Monthly Archives: December 2017

Obstacles hold South Ossetia residents back from seeking medical treatment in Georgia proper

By | December 29th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia blames a drop in the number medical visits from South Ossetia on obstacles imposed by Tskhinvali justified by claim Ossetians are being ‘humiliated’. In 2017, there was a sharp drop in the number of people traveling from South Ossetia to Georgia proper to get medical treatment. […]

Five detained in Georgia for links to ISIS terror plot

By | December 27th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Five men were detained in a counter-terrorism operation in Georgia Tuesday morning accused of links to a terror plot involving a senior ISIS operative who was killed in Tbilisi a month ago. The five, Zurab Gornakashvili, Ruslan Aldamov, Ramaz Margoshvili, […]

Killed ISIS operative Chatayev was planning attacks in Georgia and Turkey

By | December 26th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Akhmed Chatayev. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A notorious ISIS fighter who was killed in Tbilisi a month ago was planning terror attacks against diplomatic missions in Georgia and Turkey, Georgian authorities said on Tuesday. The security police made the claim based on information […]

Georgian ex-soldier released by Abkhazia after 7 years imprisonment

By | December 25th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Dranda prison near Sokhumi. TBILISI, DFWatch–Authorities in breakaway Abkhazia released a Georgian ex-soldier on Monday after serving seven years of a 20 year sentence. Giorgi Lukava, who was seized by Sokhumi in 2011, was handed over to Georgian authorities at Enguri bridge, […]

Abkhazian “visas” to be issued at Enguri border crossing

By | December 22nd, 2017|Categories: News|

(Newscaucasus.com) GALI, DFWatch–Breakaway Abkhazia will start issuing “visas” at the Enguri border crossing. Until now, these travel documents have only been issued in Sokhumi and Gali. […]

Georgia absent during UN vote to annul US recognition of Jerusalem

By | December 22nd, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia was among 21 countries that were absent during a vote in the UN General Assembly on Thursday to annul the US’s unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “We […] have had consultations with our partners and our delegation […]

The moment Georgia’s PM told the opposition leader ‘f— you’

By | December 21st, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili. TBILISI, DFWatch–PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili swore several times at his counterpart during a debate with the acting head of the largest opposition party UNM on Wednesday. […]

Al-Qaeda commander from Pankisi reported dead in Syria

By | December 18th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Salahuddin al-Shishani, whose real name was Giorgi Margoshvili, was reportedly killed in Syria’s northern Hama province. TBILISI, DFWatch–A high-profile al-Qaeda affiliated field commander of Georgian-Kist origin has been killed in the Syrian civil war. Reports by Syrian and Lebanese news agencies said Salahuddin al-Shishani, was killed during a Russian air raid near Hama province, in northern Syria. […]

Abkhazia plans to charge customs tax at checkpoint with Georgia proper

By | December 15th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

GALI, DWatch–Abkhazia plans to begin charging import tax at a checkpoint with Georgia proper and impose stricter regulations on what goods are allowed to bring across. The plans were aired by the head of Abkhazia’s de facto customs service, […]

2,000 Russian troops conducting military drills in Georgian breakaway regions

By | December 15th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Russian troops near the village of Dzartsemi, South Ossetia. (Sputnik-Ossetia.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Russian soldiers are participating in military exercises in both Georgian breakaway territories, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Troops from all of Russia’s four military districts are taking part in the drills. […]

Man suspected of 2012 Abkhazia assassination attempt killed in shooting

By | December 14th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

The Mercedez-Benz Ardzinba and Khagba were in was riddled with bullets on the road connecting Sokhumi with Gudauta. (Ekhokavkaza.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The man accused of attempting to assassinate Abkhazia’s former de facto president in 2012 was shot dead by strangers on Wednesday. Also his driver died in the attack. Pavel Ardzinba and his chauffeur were driving along the road connecting Sokhumi with Gudauta when their Mercedes-Benz was literally […]

Saakashvili supporters in Georgia demand his release from Kiev prison

By | December 11th, 2017|Categories: Brief|Tags: , , , , |

Nika Melia, the head of UNM ruling body, surrounded by party members, reads the address at Saturday briefing. Georgia’s former ruling party expresses solidarity against the “political persecution” of its leader, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is under arrest in Kiev, Ukraine. […]

Catastrophic mandarin harvest deals heavy blow to Abkhazia’s exports

By | December 6th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Abkhazia’s export of mandarins and other produce has plummeted by 2.7 times, dealing a heavy blow to the breakaway republic’s economy. Local media blame the bad harvest on the spread of brown marmorated stink bug, which has devastated crops also in Georgia. […]

Complex prisoner exchange between Georgia and breakaway territories

By | December 5th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Upon his release, Giorgi Giunashvili (center) was met by Georgian representatives at the defunct Ergneti checkpoint. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–At the 42nd round of the Geneva talks, 12-13 December, Abkhazia will probably demand that Tbilisi must release an Abkhazian militant from a Georgian prison, and in return, Giorgi Giunashvili will be released from a Tskhinvali prison. […]

Gang fight at Tbilisi school leaves two 16 year old boys dead

By | December 4th, 2017|Categories: Crime|Tags: , , , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Crowds gathered outside a school in the center of Tbilisi Sunday evening to pay tribute to two teenage boys who were brutally murdered by their peers two days earlier. School students and teachers, as well as relatives of the victims, […]

Georgian authorities confirm Akhmed Chatayev died in Nov 22 Tbilisi siege

By | December 3rd, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s State Security Service (SUS) acknowledged Friday that one of the suspects killed in a counterterrorism operation Nov 22 was Akhmed Chatayev. Local media have speculated that the Chechnya-born ISIS member was among the dead. […]