TBILISI, DFWatch--When foreign ministers from EU member countries meet in Luxembourg on Monday, three of the topics on their agenda are about Georgia: the rise in anti-EU disinformation, possible sanctions over alleged human rights violations, and whether to suspend Georgia’s visa-waiver program to the Schengen Area. Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU since March [...]
GD lawmaker said it is irrelevant whether the opposition participates in the elections. TBILISI, DFWatch--As Georgia prepares to hold local elections in October, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it expects a decisive win regardless of whether the opposition parties participate or not. "For the government, it doesn’t matter whether the opposition joins the elections. [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--A temporary investigative commission in Georgia’s parliament is seeking to extend its mandate by one month, in order to complete a report expected to paint a detrimental picture of the former government's abuse of power, starting from 2003. Chaired by MP Tea Tsulukiani of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, the commission was originally set [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--In Batumi, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, journalist and co‑founder of outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, was fined 1,000 GEL (USD 365) for placing a protest sticker outside the regional police headquarters. The incident took place during an opposition rally in January. The sticker bore the message "Georgia Swears an Oath" and was meant [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s economy is beginning to feel the effects of growing global instability, as analysts warn of a potential inflation risk and call for caution in the monetary policy. The National Bank decided at its June 18 meeting to keep its key refinancing rate unchanged at 8%, citing economic uncertainty. Bank officials aim to maintain [...]
Giorgi Gakharia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation targeting former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia over a controversial 2019 security incident near the breakaway region of South Ossetia—a dramatic development ahead of the country’s October elections. Gakharia currently leads one of the few opposition parties willing to take part in the local elections later [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Mamuka Khazaradze, founder of the opposition party Lelo, calls for a unified opposition front in the upcoming local elections in the capital, Tbilisi, aiming to challenge the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party. A recent opinion polls showed that the around two thirds of Tbilisians would support the opposition, but due to the internal disagreements [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Employees at the Ilia Chavchavadze Scientific Library in Kutaisi have gone on strike. According to the library’s director, Nargiza Chogovadze, around 80 staff members are currently participating in the strike, with a single demand: higher wages. Chogovadze told Interpressnews that the library is funded by the Kutaisi municipal budget, and the striking workers are [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--New analyses reveal that prosperity remains unevenly distributed across the country. Experts and local economists say Georgia’s rapid economic growth—often in double digits in recent years—has not been felt equally across regions. Tbilisi and Batumi are economic outliers, enjoying significantly higher wages, employment opportunities, and quality of life than most other regions. “Compared to [...]
Shalva Papuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council will meet on June 23, and the political situation in Georgia is one of the items on the agenda. Ahead of the meeting, some European leaders, including Poland's PM Donald Tusk, have been lobbying member states to adopt tougher measures in order to pur pressure on [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has been summoned a second time to testify before Georgia’s parliamentary investigative commission. The commission is examining decisions surrounding the establishment of a Georgian police outpost near the village of Chorchana in 2019, close to the administrative boundary line with the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia. According to [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met with Wyatt Toehlke, senior advisor to the U.S. State Department, in what observers see as a clear step toward improved relations. The meeting, which was confirmed by Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, covered U.S.-Georgia relations, regional security challenges, and Georgia’s role in promoting stability in the South Caucasus. [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A new opinion poll conducted by the Institute for Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) reveals that support for the opposition—particularly in the capital, Tbilisi—remains high. The nationwide poll reveals a deep dissatisfaction with the Georgian Dream (GD) government and support for opposition groups, heading toward local elections scheduled for October 4. The survey found [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Three oppsition figures are currently in pre-trial detention, raising concerns about the political situation ahead of the local elections scheduled for October 4. The three jailed opposition politicians are Zurab Japaridze, Nika Melia, and Nika Gvaramia. All three are from the opposition coalition “For Change” - one of four election alliances that took part [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--In Georgia, prosecutors have reopened case about a 2019 border incident involving former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who is the leader of one of the few opposition parties planning to participate in this year's local elections in October. The investigation centers on events in the village of Chorchana, near the de facto boundary with Russian-occupied [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Students protested in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on June 14, expressing both anger over instances of injustice domestically as well as how the country has become a target of international criticism. Outside Tbilisi State University, demonstrators condemned the recent sentencing of student activist Mate Devadze, who received four and a half years in prison for [...]
(EUMM.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) met again on June 11 in Ergneti to discuss issues along the administrative border line. Participants reviewed recent incidents, including restrictions on movement, illegal detentions, and so-called "borderization" by Russian-backed forces. Georgia’s state security demanded accountability for the killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi and pressed for [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Opposition figure and TV director Nika Gvaramia was detained in Tbilisi today, sparking an outcry among supporters. The arrest followed shortly after a court session, where it was decided to revoke Gvaramia's bail and converting it into imprisonment. The judge justified this as a response to his alleged violation of bail conditions. Prosecutors argued [...]
Paata Burchuladze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Opera singer and political figure Paata Burchuladze has suggestwd convening a 'national congress' to form a 'Third Republic', as a way of pushing back against what he calls an illegitimate government. Drawing parallels to Georgia’s first (1918–1921) and second (1991) republics, Burchuladze argues that the current administration is no longer acting in [...]
Donald Tusk apologized if his initiative caused offense to anyone in Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Another push is underway to convince European Union member states to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens. Leading the charge is Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has emerged as a hardliner among EU leaders seeking to pressure the ruling Georgian Dream [...]
Elene Khoshtaria. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Several high-profile Georgian journalists, activists and opposition politicians have been summoned to court for allegedly insulting public officials online. TV anchors Vakho Sanaia and Vika Bukia, opposition figure Elene Khoshtaria and activist Ana Subeliani are among those who have faced court hearings. Specifically. this deals with Facebook posts considered offensive to ruling [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--United National Movement (UNM) chair Tina Bokuchava is one of the speakers at the German Marshall Fund’s annual Brussels Forum, a high-level transatlantic gathering of policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and experts. Bokuchava, who recently revealed that her husband had been abducted and forced into making an apology video, spoke about political prisoners and appealed to forum participants [...]
Giorgi Akhobadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Hearings in the trial of a doctor who was arrested on his way home from an opposition rally last December have been tense. Now, the judge has closed the hearings to the media. Hearings so far have been marked by verbal altercations between the prosecution and defense lawyers. Giorgi Akhobadze, a medical [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party has proposed new amendments to the country’s grant law, expanding the definition of what constitutes a foreign grant and reinforcing government control over external funding. The revised legislation, presented to parliament for a second reading, deals how to categorize technical assistance, such as training, equipment, and expert consultations, from foreign governments [...]
Lika Lortkipanidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Lika Lortkipanidze was released from administrative detention after serving a 12-day administrative sentence for allegedly insulting a ruling party MP during a protest. According to Interpressnews, the incident took place on 17 May in a café. Lortkipanidze and fellow activists confronted Georgian Dream (GD) lawmaker Mariam Lashkhi with chants including "Down with [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The Georgian government may be preparing the grounds for formally abandoning the country's NATO aspirations and adopt a neutral status, analysts say. Just ahead of the June 24‑25 NATO summit in The Hague, Georgia’s government announced the closure of its NATO and EU Information Centre by July 1, merging its functions into the Foreign Ministry, a [...]
Salome Zourabichvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia is reportedly considering nominating former President Salome Zourabichvili as a "neutral candidate" for mayor of Tbilisi in the upcoming local elections. The party, which received 8% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary election, has announced the start of its campaign for the municipal elections in October [...]
Temur Katamadze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Temur Katamadze, a political activist and Turkish citizen, was deported from Georgia to Turkey late Monday night, and is now in detention there, according to his wife, Nino Kakulia. She told Interpressnews that Georgian authorities transferred him not via the main Sarpi crossing but near the Armenian border in the country’s south. [...]
Tamar Taliashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The United States has granted agreement to Tamar Taliashvili as Georgia’s next ambassador to Washington, marking an improvement in relations between the two countries. The approval reportedly coincided with the surprise resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan, fueling speculations. Taliashvili, a former MP from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party [...]
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian constitutional scholar Vakhushti Menabde has sharply criticized the country’s opposition for failing to address urgent democratic concerns ahead of the upcoming local elections. In an interview with Palitra News, Menabde said opposition parties neglected to shape a coherent electoral strategy or spotlight threats to democratic rights. Instead, they became mired in personal disputes and [...]
Sozar Subari. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--A temporary parliamentary investigative commission in Georgia is continuing its controversial probe into alleged abuses committed during the 2003–2012 rule of the United National Movement (UNM). The commission, chaired by MPs affiliated with the ruling party and the splinter group "People’s Power," has received a one-month extension, with its mandate now running [...]
Tina Bokuchava. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--It caused an outcry in Georgia that leader of United National Movement (UNM), Tina Bokuchava, accused unidentified men of abducting her husband and forcing him to record a video apology. Bokuchava claimed that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was coerced into apologizing, on camera, for things he said seven years ago about Uta [...]
Mzia Amaghlobeli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Batumi City Court will Monday hear the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, an award-winning newspaper editor charged with insulting a police officer. Amaglobeli is the founder of Batumelebi, recipient of the 2009 Free Media Award. She faces both criminal and administrative proceedings, for slapping a police chief during a protest in January. Her [...]
Irakli Kurtskhalia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party announced that it will take legal steps against what it claims is a coordinated campaign of "foreign-funded hate speech" against officials. The party has formally asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to investigate cases of hate speech, arguing that it is externally financed, and claiming that [...]
Shalva Papuashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in an open letter accused Western diplomats of overstepping their authority, interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs and promoting polarization. The letter, published June 7, represents the latest round of Georgian Dream (GD) using open letters to air grievances with Western countries and Tbilisi's diplomatic corps. Papuashvili argued [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused the United Kingdom of intensifying efforts to remove Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), from power by funding opposition-aligned NGOs and training youth movements for "subversive" activities. In a June 5 statement reported by state agency TASS, and later circulated by many English language outlets also in [...]
Ana Dolidze (center). (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--One of Georgia’s four opposition blocs appears to be unraveling, exposing the improvisational nature of alliances formed ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections. As analysts note, most of these blocs were built less on ideological coherence than on tactical hopes of unseating the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party. The latest crack [...]
Ambassador Robin Dunnigan. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The unexpected announcement on June 5 that U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan will retire next month has prompted speculation among Georgia’s political camps. Dunnigan emphasized that it was her personal decision to retire and had not been requested by Washington, but members of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party suggested there was [...]
PM Irakli Kobakhidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has congratulated Karol Nawrocki on his victory in Poland’s presidential election. In a message posted on X, Kobakhidze extended his “heartfelt congratulations” and wished Nawrocki success in advancing Poland’s development and prosperity. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to bilateral ties, stating the country stands ready [...]
(pog.gov.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged five individuals with illegal possession and distribution of large and especially large quantities of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, buprenorphine, and alpha-PVP. The charges follow a Ministry of Internal Affairs investigation, which uncovered and seized the drugs during coordinated operations. The accused face charges under multiple articles of Georgia’s criminal [...]
Levan Khabeishvili, head of UNM’s political council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The "Stay Home" campaign, spearheaded by Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the United National Movement’s (UNM) political council, aims to delegitimize the vote by urging voters not to take part. Khabeishvili argues that participation would legitimize the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, which he accuses of authoritarianism under [...]
