TBILISI, October 18 – Five people detained during the October 4 protest in Tbilisi appeared before court Saturday, rejecting charges of participating in group violence and, in one case, attempting to seize a strategic facility, offenses that carry prison terms of up to six years. At the hearing, defendant Mariam Meqantishvili broke down in tears … Read more
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
TBILISI, October 15 – Georgia’s parliament opened debate Wednesday on a government-backed bill that would sharply increase penalties for unauthorized protests, introducing the harshest restrictions on street demonstrations in years. The proposal is part of a set of three legislative packages now being reviewed under an accelerated procedure. Under the new draft, people taking part … Read more
TBILISI, October 14 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday defended the government’s controversial new legislation aimed at curbing unapproved street protests and warned against what he called “radical” opposition forces. Kobakhidze said the government is finalizing a constitutional lawsuit that will target political parties he accused of “destructive” activity. “Our country needs calm … Read more
TBILISI, October 13 – Several thousand people rallied in the Georgian capital Sunday evening under the slogan “You can’t cage Georgia,” demanding new elections and the release of dozens detainees in the wake of the violence on October 4. The rally began in Vake Park and moved toward the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, where … Read more
TBILISI, October 11 – Tbilisi City Court has spent the week holding tense hearings that ended Friday with doctors rallying in downtown Tbilisi, as international criticism mounts over the aftermath of the October 4 unrest. On Friday, Georgia’s capital saw two marathon court sessions, with judges sending another dozen defendants into pre-trial detention over the … Read more
TBILISI, October 10 – Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili criticizes the ongoing arrests linked to the October 4 unrest outside the presidential residence, calling the situation a sign that “everyone” is now at risk of imprisonment regardless of background or profession. In a lengthy post published Friday on his official Facebook page, Saakashvili reacted to … Read more
TBILISI, October 9 – Georgia’s security service on Thursday released new findings, with details about another “safe house” in the case involving two Ukrainian nationals accused of smuggling explosives into the country. The State Security Service (SUS) said Wednesday it had located a second apartment in Tbilisi’s Gldani district, allegedly rented by one of the … Read more
TBILISI, October 9 – Georgia’s ruling party says the idea of revolution is over, and it no longer expects large-scale protests after the failed October 4 rally in Tbilisi that ended with clashes outside the presidential residence. Government officials and analysts close to the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party now argue that the political momentum … Read more
TBILISI, October 8 – Georgia’s Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that 12 additional people have been arrested in connection with the October 4 unrest in Tbilisi, bringing the total number of detainees to 35. Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said at a briefing that the new arrests followed “intensive investigative and search operations.” The detainees … Read more