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TI-Georgia: “Georgia Experiences the Ultimate Form of Corruption – a “State Capture”
On January 26, Transparency International-Georgia, an anti-corruption watchdog, had updated its list of alleged high-level corruption cases. The list is regularly updated to reflect the situation of high-level corruption in Georgia and includes information on specific cases. The current list includes 164 alleged cases of high-level corruption, where at least 169 high-level public officials can …
Tags: Corruption, Corruption Perceptions Index, TI Georgia
26/01/2024 - 16:31
Websites of President, Mtavari TV, Formula TV, and SovLab Allegedly Hit by Cyberattacks
On January 25 and 26, the websites of the opposition-oriented Mtavari and Formula TVs, as well as the Georgian President’s website, were reportedly cyber-attacked. Earlier on January 23, the Soviet Past Research Laboratory- SovLab, a civil society organization that studies Georgia’s Soviet past, also reported a “coordinated” cyber attack from Russia. According to the RFE/RL-Georgian …
Tags: cyberattack, Formula, Mtavari Arkhi, President of Georgia, SOVLAB
O’Brien: US Will Work with Observers and Georgian Civil Society to See that Elections Go Well
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, US Department of State James O’Brien, speaking at the German Marshall Fund event Europe Whole and Free: Priorities for 2024 on January 25, said that US sees Georgia as a “critical security partner for the Black Sea” and spoke about the importance of the upcoming 2024 …
Tags: Black Sea, Elections 2024, James O'Brien, U.S.
Medical Team Under the PD Assesses Saakashvili’s Health
On January 25, the group of doctors of the Ombudsman of Georgia conducted their routine health check of the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili at the Vivamedi clinic. One of the doctors in the medical group commented to the media on the current state of health of Saakashvili, saying that his health has improved …
Tags: Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, Vivamedi
The Daily Beat: 25 January
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced two people, Akaki Chikobava and Giorgi Khasia, to pre-trial detention in connection with a forced eviction in central Tbilisi that resulted in physical assaults, property damage, and arrests. Two convicted individuals who are charged with damaging or destroying another person’s property were among the protesters opposing the eviction of the …
Tags: Eviction, Georgian Dream party, Givi Mikanadze, Kakha Kaladze, PACE, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Tbilisi City Court, Tbilisi City Hall
Despite reforms, debts and evictions plague Georgians
On January 23, Tbilisi saw its first long and steady snowfall of this winter. By a dark coincidence, it was also on that day that authorities had scheduled the first in a series of planned evictions in the city. Three families risked losing shelter in the cold. As the emotions ran high, there was a nagging …
Tags: banks, debt, Economy, Eviction, social policy
25/01/2024 - 18:25
New Contract for Company with which Tbilisi City Hall Cancelled Tsereteli Ave Reconstruction Contract
The Road Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia has signed a contract with company RTD Ltd. for the rehabilitation of a section of the Igoeti-Kaspi-Akhalkalaki highway. RTD is the company with which Tbilisi City Hall terminated the contract for the construction of Tsereteli Avenue on January 16 due to problems …
Tags: Georgia, Infrastructure Ministry
The Daily Beat: 24 January
Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili arrived on his first official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan, and signed an agreement on establishing an Intergovernmental Coordination Council. According to the foreign ministry, the document will boost political and economic cooperation between the countries, bringing Georgia-Saudi Arabia …
Tags: EaP Index, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, Foreign Ministry of Georgia, Information Integrity Coalition, National Statistics Office, Occupied Abkhazia, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, USAID
Georgia Ranks 3rd in EaP Index, “Has Lost Considerable Ground”, Says Report
A new Eastern Partnership (EaP) index was launched on January 24, ranking Georgia third among six EaP countries with an overall score of 0.63. Moldova came first and Ukraine second. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus follow in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively. The 2023 edition addresses Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and provides detailed …
Tags: EaP Index, Eastern Partnership, EU-Georgia relations, Georgia
24/01/2024 - 23:37
Information Integrity Coalition and DRI Call on Authorities to “Stop Attacks on CSOs”
The Information Integrity Coalition and the Democracy Research Institute (DRI) have issued statements condemning “the Georgian government’s targeted attacks on civil society organizations”. Information Integrity Coalition Statement In particular, the Information Integrity Coalition recalls recent statements by senior political officials “aimed at discrediting the organizations that fight against disinformation and work on election issues and …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Information Integrity Coalition, Shalva Papuashvili
Georgia Increased Natural Gas Imports from Russia by 16.5% in 2023
In 2023, Georgia’s dependence on imports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons (natural gas) from Russia and Iran increased compared to the previous year, while imports from Azerbaijan decreased. According to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the increase in imports was due to Georgia’s increased annual consumption of gas. The data provided …
Tags: Georgia, Natural Gas, Russia
Georgia and Saudi Arabia Establish Intergovernmental Coordination Council
On January 24, Georgia and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on the establishment of an Intergovernmental Coordination Council, during the visit of Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili to Saudi Arabia. The decision was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the Crown Prince/Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. According …
Tags: Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, Georgia, Saudi Arabia
Discontent in Occupied Abkhazia over Fuel Crisis
On January 24, the so-called “fuel association” of Abkhazia, which includes about 40 local companies, held a rally (branded as a community meeting in announcements) in Sokhumi. The rally was prompted by the fuel crisis in the occupied region, caused by the Russian government’s decision on December 16, 2023 to grant Kremlin-controlled Rosneft the exclusive …
Tags: Abkhazia, Fuel crisis, Russian Occupation
New Ambassadors to China, Israel, Jordan and Kuwait Appointed
Georgia has appointed new ambassadors to China, Israel, Kuwait and Jordan. According to a press release from the government administration, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with the newly appointed ambassadors on January, 24. Paata Kalandadze has been appointed as the Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. Prior to this appointment, he was Ambassador Extraordinary …
Tags: EU Ambassadors, Georgian MFA
National Bureau of Enforcement Postpones a Family Eviction
Following the dramatic eviction of a family from Kekelidze Street in Tbilisi on January 23, the National Bureau of Enforcement has decided to postpone the eviction of another family scheduled for today, January 24, the agency confirmed its decision to Civil.ge. “Since the family is socially vulnerable and also two minors live in this family, …
Watchdog: Government Conceals Information on Decrees, Including on Transfer of State Property
On January 24, Transparency International-Georgia, a local watchdog that investigates corruption in the country, revealed that none of at least 531 draft decrees, almost a quarter of which (122 decrees) concerned the transfer of state property to specific entities, considered by the Georgian government in 2023, have been made public. In addition, the government did …
Tags: Corruption, Georgia, Transparency International Georgia
The Daily Beat: 23 January
A dramatic eviction in central Tbilisi turned into a tense standoff between the law enforcement authorities, the apartment residents being evicted, and a group of protesters opposing the eviction. Following hours of resistance, enforcement officers supported by the police force finally managed to evict the family, reportedly injuring several protestors and journalists. Later in the …
Tags: Eviction, Interior Ministry, Maritime Transport Agency, Police, President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Tbilisi, The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, UAE
Police Physically Assault Journalists During Eviction Standoff, Detain One
During a dramatic eviction of a family on Kekelidze Street in the capital Tbilisi, the police physically assaulted journalists covering the events says the statement by the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics which, condemns the fact of physical assaults on journalists and calls on the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs to immediately launch an investigation …
Tags: Attack on Journalist, Eviction, National Bureau of Enforcement
23/01/2024 - 18:10
34 People Rescued by Georgian Captain and Sailors Near Crete
The Georgian Maritime Transport Agency reports that on the night of January 20, the crew of the Lider Halil ship, including the Georgian captain and two sailors, rescued 34 people from the migrant boat in the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Crete. According to the Agency, the Lider Halil ship was contacted late in …
Tags: Georgia, Maritime Transport Agency
‘Civic IDEA’ Responds to Speaker’s Allegations of Spreading Anti-Chinese Statements
On January 22, the Georgian NGO Civic IDEA, a self-described monitor of “China’s growing influence in Georgia”, issued a response to the harsh criticism of the organization and its founder Tinatin Khidasheli by the Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili. The harsh criticism intensified after the publication on January 18 of Civic IDEA’s brief entitled …
Police Detain Five People Linked to Criminal Underworld
Georgian police arrested five people linked to the criminal underworld, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported on January 23. The investigations were carried out in the capital Tbilisi and in the Imereti region of Georgia by the local police. According to the MIA press release, the individuals were arrested for belonging to the …
Tags: Criminal Underworld, MIA, Ministry of Internal Affairs
Police Face Fierce Resistance as They Evict a Family in Tbilisi
A dramatic eviction on Kekelidze Street in Tbilisi has turned into a tense standoff between authorities, the family being evicted and a group of protesters. Officers from the National Bureau of Enforcement arrived to carry out the eviction in the morning of January 23 but were met with fierce resistance from the apartment residents and …
PM Meets UAE Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange
On January 22, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange of the United Arab Emirates. According to the press release of the government administration, the meeting focused on the relations and cooperation between Georgia and the UAE. The parties discussed the dynamic …
Tags: Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, UAE
The Daily Beat: 22 January
At a special briefing, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili lashed out at the Tolerance Center, SovLab, other CSOs, and USAID over Stalin’s image in Holy Trinity Cathedral, accusing them of disinformation, manipulation, and attacks on the “Church and its parish.” Referring to his own earlier claims, Papuashvili said, “This is not the first time USAID finds itself …
Tags: Anti Corruption Bureau, CPT, Foreign Trade, HRC, Maia Sandu, Occupied Abkhazia, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Stalin, USAID, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Anti-Corruption Bureau to Monitor Asset Declarations of 300 Public Officials
The Georgian Anti-Corruption Bureau has announced about its intention to verify the asset declarations of 300 public officials in 2024 “due to the high public interest and the high risk of corruption,” – according to the Bureau’s press release. The list was drawn up by a special independent commission comprised of civil society representatives. The …
Tags: Anti-Corruption Bureau, Corruption
22/01/2024 - 18:34
Council of Religions Reacts to Speaker’s Remarks against Tolerance Center and its Head
On January 22, the Council of Religions under the Public Defender’s Office issued a statement in response to the remarks made by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili against the Tolerance Center and its director, Beka Mindiashvili in connection to the Stalin icon discovery in the Sameba catherdal. The Council gave a positive assessment and expressed its …
Fire Destroys Major Art Gallery in Occupied Abkhazia
On January 21, a fire broke out in the exhibition hall of the “artists’ union” of the occupied Abkhazia, destroying the works of Abkhaz painters. According to local media, more than four thousand works were lost as a result of the fire and only up to 200 works could be saved. The gallery chief, Suram …
Tags: Abkhazia, Art, Russian Occupation
SSSG Investigates Bomb Threat Hoax, Traces Origin Abroad
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) reported that on January 21 it received a call about the possible planting of explosive devices at various locations, including schools, universities and shopping centers, in the city of Batumi. However, no explosives were found after anti-terrorist units of the SSSG and the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted …
Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 12.5% in 2023
On January 22, the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) published preliminary data indicating that in 2023, Georgia’s foreign trade increased by 12.5% compared to 2022, totaling $21.53 billion in value. In 2023, exports from Georgia increased by 9.1% to $6.09 billion, while imports rose by 14.0% to $15.44 billion. As a result, the country’s negative trade …
Tags: Foreign Trade, Georgia, Geostat
Speaker Lashes out at Tolerance Center, SovLab, CSOs, USAID Over Stalin’s Image in Church
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili held a special brief at the Parliament to condemn “the wave of disinformation, manipulation, and hysteria,” which, he claimed, accompanied unprecedented “attacks on the Church and its parish.” He said, “The firm perception is being shaped, that these attacks are planned in advance and coordinated” and “is reaching the dangerous limit …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Shalva Papuashvili, USAID
20/01/2024 - 21:06
Parliament Speaker: “Zelenskyy, Sandu, and MEPs Lied about Saakashvili’s Torture”
On January 18, during an interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili asserted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Members of the European Parliament had made false accusations against Georgia regarding the alleged torture of Saakashvili. “Today, we learned that President Zelenskyy was lying when …
Tags: Maia Sandu, MEPs, Mikheil Saakashvili, Shalva Papuashvili, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
19/01/2024 - 23:20
The Daily Beat: 18 January
The European Parliament scolded the Member States for their lack of will “to step away from theirindividual, political, or economic interests” and handle the threats in the neighborhood coming from Russia’s aggressive behavior. The failure to ensure that Russia honors the 2008 Russo-Georgian ceasefire agreement was mentioned as one such area, while Russian troops were …
Tags: Central Election Commission, Culture Ministry, Davos, Droa, Economy Ministry, Georgian Passport, Girchi - More Freedom, GMC, Government Administration, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Razhden Kuprashvili, Richard Nephew, SOVLAB, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili
CoE Deputy Secretary General Meets Parliament Speaker, launches CoE Action Plan with Georgian Authorities
On January 18, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili met with the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjørn Berge. Speaker Papuashvili welcomed the use of the term “occupation line” for the first time in the CoE Secretary General’s latest Consolidated Report on Conflict in Georgia. “We are grateful for …
Tags: Bjørn Berge, Council of Europe, Shalva Papuashvili
18/01/2024 - 17:09
Forbes: Georgia Leads among Countries where Russians Opened Businesses in 2023
Georgia has emerged as the prime destination for Russian entrepreneurs, topping the list of countries where they set up businesses last year, according to the Russian edition of Forbes. From January to December 2023, Russian citizens registered a staggering 13,000 legal entities in Georgia. Vyacheslav Kartamyshev, the director of Finion, the company whose analysts prepared …
Bloomberg: Prosecutor to Close Ivanishvili vs. UBS Case Citing Lack of Evidence of Money Laundering
Bloomberg, a leading business news agency, published an article on January 16, entitled “UBS Wins as Credit Suisse Money-Laundering Probe Axed” based on the letter of Geneva’s top financial prosecutor Yves Bertossa, who had said that the legal dispute between the Swiss UBS Group, which has taken over the failed Credit Suisse last year, and …
Tags: Bidzina Ivanishvili, Credit Suisse, money laundering, Patrice Lescaudron, UBS
Ministry of Justice Responds to Criticism in CPT’s Report on Visit to VivaMedi Clinic
The Georgian Ministry of Justice has issued an official response to the report on the visit to Georgia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which took place in March 2023. The report says the situation in which ex-President Saakashvili is being held …
Tags: CoE, CPT, Mikheil Saaakshvili, Vivamedi
Georgian Delegation Led by PM Garibashvili Attends World Economic Forum in Davos
On January 16, the Georgian delegation headed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili began its visit to Switzerland to participate in the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. Prime Minister Garibashvili will take part in several panel discussions and hold bilateral meetings with private companies and representatives of the participating countries. Prime Minister Garibashvili has already …
EP: Russian Aggression against Georgia, Ukraine Highlights Need for Stronger EU Action
The European Parliament (EP) recommends that the Council of the European Union, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy adopt a more robust approach to tackling frozen conflicts around the world, including in Georgia. In the recommendation issued on January 17 titled “The role of preventive diplomacy …
Tags: Conflicts, EU Candidacy, European Parliament, Russian aggression
The Daily Beat: 17 January
The Georgian delegation headed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili arrived in Davos, Switzerland, where he will participate in the annual World Economic Forum, attend several panel discussions, and hold bilateral meetings with private companies and representatives of the participating states. He has already met with the Executive Director of Turkish company Koç Holding – Levent Cakiroglu. The …
Tags: Central Election Commission, Culture Ministry, Davos, Droa, Economy Ministry, Georgian Passport, Girchi - More Freedom, GMC, Government Administration, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Razhden Kuprashvili, Richard Nephew, SOVLAB, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili
Georgia Ranks 50th in Passport Index
Georgia is ranked 50th in the Henley & Partners Global Passport Index of 2024. The Index ranks all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can have access without a prior visa. The index includes 199 passports and 227 destinations. A person with a Georgian passport can travel visa-free to 121 …
Tags: Georgia, Georgian Passport
17/01/2024 - 17:36
SovLab Says Government Hinders Access to Soviet Archives
On January 17, SovLab – The Soviet Past Research Laboratory, a civil society organisation that studies Georgia’s Soviet past, held a press conference on the issue, saying that it has become very difficult, and in some cases impossible, for researchers to work on archival documents from the Soviet period. According to SOVLAB, the gradual restriction …
Tags: Freedom of Information, National Archives of Georgia, Soviet Georgia, SOVLAB
Watchdog Slams Government for Limiting Access to Public Information
The Governance Monitoring Center (GMC), a local watchdog, in its January 15 statement, accuses the Georgian government of breaking the law and restricting access to public information. The statement stresses that the Constitution and the General Administrative Code of Georgia provide for the accessibility of public information. According to the GMC, despite this “the freedom …
Tags: Access to Public Information, Freedom of Information, GMC, Governance Monitoring Center
US State Department Global Anti-Corruption Coordinator Visits Georgia
The U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Global Anti-Corruption Coordinator, Richard Nephew, is visiting Georgia on January 17-18. During the visit, Richard Nephew has already met with the Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the Head of the Georgian Anti-Corruption Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, the First Deputy Head of State Security Service, Aleksi Batiashvili, the First Deputy Prosecutor General, …
Tags: Anti-Corruption Bureau, Corruption, CSOs, Richard Nephew, U.S. State Department, United States
Interview | Elections of Hope in Poland, or How to defeat illiberal populism?
As the newly elected Polish government is finally sworn in, Civil.ge-s Kristina Pitalskaya spoke with Zosia Lutkiewicz, the President of the Political Accountability Foundation in Warsaw, Poland, about her analysis of the recent political shifts in the country. From dissecting the strategies adopted by the opposition to exploring the dynamics of generational change among voters …
Tags: Civil Society, Donald Tusk, Elections, Poland
CEC 2024 Action Plan Criticized for Ignoring Emigrant Vote
The Georgian Central Election Commission has published its 2024 Action Plan. The CEC’s press release states that “the Action Plan 2024 has been developed taking into account the Election Administration Strategy 2023-2026”. The Action Plan has been criticized by the opposition parties Girchi-More Freedom and Droa, which have been conducting a “Ballot box in your …
Tags: CEC, Droa, Elections 2024, Girchi-More Freedom
The Daily Beat: 16 January
The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by party chair Irakli Kobakhidze, continues its “quest” for China, meeting with Xiao Jie, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. “We spoke of political, economic, and cultural cooperation,” commented Kobakhidze after the meeting, emphasizing the importance of the China-Georgia parliamentary dimension. He also stressed …
Tags: China-Georgia Relations, Covid-19 Vaccines, Georgian Dream party, Government of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, NCDC Georgia, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Social Justice Center
UPDATE: Georgian Dream Delegation Meets with Officials in China
A delegation from the ruling Georgian Dream Party, led by its leader Irakli Kobakhidze, is visiting the People’s Republic of China from January 14 to 20. The GD delegation held meetings with Xiao Jie, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International …
Tags: China-Georgia Relations, Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze
16/01/2024 - 16:13
PM Meets Chinese Ambassador, Reaffirms Support for One-China Principle
On January 16, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian. According to the government administration, the meeting focused on “close friendly” bilateral relations and prospects for future cooperation. According to the same information, the Chinese ambassador “briefed the Prime Minister on the so-called elections in Taiwan, to which the …
Tags: China-Georgia Relations, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili
The Daily Beat: 15 January
On 14 January, Georgia celebrated the National Flag Day. A flag-raising ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace, where a giant national flag was unfurled in the presence of the President and students. President Salome Zurabishvili briefly addressed the students, congratulating them on National Flag Day and reminding them of their special responsibility to proudly …
Tags: Alt-info, China, Defense Ministry of Georgia, foreign remittances, Foreign Trade, Georgian Dream party, illegal detentions, Irakli Kobakhidze, Lazare Grigoriadis, Nata Peradze, National Statistics Office, OECD, Poland, President Salome Zurabishvili, Stalin, State Security Service
Lazare Grigoriadis Case Adjourned as Defense Accuses Court of Deliberate Delay
On January 15, the Tbilisi City Court adjourned the trial of Lazare Grigoriadis. As a result, Grigoriadis, 22, who was arrested in connection with March 7-9 protests for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to a police car, remains in custody. The next session is scheduled for February 26, when the final …
Tags: Lazare Grigoriadis, Salome Zurabishvili, Tbilisi City Court
15/01/2024 - 16:04
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