TBILISI, November 11 – Georgia’s jailed opposition activist and opera singer Paata Burchuladze has accused former president Salome Zourabichvili of making a “shameful” statement about the October 4 events in Tbilisi, which she described as a Russian special operation. Speaking through his lawyer, Burchuladze said Zourabichvili should have exercised restraint and avoided making comments that … Read more
TBILISI, October 18 – Five people detained during the October 4 protest in Tbilisi appeared before court Saturday, rejecting charges of participating in group violence and, in one case, attempting to seize a strategic facility, offenses that carry prison terms of up to six years. At the hearing, defendant Mariam Meqantishvili broke down in tears … Read more
TBILISI, October 17 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sharply criticized the European Commission on Friday, accusing its press office of showing “direct support” for what he described as an attempted coup and of remaining silent about the recent attempted storming of the presidential palace in Tbilisi. Speaking to reporters, Kobakhidze said the Commission should … Read more
TBILISI, October 16 – Georgia’s diplomatic rift with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) widened on Thursday after the government fined Elina Valtonen, Finland’s foreign minister and current OSCE chair, for joining an anti-government protest during her recent visit to Tbilisi. The Interior Ministry confirmed to Interpressnews that Valtonen was fined 5,000 … Read more
TBILISI, October 15 – Georgia’s parliament opened debate Wednesday on a government-backed bill that would sharply increase penalties for unauthorized protests, introducing the harshest restrictions on street demonstrations in years. The proposal is part of a set of three legislative packages now being reviewed under an accelerated procedure. Under the new draft, people taking part … Read more
TBILISI, October 14 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday defended the government’s controversial new legislation aimed at curbing unapproved street protests and warned against what he called “radical” opposition forces. Kobakhidze said the government is finalizing a constitutional lawsuit that will target political parties he accused of “destructive” activity. “Our country needs calm … Read more
TBILISI, October 13 – Several thousand people rallied in the Georgian capital Sunday evening under the slogan “You can’t cage Georgia,” demanding new elections and the release of dozens detainees in the wake of the violence on October 4. The rally began in Vake Park and moved toward the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, where … Read more
TBILISI, October 11 – Tbilisi City Court has spent the week holding tense hearings that ended Friday with doctors rallying in downtown Tbilisi, as international criticism mounts over the aftermath of the October 4 unrest. On Friday, Georgia’s capital saw two marathon court sessions, with judges sending another dozen defendants into pre-trial detention over the … Read more
TBILISI, October 10 – Former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, one of the most controversial figures from ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s government, spoke defiantly to reporters after being questioned Friday at the Criminal Police Department in Tbilisi. Akhalaia, who was summoned for questioning on Thursday in connection with an unspecified criminal investigation, dismissed the process as a … Read more
TBILISI, October 10 – Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili criticizes the ongoing arrests linked to the October 4 unrest outside the presidential residence, calling the situation a sign that “everyone” is now at risk of imprisonment regardless of background or profession. In a lengthy post published Friday on his official Facebook page, Saakashvili reacted to … Read more