Monday, October 12, 2026

Background: No, Georgia has not simply banned 93 words from television

EXPLAINER: A claim that Georgia has banned journalists from using 93 words and phrases has spread quickly through the country’s opposition and civil society circles. But is that claim actually true? A closer look at the Communications Commission’s rulings reveals that what it has sanctioned, is broadcasters presenting political viewpoints as the station’s own factual … Read more

Saakashvili declared political prisoner by Georgian group

TBILISI, September 27 – Transparency International Georgia (TIG) says it will add jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili to its list of political prisoners. The watchdog group announced its decision on Friday after reviewing case materials supplied by Saakashvili’s lawyer in July. The materials covered the so-called “jackets case”, his illegal border-crossing case and proceedings connected … Read more

Political insiders dominate Poti’s economy: Study

TBILISI, May 21 – A new study reveals that key parts of the business sector in the port city of Poti are controlled by just a handful of business groups. Georgia’s Black Sea port city of Poti is one of the country’s gates to the world. Cargo, fuel, grain, fish, terminals, warehouses and transport routes … Read more

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