TBILISI, December 12 – Tbilisi flips the switch on its main Christmas tree on Friday night, opening the city’s New Year village at First Republic Square, a new location that comes after last year’s holiday site became embroiled in political conflict. According to Tbilisi City Hall, the central tree will be lit at 20:00 on … Read more
TBILISI, November 26 – Georgia’s former president Salome Zourabichvili is signaling that she may make another attempt to unite the country’s fragmented opposition, after comments she made during a visit to France. Speaking at a Paris university, Zourabichvili argued that the current moment calls for coordination between political parties and civil society. She said the … Read more
TBILISI, November 19 – A Georgian appeals court has upheld a two year prison sentence for editor Mzia Amaghlobeli. Amaghlobeli is the founder of two independent outlets, Netgazeti and Batumelebi. On 6 August she was convicted under Article 353, part one, of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which covers resistance, threats or violence against a law enforcement … Read more
TBILISI, November 17 – Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday dismissed renewed opposition talk of forming a “technical government”, while former president Salome Zourabichvili accused the authorities of dragging the country toward isolation. The clash began when Georgian Dream MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili ridiculed opposition calls for a temporary, non-partisan cabinet to oversee a political … Read more
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 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
TBILISI, September 14 – Georgia’s opposition parties gathered in Tbilisi on September 13 for a rally that passed peacefully, drawing between several hundred and up to 3,000 people, according to different estimates. The demonstration, which started at Tbilisi State University and ended in front of parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, was joined by ex-President Salome Zurabishvili, … Read more
TBILISI, September 11 – A senior Georgian official has welcomed news that a controversial U.S. bill targeting the country’s government is unlikely to pass in the Senate, while fiercely criticizing opposition figures who testified against Georgia in Washington. The stalled MEGOBARI Act would increase U.S. sanctions on Georgia if democratic backsliding continued, while offering defense … Read more
TBILISI, August 26 – Eleven protesters are facing trial in Tbilisi today on charges of “group violence,” stemming from last year’s pro-EU demonstrations near Parliament. The accused include public figures such as actor Andro Chichinadze and comedian Onise Tskhadadze, among others, all charged under Article 225, Part 2 of Georgia’s Criminal Code—an offense punishable by … Read more
TBILISI, August 22 – Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s fifth president, has re-emerged in public life after a summer pause, appearing at an opposition rally in Tbilisi Friday. The former president hinted she might resume her political activity, but gave no further details. Zourabichvili has tried twice to rally Georgia’s fragmented opposition with joint action plans, first … Read more