sitting on a window sill in Tbilisi on Sunday. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The death toll after last night's flood in Tbilisi has risen to seven, as police urge people to stay off the streets and beware of tigers, lions and bears that escaped from a zoo. At least seven died and an [...]
Tbilisi zoo was flooded Saturday night. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–At least six people were injured as heavy rain hit the Georgian capital Saturday night at 10pm, Interpressnews reported. The city’s zoo was also hit by flood, and animals have escaped, the news agency reported. The exact extent […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian government official during Saakashvili on Saturday presented the new reformed police force in Kiev. Eka Zghuladze is one of several former Georgian government officials who served under President Mikheil Saakashvili, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Speaker of Parliament on Friday scolded ten MPs who have been absent up to a hundred times during sessions in parliament. Davit Usupashvili said that according to the rules of parliament, an MP can have a honorary absence for family reasons. […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The well-known Georgian scholar Alexander Rondeli died on Friday. Rondeli, who was head of the Caucasus Institute of Peace, Democracy and Development, died at the age of 73. He was a doctor of geography. In 1991-1996, he headed the department […]
(police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–After ten days of search, rescue workers discovered the body of a shepherd who was taken by a landslide on June 2 along with hundreds of sheep and cows. Giorgi Shetikauri, 52, was discovered in the morning on June 12 under the ruins of hut in Shatili. […]
Tina Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s new defense minister has sided with her predecessor Mindia Janelidze in an argument with former Defense Minister Irakli Alasania about an agreement with France about buying air defense systems. Tina Khidasheli said in a recent interview […]
Local residents queuing at the Public Service Hall in Akhalkalaki for the residency permits in January (Jnews.ge) Samtskhe-Javakheti Armenians applaud the comeback of the year-long visa-free stay permit in Georgia, as those who hold Armenian or Russian passport no longer need a residency permit to stay in the country. As DFWatch has reported […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The investigative service of the Finance Ministry has found that a company produced and sold smoked fish in violation of all hygienic and sanitary standards. Criminal charges have been brought against Tengiz Tsikaridze, who owns Donato Ltd, a company […]
Crown Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (left) and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The crown prince of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to investing in Georgia. Crown Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said this during a visit here. After meeting the prime minister, he said that he feels honored arriving in Georgia and discussing […]
(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Public Broadcaster has fired a sports commentator who made several mistakes during an under-19 football match between Georgia and Portugal. He mixed up the players, teams and also the score. Even though he later apologized, Sandro […]
Gia Zhorzholiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling Georgian Dream coalition wants to create a new minister post in the government: mountain minister. The initiative is quite fresh, and the public and opposition MPs have not yet formed an opinion about the idea because not many details are known. […]
Zurab Adeishvili’s rare appearance on Rustavi 2 Tuesday night. TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the most influential members of government during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency, Zurab Adeishvili, has finally given an interview. Adeishvili, who was sometimes called a ‘grey cardinal’, told Saakashvili-friendly Rustavi 2 about his own and […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Non-governmental organizations have registered a legislative proposal in parliament on Wednesday that will obligate political parties to include women on their party lists for the parliamentary election. Currently, 77 out of the 150 members of parliament […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – After almost a year-long struggle with the new immigration requirements, the government of Georgia made a U-turn and granted visa-free stay for citizens of 94 countries, as well as British/French dependant/overseas territories, on June 8 ‘for full 1 year’. […]
Last year, KaZantip was held in Anaklia, Georgia. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The popular Ukrainian festival KaZantip, which took place in Georgia last year after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, may this year return to Ukraine but with a different name. An alternative music festival will take place in Anaklia, where the festival was held in 2014. […]
Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president is preparing to veto a bill to form an independent supervisory agency to oversee the banking system, because it contradicts an association agreement which Georgia signed with the EU last year. Recently, the government […]
Gia Lortkipanidze (IPN.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former Georgian deputy interior minister who is affiliated with a violent police operation in August, 2012, is to be appointed head of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s branch in Odessa. Gia Lortkipanidze served under President Mikheil Saakashvili when he […]
Gia Lortkipanidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more former Georgian government official is to be appointed to a high position in the new Ukrainian government, a Ukrainian media outlet reports. According to Unian.net, Gia Lortkipanidze may be appointed as head of the Interior Ministry Department in Odessa. […]
Sakdrisi gold mine. Much of the foreign investments go into mining. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–There was 34 percent less direct foreign investment in Georgia in the first quarter of 2015 than in the same period last year. According to preliminary figures from the Georgian National Statistics Department, GeoStat, the amount of foreign investments in the first quarter was […]
(Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 23 year old Georgian double amputee has broken his own world record for planche push-ups. Corporal Temur Dadiani lost both legs in 2011 while serving in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Sunday, he managed to do 44 push-ups in one minute; 8 more […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Relatives of a baby who died at Batumi Maternity Hospital have accused the doctor of malpractice. The mother of the baby, a 32 year old woman, was brought to the hospital four days ago. Her family says the doctor refused to perform a caesarean section […]
Davit Usupashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling coalition agrees to some changes in the election system, but won’t scrap the so-called majoritarian system, a demand by NGOs and opposition parties. By postponing the removal of the ‘majoritarian’ system, the coalition heeded the advice […]
(police.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have busted five more brothels over the weekend, this time in Batumi, a city on the Black Sea coast. Seven people were detained. As is common, video was posted on the police.ge website showing the detainees, and the women prostitutes […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hard rain continues to batter Georgia and over the weekend partly destroyed vineyards in villages Argokhi, Maghraani and Babaneuri in Akhmeta region, eastern Georgia. Hail stones also damaged the roofs of several houses in the villages Zemo […]
(Tiflis Hamqari.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisians demonstrated Saturday against several construction projects which in their opinion will damage the authenticity of the city, especially in the old districts. The list of protest issues included destroying the city’s green cover, and destroying […]
The Gaprinashvili family’s house in Tbilisi was completely destroyed by flood water. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hailstorm and rain continues to destroy crops, kill poultry and livestock and flood houses in several parts of Georgia. Last evening, a hailstorm hit the Dusheti region and the flooded river carried away poultry and livestock. “It was raining with hail for […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An official working in the National Probation Agency died Friday night after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Besik Tskhadadze, head of the National Probation Agency’s Tbilisi bureau, was taken to the Republican Hospital but died […]
Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says he once planned to arrest Kadagidze due to ‘personal’ business, but changed his mind by request of representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The revelation comes after weeks of criticism […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili suggests naming Tbilisi airport after Shota Rustaveli, a 12th to 13th century Georgian poet. Garibashvili wants to name the airport, currently known as Alekseevka, after Rustaveli in connection with the poet’s 850 year anniversary […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government is reviving one of its election promises from 2012: to restore justice. Property taken from five people during Saakashvili’s presidency will be returned. Before coming to power, Georgian Dream promised that they would ‘restore justice.’ […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Several pupils fell ill at a Tbilisi schools Wednesday and had to be taken to the hospital. Their health condition is currently satisfactory, but it is still unknown what caused their illness. The incident happened at Public School No 139, where ten fifth grade […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The number of visitors to Georgia in May, 2015, was 14.7 percent more than in the same month last year. According to the Interior Ministry, the number of people crossing the border in May was 454,545. In the first five months of 2015, the total number of people […]
performance 'Welcome' by the New Collective about immigrant women in the UK Tbilisi, DFWatch - A group of Georgian artists, invited to perform a play about immigration in the international theater festival in the UK, got their visa applications rejected. Mareike Wentzel is a German actress and performance artist, who frequently visits Georgia and [...]
Tamaz Elizbarashvili Dog Shelter (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – At least 13 dogs drowned in flood on Wednesday night in Tbilisi at Tamaz Elizbarashvili’s dog shelter. A heavy rain flooded river Vere and the water flushed the shelter’s ground floor. Patrol police crew and several employees came at the shelter at night to help the pets, but some of the dogs had already been swept away. […]
Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s public defender recommends amending the Civil Code so that only the courts may give permission for 16 to 18 year olds to marry. The public defender has prepared a draft bill which was submitted to parliament on May 25. Youth between 16 to 18 may […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of mostly young people gathered outside the government office in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday to demand the decriminalization of marijuana. The annual protest brought together youth, politicians, journalists, non-governmental organizations and others. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–One man and about 500 sheep and 40 cows were caught up in a landslide in the village Khone, in Khevsureti on Tuesday. According to Information Center of Mtskheta, shepherd Giorgi Shetekauri is missing after the glacial mudslide. Rescue workers […]
Zurab Adeishvili (IPN) Tbilisi, DFWatch – Zurab Adeishvili, a key figure in the Saakashvili government throughout its rule in 2003-12, may soon be appointed as a chief prosecutor of Odessa Oblast, Ukrainian media reports. Although the information hasn’t been confirmed officially, various media […]
Tamar Beruchashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government is not planning to send a note of protest to Ukraine after former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was appointed governor of Odessa. Saakashvili, or “Misha” as he is called at home, lost government power in an election […]
(police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three Polish tourists have been airlifted by helicopter from Mount Tetnuldi near the Russian border, after being trapped by heavy snowfall at 4,200 meter’s height. News of the rescue operation appeared on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Monday evening, […]
(DF Watch.) ALVANI, DFWatch–The last Sunday of May is a day of celebration in the Tush villages Kvemo Alvani and Zemo Alvani in Kakheti. Zezvaoba is the festival to honour the warrior Zezva Gaprindauli, who lead the Tush alongside the Georgian army against Persians at the Bakhtrioni […]
Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian government is not in a hurry to go through with the formal procedures that will strip ex-President Mikheil Saakashvilli of his native citizenship after being appointed governor of Odessa and acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. “Let this issue hang over his head like […]
Niko Pirosmani’s ‘Arsenal Hill at Night’ Former Prime Minister, Bidzina Ivanishivli, purchased a painting of the iconic Georgian artist, Niko Pirosmani at Christie’s Auction for £962,500 (about USD 1.486 million) and donated it to Tbilisi Museum of Arts on Monday. “Niko Pirosmani’s ‘Arsenal Hill at Night’ […]
Mount Tetnuldi. (Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three Polish tourists are trapped on Mount Tetnuldi, in the north of Georgia, due to heavy snow. Rescue workers are trying to find them. Tetnuldi is in the Zemo Svaneti region, only a few kilometers from the border to the Kabardino-Balkar Republic of the Russian Federation. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Three chains of pharmacies in Georgia have been fined 500 laris each for recording conversations at their 24 hours outlets without notifying customers. According to the Personal Data Protection, 365 pharmacies of the chains Aversi-Geopharmi, PSP […]
Leonid Tibilov. TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to meet the de facto president of South Ossetia on Monday in Moscow. According to the press office of the South Ossetian leader Leonid Tibilov, the two plan to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation […]
(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In a speech celebrating Police Day, President Giorgi Margvelashvili drew attention to the recent increase in murders of women, which he considers a challenge not only for the police, but for the whole nation. “2014 was a year of particular violence […]
(DF Watch.) Zezvaoba is a celebration held every year in the villages Zemo Alvani and Kvemo Alvani. It is a commemoration of Zezva Gaprindauli, one of the leaders of the Bakhtrioni uprising against the Persians in 1659. A ritual called Dalaoba is part of the program. There is also a horse race. Participants are [...]
(Imedi TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former President Mikheil Saakashvili says he doesn’t need Georgian citizenship in order to make a comeback in his home country. Former President Eduard Shevardnadze didn’t have citizenship when he came to power in 1993; neither did Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012, he pointed out. […]
Nino Batsiashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian chess player Nino Batsiashvili took silver at the European Women’s Individual Chess Championship 2015, which was held in Chakvi, Georgia from May 18 until May 30. Batsiashvili, who is from Batumi, came second after Ukrainian Natalya Zhukova. […]
(police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Five people were detained in Tbilisi on Saturday, accused of providing premises for prostitution. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the detainees – one man and four women – are managers of the hotels Sabudara and Viza in Tbilisi. The investigation […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has given up his citizenship of his own country in order to assume the post as governor of Odessa in Ukraine. The former president was appointed head of a reform council in Ukraine earlier this year. […]
Guliko Chitadze. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A woman employee of Tbilisi Zoo who was attacked by a tiger and her cubs has recovered. Doctors earlier considered amputating her legs. Guliko Chitadze, who has worked at the zoo for more than 25 years and raised the three cubs herself, had to amputate […]
Mikheil Saakashvili Tbilisi, DFWatch – Former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, is to be appointed as a governor of Odessa Oblast in southern Ukraine. His candidacy has been proposed by the Ukrainian government to the President Petro Poroshenko. Valery Chalyi, the presidents foreign […]
(OSGF.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new children’s hospice will be opened in Tbilisi, a joint project between Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF), the medical corporation EVEX and the president’s reserve fund. The hospice will open in the end of 2016 […]
(Delta.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An anti-hail system was activated yesterday and for the first time helped partly prevent a hailstorm from destroying harvest in Kakheti. But part of the harvest was destroyed because the system started functioning 20 minutes late. The State Security […]
The overcrowded mosque in Batumi. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Georgia criticize the government for not doing enough to eliminate discrimination of religious minorities, and underline that over the last two years, the country has seen a number of conflicts on a religious […]
Presentation of the report at Tbilisi Marriott Hotel (GYLA) Tbilisi, DFWatch – 15 non-government organizations prepared report about 2 years of Georgian Dream’s being in power describing progress and challenges, also main problems for the government, among which there is ‘informal governance’, the parliament failing to fulfill […]
Practice in Europe Tbilisi, DFWatch – The Public Defender’s Office (PDO) addressed the Ministry of Justice on May 18 proposing to allow trans-people to change their gender records in official documents. According to the PDO, there are provisions in the Georgian law that hint […]
Lapamkuri, 2012 (IPN) Tbilisi, DFWatch – An ethnic Kist (Chechen) from Pankisi, who is believed as being a mediator during controversial Lapankuri special operation in August, 2012, was wounded Thursday noon in Tbilisi when an unknown assailant opened fire from a car at the doorsteps […]
Goga Khachidze. Text on the screen: ‘Don’t Detain’ (Facebook) Tbilisi, DFWatch – MP Goga Khachidze, former National Movement member, who defected former ruling party few days ago with three other fellow MPs, submitted a draft bill to the parliament about decriminalization of marijuana usage on Thursday. The third year in a row a large […]
Nika Rurua (from the left), Grigol Vashadze (Iveria photo) Tbilisi, DFWatch – The State Audit Office (SAO) auditors may set about scrutinizing finances of the recently established movement of Iveria, which consists of former prominent members of the past government, among them are former foreign affairs minister Grigol Vashadze, his former deputy Nika Vakashidze, ex-minister of culture Nika Rurua, and former ambassadors to France and China, Mamuka Kudava and Mamuka Gamkrelidze respectively. […]
(EaP Civil Society Forum.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Civil society activists who rallied in Riga during the EU summit caught the attention of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, who saw the rally from his car and walked over to them to express his support. Members of the non-governmental organizations […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ten Georgian citizens were released by authorities in the breakaway region South Ossetia Tuesday evening. They had been detained for ‘violating the border’. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the released are: Nugzar Gelashvili, from the village […]
Zurab Japaridze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four former members of the National Movement say they left the party to save the country from ‘pro-Russian forces’ which may come to power in the 2016 parliamentary election. Zurab Japaridze, Goga Khachidze, Pavle Kublashvili and Giorgi Meladze […]
The victim is in a serious condition, according to doctors. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Doctors had to amputate one arm on a woman who was attacked by a tiger in Tbilisi Zoo. The victim, Guliko Chitadze, is a 25 year veteran of the zoo. The tiger attacked her on Tuesday at about 5pm. According to the [...]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia marks Independence Day on May 26 in most of the cities and towns all over the country by organizing different events. There is no military parade, but many military elements are visible in the capital. At 13:00, 200 recruits swore an oath […]
Mikheil Machavariani (IPN) TBILISI, DFWatch–Four prominent members of Saakashvili’s National Movement who recently left the party are planning to start a new movement. DF Watch spoke with Mikheil Machavariani, who is one of the most high profile members […]
Georgia celebrated its Independence Day on May 26. U.S. soldiers participated in a oath taking ceremony for Georgian soldiers at Freedom Square in the center of Tbilisi. Rustaveli Avenue was closed off and a street fair offered entertainment for visitors. See our […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Everyone who wishes so may today sign the declaration of protection of personal information and respect toward others. This is an initiative by the Personal Data Protection Inspectorate, which was created nearly two years ago and are out on the street […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Locals in Uplistsikhe, in Georgia’s Kartli region, threaten that they will block the central highway near Gori because sheep that was returned from Jordan is dying from an unknown disease. Teo Tlashadze, member of the local council in Gori, […]
(EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Two more people were detained on the disputed border with one of Georgia’s breakaway regions on Monday. The incident took place the same day as the parties were gathered in a border village for EU- and OSCE-hosted negotiations. The […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Socially disadvantaged groups protested in Batumi on Monday, some demanding government help to handle their bank loans, others to get back land property taken from them. Some of them demanded to get back land property that they were given […]
Pavel Kublashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The party secretary and three prominent members abandoned the National Movement on Monday. There has not yet been official confirmation that the four have left Georgia’s former ruling party, but party members have confirmed it in private […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has presented a new unmanned attack and reconnaissance helicopter produced by the state research and development center Delta. The new helicopter is on a display now for the first time on Roses Square in Tbilisi, in connection with […]
(police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia Monday detained a man for attempting to distribute more than USD 194,000 in fake dollar bills. The suspect, who was born in 1994, was detained at the Red Bridge border crossing with Azerbaijan. The fake money, which was […]
Head of Supreme Court Nino Gvenetadze doesn’t see any threats in the new bill. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is planning a new court reform, which will involve creating a new body to conduct oversight over the judges. Georgia already has an control mechanism over the court system. It is called the High Council of Justice, […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 42 year old man was detained by Russian border guards at the funeral of his mother-in-law, which was held on a cemetery close to the border with South Ossetia. The detainee, Gia Solashvili, comes from the village Karkusaani. Since the cemetery […]
(Ministry of Defense.) TBILISI, DFWatch–U.S. soldiers will be present during Georgia’s Independent Day celebration on May 26. The American soldiers will be together with Georgian soldiers as they conduct an oath taking ceremony on Freedom Square. Having U.S. soldiers present will […]
Roman Gotsiridze from Economic Development Center. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has decided to strip the National Bank of responsibility for supervising banks and transfer this mechanism to the prime minister. The decision follows months of criticism by the government against the head of the National […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is preparing to celebrate Independence Day, May 26. Roses Square, where there usually are held exhibitions and organized different activities on this day, will be closed off to traffic this year from May 22 until May 26. President Mikheil Saakashvili […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A massive construction project in the old part of Tbilisi has enraged the city’s inhabitants. This time, it is a construction project on Mirza Shafi Street, right behind Abanotubani, one of the oldest parts of the capital. There was a tender announced for projects […]
Members of the EaP Civil Society Forum From Georgia and Ukraine rallied in Riga demanding including in the Declaration European perspective for their countries and a visa-free travel to the EU. The Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit in Riga did not bring unexpectedly good news to Georgia. The EU restated their support for Georgia’s European path and congratulated it on achieved progress. But Georgians will have to wait visa-free travels at least […]
Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian government officials remain optimistic about visa liberalization with the EU, while EU officials say Georgia is not yet ready for visa free rules. The Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga opened yesterday, and even though there were hopes earlier, […]
Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s public defender demands an investigation into ‘selective justice’ toward former government officials, but the government is still not planning to do this. Parliament has now started going through the public defender’s recently published report […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–After a period of depreciation, Georgia’s national currency, lari, has started to stablize. The government has cancelled plans to drastically cut the budget. According to data from the National Bank, one USD is today worth 2.3234 laris. Due to the […]
Tbilisi, DFWatch – This week’s Riga summit for Georgians will not result in the visa-free travel to the EU. Moreover, the final summit declaration, according to the media reports, is even more vague about the possibility of the EU membership than the 2013 Vilnius declaration. […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A movement demanding to decriminalize marijuana in Georgia plans to rally on June 2, in front of the government office. Campaigners have two demands: to stop jailing people for personal use of marijuana and to stop the use of forced random drug tests. […]
(1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch–Workers on a highway south of Tbilisi are still on strike, demanding a USD 4 per day pay rise, because of the rapid devaluation of the national currency over the half year. Efforts are now underway to try to negotiate with the Chinese company […]
Thea Tsulukiani. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The discovery of 25 tons of hazardous waste in the roof of the House of Justice in Tbilisi may lead to new charges against ex-Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili or his deputy. According to current Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani, the construction waste […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has further reduced its economic growth outlook for Georgia. According to the new IMF forecast for 2015 and 2016, Georgia will have 2 percent economic growth in 2015 and 3 percent in 2016, while […]
