Friday, December 5, 2025

Constitutional Court to decide fate of three Georgian opposition parties

TBILISI, November 4 – Georgia’s Constitutional Court has begun reviewing a petition filed by 88 members of parliament that seeks to outlaw three major opposition political parties, accusing them of acting against the country’s constitutional order. The case, announced Monday and published on the court’s official website, will be handled by the court’s First Collegium. … Read more

Georgian Dream pushes to outlaw Saakashvili’s UNM and two allies

TBILISI, October 29 – Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream has formally petitioned the Constitutional Court to ban three opposition parties, accusing them of working to undermine the country’s democratic order. The move, announced Tuesday, has set off fierce debate in Tbilisi and beyond, with critics calling it a political purge and supporters saying it’s a … Read more

New contender joins race for Tbilisi mayor

TBILISI, August 27 – Another candidate has joined the race for becoming mayor of the capital. Iago Khvichia, leader of the libertarian-leaning party Girchi, was nominated on August 26 following party primaries. He will compete against incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD), opposition-backed joint candidate Irakli Kupradze, and Zurab Makharadze from … Read more

Three opposition parties unite to oust Georgian Dream, get EU candidate status

Three opposition political parties in Georgia – Strategy Agmashenebeli, Girchi – More Freedom and Droa – establish “a pro-European coalition”, the goal of which is to oust Georgian Dream and solicit getting the EU candidate status by the country. “There is no other way, and our western partners are waiting for it, but first of … Read more

Libertarian group rallies in Tbilisi, demands swift re-opening of gyms

A couple dozen people, mostly gym employees and libertarian opposition party Girchi members, rallied in front of Georgian government in Tbilisi Tuesday demanding re-opening gyms. Protesters say they don’t understand why they are forbidden to exercise and expect explanation from government. “This ban damages people’s health more than the virus could have done,” Girchi member … Read more

Georgia's ruling party vows to fill 'legal vacuum' after Constitutional Court abolished punishment for cannabis use

One of the plaintiffs, Zurab Japaridze, at the marijuana planting event on New Year’s Eve 2017. (Pirveli TV.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling GD party in Georgia rejects a decision by the Constitutional Court to abolish punishment for marijuana use, arguing that the ruling creates a ‘legal vacuum’ that the government pledges to fill.

The Constitutional Court on Monday

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Georgia moves toward legalizing marijuana with Constitutional Court ruling

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down a law requiring a doctor’s prescription to use marijuana, scoring another victory for campaigners who want the soft drug fully decriminalized.

An individual’s right “to choose the desired kind of the relaxation […] including marijuana,

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Police move on libertarians for NYE cannabis planting stunt

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Detectives removing marijuana plants from the Girchi party office. Party supporters booing.

TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in the former Soviet republic Georgia entered the office of a libertarian party on Wednesday, seizing 84 cannabis plants that were planted eleven days earlier in a publicity stunt to promote the decriminalization of drugs.

The three officers spent

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'Come get us' – Libertarians invite police action after NYE weed planting

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Zurab Japaridze from the libertarian Girchi party. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Leaders of a small libertarian party in the former Soviet republic Georgia ask authorities to hold them to account after a marijuana planting stunt four days ago meant to force a softening of the country’s drug policy.

So far, the activists have not

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