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
TBILISI, August 1 – A Georgian editor on trial for allegedly assaulting a chief of police will deliver her closing argument on August 4, following a delay granted by the judge at her request. Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, is accused of slapping a police chief during a January protest outside police … Read more
TBILISI, July 30 – Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has issued a strongly worded public statement ahead of the final court hearing in the trial of editor Mzia Amaglobeili, calling it a defining moment for the country’s future. Writing on social media, Zourabichvili described 1 August as a watershed date, saying it would mark a … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia is reportedly considering nominating former President Salome Zourabichvili as a “neutral candidate” for mayor of Tbilisi in the upcoming local elections. The party, which received 8% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary election, has announced the start of its campaign for the municipal elections in October and has … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite deepening polarization, this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi passed without major disruptions. Commentators credited careful planning and the physical separation of events with avoiding incidents, as the country remains engulfed in a deep political crisis where opposition leaders still, 212 days after the election, and with 180 days of continuous rallies, refuse … Read more
The conflict between the president and the ruling political team of Georgia is getting worse. On Monday, Salome Zourabichvili demonstratively refused to participate in the Ambassadors’ Conference 2022 due to “gross violations of generally recognized and established rules of state and diplomatic protocol”. “According to the Constitution of Georgia, the President of Georgia is the … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party for unilaterally abandoning the EU-mediated agreement. She also reiterated the importance of the country’s European development. This is the first time the president has criticized the political movement that brought her to the presidency. Salome Zourabichvili was able to win the 2018 … Read more