Tag: Georgians in Abkhazia - Page 2

Georgian government allows cigarette smuggling from Abkhazia, Gali residents say

November 19, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–The Georgian government has unofficially given Gali residents a green light for smuggling cigarettes, likely as part of the election campaign, according to locals DFWatch spoke to. They have received explicit messages from Georgian law enforcers, they said. “Everybody knows each other here, almost all law enforcement knows who smuggle cigarettes. For the past … Read more

Abkhazia halts issuing of residence permits because 'printer ran out of ink'

November 6, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–Abkhazia has temporarily suspended the issuing of residence permits, an essential document needed by Gali residents in order to travel to Georgia proper. Breakaway authorities in Gali claim the reason is a technical problem with a printing machine, locals DFWatch spoke to explained. They were told that the printer had run out of ink. … Read more

Gali residents take up cigarette smuggling after failed harvest

October 14, 2018 by DFWatch staff

TBILISI, DFWatch–The spread of the deadly brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has caused such devastation of orchards that locals have been forced to return to illegal businesses, such as smuggling of goods, particularly cigarettes, from breakaway Abkhazia to Georgia proper. This illegal trade was rife a decade and half ago but had been almost entirely … Read more

Georgian schools ordered to take part in Abkhazia's 'Victory Day'

September 27, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–On September 30, the de facto government of Abkhazia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating victory in the 1992-93 war. Among the planned events will be a procession by the initiative group “Our Heros’ Way”, which is mainly made up of Abkhaz youth. However, Georgian schools operating in the Gali district have also been ordered to … Read more

School pupils in Gali prohibited from attending NGO events

September 21, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–The deputy head of administration in Gali district has carried out an inspection of the schools in this predominantly Georgian district of breakaway Abkhazia and ordered principals not to let

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Young men are leaving Gali en masse to seek work abroad

September 12, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–Young people are leaving their homes here in Gali, Abkhazia, to seek work opportunities abroad. In the last month, about 50 young people, most of them men, have left for Poland from one of the villages in the district, DFWatch was told by locals.

Gali residents urged to renounced Georgian ethnicity to acquire Abkhazian passport

July 21, 2018 by DFWatch staff

Awarding ‘Abkhaz passport’. In the center Temur Nadaraia, the head of Gali de facto administration.

GALI, DFWatch–July 19, a ceremony was held here in Gali to award ‘Abkhaz passports’ to 139 residents who listened to an appeal by something called the Mirzakan Abkhaz Council.

This was was only the latest event organized by the Council in an effort backed by Sokhumi

Abkhazia resumes issuing of 'visas' as FIFA World Cup ends

July 18, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–Sokhumi has resumed the issuing of ‘visas’ used by many Georgians to visit family and do business here in the Gali region in the southeast of the breakaway republic Abkhazia.

The issuing of ‘visas’ was suspended about two months ago and locals in this predominantly

After years of crime rule, number of robberies finally drops in Gali

July 12, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–In the past, robberies were rife here in Abkhazia’s easternmost region Gali, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Georgians. But recently, the crime situation has noticeably improved.

DFWatch talked to people in Gali about how their situation has changed the last few years.

New hurdles for Gali residents as breakaway Abkhazia ends use of 'passports'

July 9, 2018 by DFWatch staff

GALI, DFWatch–As Abkhazia’s breakaway authorities are planning to end the use of specially issued ‘passports’ by the end of 2018, the Georgian minority here are facing new bureaucratic hurdles and further discrimination.