Thursday, January 22, 2026

Tbilisi police chief quits after five years on duty

TBILISI, October 28 – The head of Tbilisi’s Police Department, Lasha Jokhadze, has stepped down from his post, Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. A spokesperson told local media outlet Interpressnews that Jokhadze’s resignation was made “on his own initiative,” without providing further details. Jokhadze had led the capital’s patrol police since 2020. The last … Read more

Former president joins Tbilisi march as crowds demand snap elections

TBILISI, October 26 – Thousands of demonstrators poured into central Tbilisi on Sunday night, marching from Republic Square to parliament and shutting down traffic on Rustaveli Avenue as Georgia’s rolling anti-government protest continues. Organizers repeated the same two demands that have defined the movement for months: call new parliamentary elections and free people detained during … Read more

Sixty detained so far in Tbilisi road-blocking protests

TBILISI, October 26 – Georgian police have detained 60 protesters over the past three days for violating rules on public assembly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Sunday, as tensions continued around ongoing demonstrations outside parliament in central Tbilisi. According to the ministry, those arrested face administrative penalties under Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offenses … Read more

Rustaveli Avenue blocked again as Georgia’s marathon protest continues

TBILISI, October 24 – For the 311th straight day, protesters gathered outside Georgia’s parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, demanding new elections and the release of people detained during previous demonstrations. What began as a small rally on the sidewalk Friday escalated after part of the crowd moved onto the main roadway, blocking traffic along one of … Read more

Scuffles erupt as police detain further 20 at protest for jailed journalists

TBILISI, October 22 – Police detained around 20 protesters on Wednesday evening during renewed clashes outside Georgia’s parliament in Tbilisi. The solidarity rally for jailed journalists was held amid steady stream of detentions in recent days, and turned tense when demonstrators again blocked Rustaveli Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. According to the Ministry of Internal … Read more

Georgian protests continue as police make 12 more arrests

TBILISI, October 22 – Georgian police detained twelve demonstrators in the capital during the past 24 hours for violating public assembly laws, as protests continue outside the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue despite mounting restrictions. According to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, protesters “continued to engage in unlawful actions” by blocking traffic … Read more

Journalists rally in Batumi to demand release of detained colleagues

TBILISI, October 22 – Journalists in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi held a rally on Wednesday to protest the recent arrests of several reporters, calling the detentions an attack on media freedom. Carrying banners that read “Who will expose corruption and nepotism if there is no media?”, demonstrators gathered outside the Constitutional Court and … Read more

Tbilisi court jails TV anchor Vakho Sanaia for six days over protest

TBILISI, October 19 – A Tbilisi court on Sunday sentenced journalist and TV anchor Vakho Sanaia to six days in administrative detention after finding him guilty of violating Georgia’s law on public assemblies. Judge Manuchar Tsatsua ruled that Sanaia, a prominent presenter on opposition-leaning broadcaster Formula TV, was guilty of blocking traffic during a protest … Read more

Georgia detains news anchor day ahead of EU meeting

TBILISI, October 19 – A well-known Georgian journalist and TV anchor, Vakho Sanaia, was detained by police in central Tbilisi on Sunday, his employer Formula TV reported. A Video circulating on social media showed Sanaia entering a police car, with bystanders filming. Formula said the journalist was detained for allegedly blocking Rustaveli Avenue, where opposition … Read more

Diplomatic rift developing between Georgia and OSCE chair Valtonen

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