Friday, December 5, 2025

Georgia’s new protest laws “abolish” freedom of assembly: Watchdog

TBILISI, November 4 – Tbilisi-based watchdog Transparency International Georgia (TIG) has sharply condemned the ruling Georgian Dream party’s latest amendments to Georgia’s protest laws, calling them “repressive” and a de facto abolition of citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of assembly. The group says the legal changes, adopted over the past two years, amount to a … Read more

Watchdog claims 180 cases of pressure against journalists in 2025

TBILISI, October 8 – A new report from Transparency International Georgia (TIG) claims that attacks, intimidation, and restrictions against journalists have sharply increased in 2025, with over 180 cases recorded between January and September, more than half in the last five months. The watchdog says this marks a worsening environment for independent and critical media, … Read more

Georgia’s top NGOs not going to observe October 4 elections

TBILISI, October 2 – Three of Georgia’s most high-profile non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have announced they will not conduct election monitoring during the country’s local elections on October 4, breaking with decades of practice. Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) said October 2 that it would abstain from observing the vote for the first time in its … Read more

Pepper spray and protest gear at heart of Georgia’s ‘sabotage’ case

TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s controversial ‘sabotage’ case has widened, with prosecutors freezing the bank accounts of 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), up from seven when the probe first began. The groups are accused of aiding last year’s post-election protests, which spiraled into street clashes in Tbilisi. Officials now say evidence shows that some NGOs purchased … Read more

Georgian NGOs claim Russian style crackdown has begun

TBILISI, August 28 – A number of groups in Georgia have hit back at a government decision to freeze the bank accounts of seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs), calling it a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent and drawing parallels to Russian-style repression. In a joint statement, 53 civil society and media groups declared “full support … Read more

Six NGOs defy ‘foreign agents’ law after new government warning

TBILISI, August 15 – Six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say they have received another warning from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau accusing them of breaking Georgia’s new ‘foreign agents’ law. The legislation requires certain groups receiving funding from abroad to register in a public database. Critics liken it to similar laws in Russia, arguing it is designed … Read more

Corruption watchdog flags local government contracts as suspicious

TBILISI, DFWatch–Transparency International Georgia has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving a local mayor and a series of state contracts worth over 7 million GEL (about 2.3 million USD). The contracts were awarded to a company owned by the father of the mayor’s former business partner and close friend. The company in question, … Read more

Georgian opposition protester on trial challenges key evidence

TBILISI, DFWatch–One of the defendants in a trial of alleged group violence during recent protests has challenged the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence, questioning the authenticity of a video recording purportedly capturing his voice. During a court hearing, Vepkhia Kasradze questioned why no forensic analysis had been conducted to verify the authenticity of the audio. … Read more

Companies related to GD donors receive tens of millions of public funds: Report

Georgia’s ruling party received almost half of revenues totally got by all parties in 2019, whilst ultra-conservative Alliance of Patriots is on the second place, according to the findings of Transparency International Georgia, a major Tbilisi-base watchdog. When it comes to private donations, however, the gap is even wider with GD share about five times … Read more

Georgian NGOs call on government to immediately move toward proportional electoral system

Georgia’s major NGOs call upon the government to “fulfil the promise made to the public and move to a proportional electoral system”, which will be assumed as its readiness to ensure the country’s democratic development. It also will signal recovery of trust and repute in the eyes of Western partners and diminish the level of … Read more