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UN Office in Georgia Condemns Foreign Agents Law, Abolition of Gender Quotas
On April 9, the United Nations in Georgia issued a statement expressing “profound concern” over the re-tabling of the Foreign Agents Law by the ruling Georgian Dream, and “regret” over the abolition of the mandatory gender quotas for the political parties in electoral lists. “Noting Georgia’s current membership of the UN Human Rights Council,” the …
Tags: foreign agents law, gender quotas, UN in Georgia
09/04/2024 - 17:11
International Community Commemorates April 9 Victims Massacred by Soviet Troops
Today, Georgia marks the 35th anniversary of the brutal suppression of pro-independence protests in Tbilisi by the Soviet army on 9 April 1989, which left 21 dead and hundreds injured by poison gas used by Soviet troops and beatings with sappers’ spades. Most of the victims were women. In 1991, on the same day, following …
Tags: April 9, international community
Georgia Commemorates April 9 Victims Massacred by Soviet Troops
Today, Georgia marks the 35th anniversary of the brutal suppression of pro-independence protests in Tbilisi by the Soviet army on 9 April 1989, which left 21 dead and hundreds injured by poison gas used by Soviet troops and beatings with sappers’ spades. Most of the victims were women. In 1991, on the same day, following …
Tags: April 9
ECHR Rules in Favor of Georgia in 2018 Appeal Against Russia’s “Borderization” Efforts
On April 9, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously ruled in the case of Georgia v. Russia that the ongoing process of “borderization” since 2009 had violated the right to life, the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty, the right to respect for private and family life, the right …
Tags: Borderization, European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Russo-Georgia War
US State Department: “Stay Tuned” for Potential Actions if Russian Law Moves Forward
During the press briefing on April 8, Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State once again reacted to the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents law by the ruling Georgian Dream party in Georgia, saying that “right now we are making clear that we are concerned with this draft legislation. With respect to …
Tags: foreign agents law, Matthew Miller, Russian Law, US State Department
The Daily Beat: 8 April
Georgia marks two historical events on April 9: a brutal repression of the pro-independence protests in Tbilisi in 1989 by the Soviet Army, which left 21 dead and hundreds of injured by poison gas deployed by the troops. In 1991, following the defeat of the Communist Party by the pro-independence coalition in the polls in …
Tags: 9 April rally, Alt-info, CSOs, PM Irakli Kobakhidze
Ministers Reflect | Batu Kutelia (DMoD 2006-2008)
Ministers Reflect is an interview series on “how to be effective in government”, following a model developed by the Institute for Government in London. The series seeks to capture – in former ministers’ own words – what it takes to be an effective government minister, what challenges they face, and what broader lessons their experiences may hold. The …
Tags: Batu Kutelia, ministers reflect, NATO
08/04/2024 - 20:45
Court Concludes Proceedings for Grigoriadis’ Case, Verdict Pending
The proceedings for Lazare Grigoridis’ case in the Tbilisi City Court have concluded today with Judge Zviad Sharadze retiring for deliberation and announcing the verdict expected in “reasonable time.” Grigoriadis, 22, was arrested in connection with the March 7-9 protests for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to a police car. Today, …
Pro-Russian “Alt-Info” Party Registration Revoked
The National Agency of Public Registry of Georgia (NAPR) cancelled the registration of the pro-Russian, anti-liberal “Conservative Movement/Alt-info” party, according to the decision issued on April 8. The Public Registry made the decision following the a request from the Anti-Corruption Bureau to review the legality of the party’s registration. NAPR found several irregularities including missing signatures, incomplete member …
Tags: Conservative Movement / Alt Info, National Agency of Public Registry
Activists Hold Rally Against Foreign Agents Bill
On April 8, Georgian activists, students, civil society organizations and media representatives held a rally in the backyard of the Parliament to protest the discussions on the Georgian Dream’s re-introduced bill on foreign agents in the Parliamentary bureau. The rally was besieged by the police who restricted the access to the Parliament for journalists representing …
PM Defends Foreign Agents Bill, Lashes Out at CSOs
On April 8, the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze defended the re-tabled Foreign Agents law at the executive Government meeting, claiming that the draft is “sound” and “entirely thought-through” and it merely envisages the annual reporting on financial performance of NGOs and respective media outlets. PM Kobakhidze also attacked CSOs-Factcheck and Myth Detector, for …
President Zurabishvili Meets Western Ambassadors to Discuss Law on Foreign Agents
On April 8, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili held a meeting with representatives of the diplomatic corps to discuss the reintroduction of the so-called “foreign agents” law by the ruling party. The meeting was attended by the Ambassadors of the EU member states, the US and the UK. During the meeting the President emphasized that …
Tags: Diplomatic Corps, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, President Salome Zurabishvili
More than 400 CSOs Denounce Foreign Agents Bill
On April 8, Georgian civil society organizations (CSOs) issued a joint statement “categorically opposing” the ruling party bill on foreign agents. More than 400 CSOs call on the Government to withdraw the law from the parliamentary discussions. The CSOs stress that the Georgian Dream has “broken its promise” to withdraw the bill given to every …
PM Announces Large Tax Debt Relief Ahead of Elections
On April 8, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze declared at the Government session that all natural persons, including individual entrepreneurs, will have their recognized unpaid tax debts incurred before January 1, 2021, including penalty taxes, fully written off. According to the Prime Minister, after the adoption of the relevant bill, 145 thousand individuals will …
Tags: Economy, Elections 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze
Independent Media Denounces Reintroduced Foreign Agents Bill
On April 8, Georgian independent media issued a statement “condemning and opposing” the ruling party’s decision to reintroduce the “Russian law” on foreign agents. The media pledges to increase resistance to the adoption of the law in order to make Georgia a true European democracy, together with international partners. The media outlets note that the …
CSOs Make Statement Reminding GD Leaders of their Past Work with International Organizations
In an apparent attempt to expose the duplicity of ruling party officials, Georgian civil society organizations issued a statement today calling on the leaders of “Georgian Dream” “to explain to the Georgian people whether they were instructed to act in favor of the interests of a foreign state.” On April 3, the parliamentary majority announced the reintroduction …
Tags: Archil Talakvadze, Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law, Givi Mikanadze, Irakli Kobakhidze, Nikoloz Samkharadze, Rati Ionatamishvili, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili
07/04/2024 - 18:59
60th Round of Geneva International Discussions
On April 4-5, the 60th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) – a multilateral format to address security and humanitarian consequences of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war – was held in Geneva. The Geneva International Discussions/GID were established on the basis of the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, brokered by the European Union. GID are co-chaired by representatives …
Op-ed | The US Should Not Leave GD Attacks Unanswered
After the Georgian Dream Party announced that it was re-introducing the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law last week, Georgia’s Western partners issued statements criticizing the move. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed flat-out opposition to the law on behalf of the alliance, which Georgia has sought to join for decades, labeling it “an effort against strengthening …
Tags: foreign agents law, Kelly Degnan, NED, U.S., US-Georgia relations
06/04/2024 - 17:07
US Helsinki Commission: “Foreign Agent” Legislation – Self-Sabotage of Georgia’s EU Candidacy
The U.S. Helsinki Commission issued a statement on April 5 on the re-introduction of the law on “foreign agents” by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The statement calls the reintroduction of the bill “a deliberate attack on Georgia’s fragile democracy, self-sabotage of its European candidacy, and a blatant rejection of the Georgian people’s overwhelming and …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, foreign agents law, U.S., U.S. Senate
The Daily Beat: 5 April
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over the ruling party’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Bill a year after it was dropped following mass protests. “We are deeply concerned that draft legislation introduced into Georgia’s parliament will derail Georgia from its European path and harm civil society organizations improving …
Tags: Ahali, Anti Corruption Bureau, Beka Odisharia, For Georgia, foreign agents law, Germany, Girchi - More Freedom, Government of Georgia, Irakli Beraia, Latvia, Lelo for Georgia, Levan Murusidze, MEPs, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Opposition, President Salome Zurabishvili, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Tbilisi City Court, UNM, US State Department
Twelve European Foreign Affairs Committee Chairs: Foreign Agents Bill a “Hostile Step”
On April 5, the Chairpersons of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of twelve European states issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” over the reintroduction of the “so-called Russian law on foreign agents.” They said it was a “hostile step against the European aspirations of the Georgian people and their future” and urged …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, EU bid
05/04/2024 - 23:30
MDF Report on Sexist Language and Gender Disinformation in Georgia
On April 5, the Media Development Foundation (MDF), a media watchdog, presented a report on Sexist Language and Gender Disinformation in Georgia, covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2023. The report is based on data collected through both selected traditional (7 TV channels, 3 print publications, and 3 online publications) and social …
Tags: Gender Disinformation, media, Media Development Fund (MDF), Sexist Language, UNAG, USAID
Germany Warns “Foreign Influence” Draft Puts EU Membership at Risk
The German Foreign Office reacted to the re-tabling of the Foreign Agents law in Georgia with “alarm” and “regret,” Deutsche Welle reported. The agency cited Foreign Office Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer, as saying: “Freedom of the press and media… are the foundations of any democracy and important preconditions for joining the EU” and adding that this is …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, EU Candidacy, Germany
MEPs Call on European Commission to Monitor GD Decisions’ Compatibility with EU Candidate Status
Members of the European Parliament representing a wide spectrum of political groups, made a joint statement today in which they “deeply regret” the intention of the ruling GD to reintroduce the law on “foreign agents”, “which was strongly rejected by the Georgian society” last year. The statement reads: “We also call on the European Commission …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, European Parliament, foreign agents law
Government Refuses President’s Visit to Lithuania
Government of Georgia refused to grant permission for President Salome Zurabishvili to visit Lithuania on April 10-12, according to the Government decree issued on April 3, which also states that the President Zurabishvili requested the permission on March 27. It is not the first time that the Georgian Dream government is refusing to authorize the …
Irakli Beraia to Head the Georgian Intelligence Service
On April 5, PM Irakli Kobakhidze appointed Irakli Beraia, who until now has been the Chairperson of the Defense and Security Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, as the New Head of the Georgian Intelligence Service, replacing Maj. Gen. Shalva Lomidze. Beraia has been serving as Georgian Dream MP since 2016. Starting his career at …
Judge Blocking His Anti-Corruption Verification Accuses Watchdogs of “Bias”, “Discrimination”, “Leaks”
On April 5, Tbilisi City Court Judge Sergo Metopishvili responded to watchdog claims that the judges tried to shield themselves from the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s scrutiny by appealing the Tbilisi City Court on procedural grounds. He said the judges used the right of appeal as a “constitutionally guaranteed right of redress.” 05/04/2024 – Watchdogs: Sanctioned Judges …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, judicial clan
PACE Co-rapporteurs Express “Deep Concern” Over Re-tabled Foreign Agents Law
On April 4, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitoring co-rapporteurs for Georgia, Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), expressed “deep concern” over the ruling Georgian Dream’s decision to re-table the Foreign Agents law, and urged the Georgian authorities “to withdraw this draft from the parliamentary agenda.” On April …
Opposition MPs Draft the Bill on Russian Influence
The opposition party For Georgia and MP Teona Akubardia introduced a bill, “On Protection from the Influence of the Occupying Country – the Russian Federation,” to counter the draft law on foreign agents targeting CSOs and media, which the ruling Georgian Dream party re-submitted for review on April 3. According to the draft seen by …
Watchdogs: Sanctioned Judges Use Court to Shield Themselves from Anti-Corruption Verification
On April 5, three Georgian watchdogs reported that the Tbilisi City Court had upheld the appeal of the four judges and halted the Anti-corruption Bureau inquest into their property declarations. Two of these judges – Levan Murusidze and Mikheil Chinchiladze – are under visa sanctions for “significant corruption” by the U.S. State Department. Watchdogs also …
Tags: CSOs, judicial clan, Levan Murusidze, Mikheil Chinchiladze
Seven Opposition Parties Condemn the Georgian Dream for Re-Tabling Foreign Agents Law
On April 4, seven opposition parties, including Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom, Droa, the United National Movement, Lelo for Georgia, the Republican Party, and the Strategy Aghmashenebeli, issued a joint statement condemning the reintroduction of the “foreign agents” law as a “betrayal of Georgia’s European path.” On April 3, the parliamentary majority announced the reintroduction of the draft law …
Tags: foreign agents law, Opposition
US State Department Spokesperson: Deeply Concerned that Bill will Derail Georgia from European Path
On 5 April, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement expressing the US’s “deep concern” over the ruling party’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Bill a year after it was dropped following mass protests. “We are deeply concerned that draft legislation introduced into Georgia’s parliament will derail Georgia from its European path and …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, US State Department
The Daily Beat: 4 April
With 85 votes in favor and 22 against, the Parliament abolished the mandatory gender quotas in an accelerated manner. Before this decision, the Electoral Code required that at least one out of every four persons on a party list must be a woman. This amendment follows an agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party …
Tags: CSOs, Dmitry Peskov, Electoral Code, European Union (EU), foreign agents law, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, gender quotas, Jeanne Shaheen, Jens Stolstenberg, Jim Risch, Paraguay, Parliament of Georgia
Parliament Abolishes Quotas for Women MPs
On April 4, the Parliament of Georgia abolished the mandatory gender quotas in an accelerated manner. 85 MPs voted in favor of abolition, while 22 voted against. Prior to this decision, the Electoral Code of Georgia required that at least one out of every four persons on a party list must be a woman. The …
Tags: gender quotas, Parliament of Georgia
04/04/2024 - 18:00
Kremlin Defends Reintroduction by GD of Foreign Agents Law
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov defended the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents law by the Parliamentary majority in Georgia, saying that “no sovereign state wants interference from other countries in domestic politics. This is normal practice,” the Russian media outlet Tass.ru reported on April 4. “We see a rather acute and sharp reaction of the …
Key CSO Network Halts Cooperation with Parliament over Draft Law
On April 4, the Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF GNP) terminated the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Parliament in response to the ruling party’s decision to reintroduce the draft law on Foreign Agents. In the statement issued by the Platform, almost 200 Georgian organizations emphasize that they feel …
EU: “Seriously Concerned” over Reintroduction of Foreign Agents Law
The European Union issued a statement on April 4 reacting to the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents bill by the Parliamentary majority, saying that “the announcement by the ruling party in Georgia to re-introduce a draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” raises serious concerns.” In the statement, the EU says that “transparency should not …
Tags: Draft Law on Foreign Agents, EU, Russian Law
FM Darchiashvili Visits Paraguay
The Foreign Minister of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, is on his first official visit to Paraguay. This is the first visit by a Georgian Foreign Minister to Paraguay since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2010. He has already met with his counterpart, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, President Santiago Peña, and the Chairman …
Tags: Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paraguay
Risch, Shaheen Statement on Reintroduction of Foreign Agents’ Law
U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, on April 3 released a statement, after GD reintroduced a Russian-style foreign agent law saying that “not only would this draft law lead the political process in the …
Tags: foreign agents law, US
The Daily Beat: 3 April
On April 3, the parliamentary majority leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, announced the reintroduction of the draft law on foreign agents, which was dropped last year after March protests. According to Mdinaradze, the bill’s content remains the same, and the only change is in the title: the term “agent” in the …
Tags: Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, Beka Odisharia, Georgian Dream party, Law on Foreign Agents, Levan Ioseliani, Mamuka Mdinaradze, MEPs, Opposition, President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Russia, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Ukraine
Ombudsman Reacts to GD MPs Insult of Female MPs During Parliamentary Session
On April 3, the Public Defender of Georgia issued a statement reacting to the ruling Georgian Dream MP Beka Odisharia’s “obscene and insulting remarks addressed to female MPs”. “In all such cases, the internal mechanism should be activated and the issue should be discussed by the Parliament,” according to the statement. “This is especially noteworthy …
Tags: Beka Odisharia, Gender discrimination, Public Defender
03/04/2024 - 20:32
Speaker Says EU Drive Should Not Come “at all Costs”
Commenting on the ruling GD intention to reintroduce the so-called Foreign Agents law, the Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili told Netgazeti: “We want to enter the EU peacefully, we want to enter the EU in a stable condition, not as a ruined country. This is the task.” “The task isn’t to move forward on the path …
Tags: Draft Law on Foreign Agents, Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili
Independent Media Outlets Condemn Reintroduced Foreign Agents Bill
On April 3, Georgian independent online media outlets issued a joint statement condemning the reintroduced draft law on foreign agents. The outlets state that the introduced law will destroy independent society and media, silence critical voices and drive Georgia out of the European family. “The authorities have once again lied to us and reintroduced the …
President: GD Sabotages Georgia’s European Future
On April 3, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili said that the ruling Georgian Dream party “has shown its face” and is engaged in “sabotaging” Georgia’s European future. She made this statement at the press briefing following the announcement by the Parliamentary majority that it is reintroducing the the draft law on foreign agents, which was …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
PM Kobakhidze: New Bill to Help “Europeanize” NGOs, Donors
On April 3, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze predictably issued a statement supporting the ruling party’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Law. PM Kobakhidze claims that the Georgian government is fully, “European-style” transparent and hopes that this law will also help to Europeanize also NGOs and their donors. Kobakhidze claims that “full transparency of the …
44 States, Including Georgia Sign Declaration Calling for Hague Tribunal to Prosecute Russia
On April 2, the Ministerial Conference on Restoring Justice for Ukraine, with the support of 44 countries, including Georgia, adopted a political declaration calling for the establishment of a special tribunal in the Hague to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine and to compensate for damages. The signatories of the Declaration condemn …
Tags: Russian war in Ukraine, Ukraine
De-Facto Leader of Occupied Abkhazia Talks Relations with Tbilisi, Moscow with Russian Media
In his interview with the Russian media outlet “Arguments and Facts,” aif.ru, the de-facto leader of the Russia-occupied Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania discussed relations with the rest of Georgia as well as the Russian Federation. According to him, “we do not experience any aggression towards the Georgian people” and “it is important the state of Abkhazia …
Domestic Reactions to Reintroduction of Draft Law on Foreign Agents
On April 3, the parliamentary majority leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, announced the reintroduction of the draft law on foreign agents, which the GD had to withdraw last year after the March 7-9 large rallies against the bill. According to Mdinaradze, the content of the bill remains the same, the only change is in …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Draft Law on Foreign Agents, Georgian Dream
Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 0.5% in March 2024
Georgia’s annual inflation rate amounted to 0.5% in March 2024, the National Statistics Office (Geostat) reported on April 3. On a monthly basis, meanwhile, consumer prices increased by 0.01%. The annual inflation rate was primarily driven by price changes in miscellaneous goods and services (10.2% increase); transport (8.1% increase); alcoholic beverages and tobacco (4.5% increase); and food …
Tags: Annual Inflation, Geostat
BREAKING: GD Reintroduces the Draft law on Foreign Agents
On April 3, the parliamentary majority leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, announced the reintroduction of the draft law on foreign agents, which was dropped last year after the massive rallies on March 7-9. According to Mdinaradze, the content of the bill remains the same, the only change is in the title: …
Tags: Attack on CSOs, Mamuka Mdinaradze
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