Monthly Archives: December 2018

Georgia’s parliament to consider a ban on wearing burqa and niqab in public

By | December 26th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

The bill was proposed by Emzar Kvitsiani, a member of parliament for the Alliance of Patriots who has often appeared at far-right rallies like this one in Tbilisi on July 14. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The  parliament in Georgia is to consider a proposal by a far-right group to ban the wearing of burqa and niqab [...]

US Congress passes Georgia Support Act

By | December 19th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

The US House of Representatives The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the US Congress, has passed Georgia Support Act, HR 6219, reasserting the United States’ support for its sovereignty and opposition to the forceful and illegal Russian invasion of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.  […]

Akhalgori administrator, who discriminated against Georgians, resigns

By | December 19th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Leonid Bibilov (left) meeting with Philip Khachirov at his office in Tskhinvali. (presidentruo.com) AKHALGORI, DFWatch--The de facto head of administration in Akhalgori, who is known for his anti-Georgian policies, has resigned, but received praise from de facto president Leonid Bibilov, who pledged to find a new job for him in the government in Tskhinvali. [...]

South Ossetia demands removal of protest group from conflict zone

By | December 18th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , |

IPRM meeting at Ergneti. (SUS.) TBILISI, DFWatch--South Ossetia demands the withdrawal of the Georgian anti-occupation civic group from the vicinity of the conflict zone due to 'security considerations'. This demand, which was aired at the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting at the village of Ergneti on Tuesday was rejected by Georgian authorities. [...]

How Bush placed Georgia on the map

By | December 18th, 2018|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

President George H.W. Bush will be missed not only as a historical leader but also for the style of leadership he brought to Washington: calculated, diligent, often bipartisan, driven by conviction, guided by humility, and resolute. Georgia owes him a great debt.   […]

Georgia offers grants to encourage trade with its breakaway regions

By | December 14th, 2018|Categories: Conflict news|Tags: , , , |

Trade center at Rukhi. (Facebook.) Georgia proposes a new grant program aimed at encouraging trade across the conflict lines within the framework of the peace initiative A Step to a Better Future. […]

Georgia revokes decision to freeze Gulen-linked university’s student intake

By | December 9th, 2018|Categories: Education|Tags: , , |

Rally by IBSU students and professors outside the Ministry of Education. August 23, 2018. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian regulatory body for quality in education on Saturday revoked a controversial decision to bar a Tbilisi university from accepting new students for a period of one year. Black Sea International University, one of Georgia’s leading higher [...]

Seven jailed Donbass Battalion members plead not guilty, go on hunger strike in Tbilisi

By | December 4th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: |

The seven pleaded not guilty during the hearing in Tbilisi City Court. (IPN.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Seven jailed members of the Donbass Battalion have gone on hunger strike in Tbilisi, protesting their detention and claiming that the police planted illegal items. The six Ukrainian and one Georgian citizen are charged with illegal possession of firearms and [...]

Seven members of Ukraine’s Donbass Battalion detained in Tbilisi

By | December 3rd, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Semen Semenchenko wearing the Donbas Battalion uniform. Photo dated 2017. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian police have detained six Ukrainian and one Georgia citizen who are members of the Donbass Battalion, a volunteer detachment of Ukraine’s National Guard. The seven are suspected of 'illegal purchase and possession of firearms, ammunition and explosive devices', the Ministry of [...]

‘Georgia has no president’: Georgian opposition demands snap parliamentary elections

By | December 2nd, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Grigol Vashadze addressing the rally. (IPN) TBILISI, DFWatch--Several thousand people attended a rally in Tbilisi Sunday to support the United Opposition and its demand to dissolve parliament and hold snap parliamentary elections. The opposition repeated its claim that the presidential election was falsified and therefore illegitimate, demanded snap elections and offered the government an [...]