Two opposition parties decide to participate in Georgia’s upcoming elections, triggering resignations
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Tensions are escalating within Georgia’s opposition as two parties declared they will participate in the upcoming local elections on October 4. The decision by the parties For Georgia, led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, and Lelo – Strong Georgia have have triggered resignations, internal divisions, and fierce criticism from opposition groups that have vowed to boycott the vote and urge all other [...]
Former Adjara leader in critical condition after gunshot wound
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The former head of Georgia’s Adjara regional government, Tornike Rizhvadze, remains in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest in what may have been a suicide attempt. Rizhvadze was first [...]
News
Georgia’s president offers pardon to opposition leaders if they play along
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The opposition party "Lelo for Strong Georgia" has announced its decision to participate in the October 4 local elections, splitting from a bloc of parties calling for an electoral boycott. The announcement came [...]
Georgia’s ruling GD party denies reports it voted for OSCE resolution condemning its democratic backsliding
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), is rejecting claims that it supported a critical resolution passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Porto on July 3. The resolution, which includes a condemnation of [...]
Dire prospects for Georgia’s small-scale farmers
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia is facing a demographic and agricultural crisis as more than 100,000 rural residents have left villages over the last decade. Between 2014 and 2024, the rural population fell by about 6.3%, dropping [...]
Hunger strike fails to unite opposition ahead of local elections
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--With just a few months left until Georgia’s local elections on October 4, the country’s opposition remains deeply divided. Some parties are preparing to boycott the vote, while others intend to participate, hoping [...]
Mass firings in Georgia’s foreign ministry sparks speculation of political purge
Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is facing criticism following a wave of dismissals that appear to target pro-Western diplomats. Dozens of employees, many of them having decades of service, have reportedly [...]
EU considers suspending visa-free entry for Georgians
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, [...]
Georgia’s ruling party says opposition participation ‘irrelevant’ ahead of local elections
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 [...]
Parliament commission to investigative UNM crimes seeks extension ahead of damning report
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 [...]
Award-winning editor fined for placing protest sticker on police building
(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 [...]
Georgia: How to Be Rational and Coherent in That Disbalanced World? – A Conversation with Professor Neil Macfarlane
Tedo Japaridze I acquainted with Neil Macfarlane since the last century: it was 1990 when we met each other for the first time at some round table held by the Georgian MFA to discuss the [...]
Europe and Georgia
Georgia’s ruling GD party denies reports it voted for OSCE resolution condemning its democratic backsliding
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), is rejecting claims that it supported a critical resolution passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Porto on [...]
Minorities
Georgian Dream is preparing a bill against “ideology of pseudo-liberals” and “wilful propaganda of non-traditional lifestyle”
TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian Dream is in the process of preparing a legislative initiative to "protect society from pseudo-liberal ideology" and its inevitable harmful consequences." The country may face such a situation when "we will be asked [...]
NGO News
Georgian NGOs, media snub foreign agent law, suspend cooperation with government
Tbilisi, DFWatch-Over a hundred non-governmental and media organizations declare their open disobedience to the foreign influence draft law initiated by the Georgian authorities and suspend all cooperation with the government [...]
GD and far-right Conservative Movement lead: TI report on party donations
The Conservative Movement, a far-right pro-Russian political party notorious for violence against LGBTQ activists and journalists, was second only to the ruling Georgian Dream in the last quarter of 2022 [...]
Civic groups in Georgia campaign to help Ukrainian refugees left out in the street
(Razom.ge) Georgian civic groups and activists have launched a fundraising campaign to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees who were left out in the street after the end of state [...]