Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Georgia freezes bank account of opposition party linked to German ambassador

TBILISI, August 6 – An opposition party in Georgia says its bank account has been seized, in what it claims is political retaliation linked to the scandal surrounding Germany’s ambassador. Lelo party secretary general Irakli Kupradze said the National Bureau of Enforcement, under the Ministry of Justice, had notified the party of the freeze. He … Read more

Parliament speaker blasts German ambassador’s landlord for tax irregularities

TBILISI, August 5 – Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday evening sharply criticized the landlord of German Ambassador Peter Fischer over tax irregularities—fueling ongoing political controversy involving the high-profile diplomat. The comments marked another escalation in the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s public campaign against Ambassador Fischer, whom senior officials accuse of sympathizing with opposition … Read more

Jailed opposition leader defends German ambassador Fischer against Georgian government’s ‘smear campaign’

TBILISI, August 4 – Mamuka Khazaradze, the jailed leader of Georgia’s opposition party Lelo, issued a sharp rebuke of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday, accusing it of using a smear campaign to target both his family and Germany’s ambassador, Peter Fischer. In a statement from prison, Khazaradze defended the lease agreement under which … Read more

German ambassador accused of breaching protocol

TBILISI, August 3 – Georgia’s ruling party leaders have accused Germany’s ambassador of violating diplomatic protocol by living in a property owned by the family of an opposition politician. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Vice Speaker of Parliament Gia Volski have both validated claims in local media that the ambassador’s residence is an informal rental … Read more

Georgia’s government wins arbitration case over Black Sea port project

TBILISI, July 31 – The Georgian government has scored a major victory in its long-running Anaklia deep-sea port dispute, as the it wins an arbitration case, confirming it was in its right to terminate the project. The ruling by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington dismissed claims filed by Bob Meijer … Read more

Three opposition figures in prison as Georgia gets ready for local elections

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 … Read more

Opposition demands adoption of the "Protect Georgia Act" to stop "invasion of Russians"

TBILISI, DFWatch – The opposition party demands the establishment of a visa regime, a ban on the entry of cars with Russian license plates and other strict measures in order to prevent the “invasion of Russians in Georgia”. For this, the Lelo, political party founded by entrepreneur Mamuka Khazaradze, submitted Monday “Protect Georgia Act” to … Read more

Trial of TBC Bank founders begins at Tbilisi court

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Friday began hearing a high-profile criminal case against the founders of Georgia’s biggest private bank. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze of money laundering. The two pleaded not guilty and accused the government and Bidzina Ivanishvili personally of engaging in political persecution. The charges against Khazaradze and … Read more

Embattled Georgian banker prepares to step into politics

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s embattled banker Mamuka Khazaradze is expected to launch a new opposition party on Thursday. The event will take place in Anaklia, a resort on the Black Sea coast and will mark the launch of what has until now been described as a “public movement”, which many expect will become a party strongly critical … Read more

Khazaradze quits Anaklia deep water port project but vows to 'fight till the end' as money laundering trial continues

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi city court on Friday released the two founders of Georgia’s largest bank against a 700,000 lari bail each. The two were also barred from leaving the country without notifying  investigators. The defendants, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, said they will step down from their managerial positions at Anaklia Development Consortium (ADC) in order … Read more