Georgia’s disputed parliament has approved changes in the country’s law enforcement and security services, under which Geka Geladze, who headed the Interior Ministry, became the new head of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), and a new post of State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies was created in the Georgian Dream government, …

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, officials of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and pro-government media have been insisting that Germany update the country’s profile on the website of the Federal Foreign Office by reflecting incumbent government representatives “in accordance with the changes resulting from” the October 2024 parliamentary elections and the subsequent vote for president. In particular, …

Polish Public Television (TVP) has launched VT Sakartvelo, a new Georgian-language news service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland announced on April 27. “The programme delivers reliable reporting, a European perspective, and supports efforts to counter disinformation in the region,” the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. The project is being …

De facto authorities of Tskhinvali/South Ossetia condemned the recent arrest of Tamaz Goloev, a resident of the occupied Akhalgori area, on spying charges in Tbilisi, dismissing the move as “unjustified” and carrying “political character” and calling for his release. The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) reported arresting a Georgian citizen and identifying two more …

Tbilisi City Court dismissed imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli’s lawsuit against Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze over televised comments in which he said, among others, that she was a “party activist,” “funded from abroad,” and acting on a “specific instruction” to “insult” the police. According to Netgazeti, Amaghlobeli accused Kobakhidze of defamation, violation of the …

A man arrested by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on spying charges, who pro-government media said worked for Russia, has been identified by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service as Tamaz Goloev (Goloti), a 27-year-old resident of Akhalgori, a town in the occupied Tskhinvali region. The outlet said it spoke with Goloev’s mother, Maia, who said …

Zurab Pataradze, a diplomat who chaired the Adjara Autonomous government years ago, has been nominated to return to the post, Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili announced on April 23. The region’s Supreme Council, dominated by Georgian Dream, is set to approve the nomination. Pataradze will replace Sulkhan Tamazashvili, a UK-sanctioned official who is set to …

Georgian Dream Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili is on a working visit to China, where she met, among others, with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and signed with him a protocol amending the free trade agreement between the two countries. During their April 22 meeting, Kvrivishvili and Wentao discussed “existing trade relations” between Georgia and China …

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) arrested a Georgian citizen on alleged “espionage” for a foreign intelligence service, without specifying the country, and said Interpol red notices will be sought for two more Georgians facing similar charges. Speaking at an April 22 briefing, first deputy head of the SSSG, Lasha Maghradze, said the detained …

Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili visits Kazakhstan, where he participated in the Regional Ecological Summit and met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Accompanied by a delegation including Georgian Dream Agriculture Minister Davit Songhulashvili, Presidential Administration Head Ketevan Kvinikadze, and Deputy Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili, Kavelashvili arrived at Astana airport on April 21, where senior …

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced major leadership changes, with State Security Service Chief Mamuka Mdinaradze set to assume a new, yet-to-be-created position, “State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies,” Interior Minister Geka Geladze to succeed him as SSSG chief, and Adjara Government Chair Sulkhan Tamazashvili to succeed Geladze as interior minister. Kobakhidze …

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the EU is open to involving Georgia in regional connectivity projects but is capable of doing so “to the extent that they also show that they want to engage on other areas.” Remarks came during an April 20 extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign …

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced the arrest of two individuals – one Georgian citizen and one foreign national – in the coastal city of Batumi on terrorism-related charges linked to the Islamic State group. Speaking at an April 20 briefing, Lasha Maghradze, first deputy head of the agency, said the investigation was …

The ruling Georgian Dream party plans to withdraw its appeal from the Constitutional Court and submit a “corrected” version that adds the Federalists party to the list of the three opposition forces it already sought to ban in the original appeal, citing the formation of the Opposition Alliance. Georgian Dream had appealed to the Constitutional …

A number of demonstrators and journalists, including Civil.ge’s chief editor, have reported having their bank accounts frozen by Georgia’s Enforcement Bureau over unnotified police fines related to alleged “road blockages” during Tbilisi rallies last year. Reports first surfaced during the winter months, when individuals said they discovered the existence of fines only after receiving bank …

Below is the weekly digest of key developments and discourses in and around the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, as well as those concerning Tbilisi–Moscow relations. Sokhumi Committee Votes Against Lifting Immunity of MP Kan Kvarchia In the de facto parliament, the so-called Committee on State-Legal Policy voted against the Prosecutor General’s request to lift the immunity of MP Kan Kvarchia. …

Imedi TV, Georgia’s major pro-government channel, has claimed that Igor Blaževič, human rights advocate and senior advisor at the Prague Civil Society Centre, is linked to a “revolutionary scenario” for the Georgian opposition and has conducted “more than 10 trainings” for them, where he also gave “specific instructions.” The April 16 reports by Imedi TV, …

BasisBank, owned by a Chinese Hualing Group, acquired Liberty Bank, Georgia’s third-largest bank, which has been co-owned by the ruling party-close businessman Irakli Rukhadze, the former owner of pro-government Imedi channel, which he sold shortly before it was sanctioned by the UK. The banks reported the completion of the transaction on April 16, stating that …

Georgia’s disputed parliament adopted new exemptions to the controversial Law on Grants, stipulating that diplomatic and international organization missions, as well as the Georgian Red Cross Society and financial and credit institutions, are not required to obtain government approval to disburse grants to local organizations. The amendments were adopted in the third and final reading …

Belarusian photographer Alexander Shishko has been detained at Minsk National Airport upon arrival from Georgia, several sources reported. According to Dissidentby, a non-profit initiative supporting political prisoners in Belarus, Shishko, 32, who had spent recent years in exile, has been in custody since April 9. It said that a criminal case was opened against him …

Georgia will co-host the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup, a biennial international football tournament for men’s national teams under the age of 20, with Armenia, following a decision by the FIFA Council at a meeting in Vancouver after a joint bid submitted by the two countries in 2024. “For the first time in the history …

Three Georgian Orthodox Church hierarchs – Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku diocese (Patriarchal Locum Tenens), Metropolitan Iobi of Ruisi and Urbnisi diocese, and Metropolitan Grigol of Poti and Khobi Diocese – are the candidates to succeed late Patriarch Ilia II, Andria Jaghmaidze, Head of Georgian Patriarchate’s Public Relations Department, announced after the Holy Synod …

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia summoned European Union Ambassador Paweł Herczyński on April 27 over his recent remarks made in Brussels, where the diplomat warned, among others, not to let the Georgian people “go back to the dark times.” The summoning followed calls from senior Georgian Dream officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, …

A local Armenian community group said on April 24 that the Georgian Interior Ministry has denied them holding an Armenian Genocide remembrance event near the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi in a break of tradition and under stricter rally laws that require advance police notice and allow the ministry to request changing time, location, and route …

Below is the weekly digest of key developments and discourses in and around the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, as well as those concerning Tbilisi–Moscow relations. Sokhumi De Facto Parliament Protects Opposition Leader Kvarchia In Abkhazia, the de facto parliament has refused to lift the immunity of MP Kan Kvarchia in a case linked to Russian political consultants, as requested by …

Georgia’s former defense minister, Juansher Burchuladze, was sentenced to ten years in prison after being found guilty of abuse of office and large-scale money laundering. He also had several of his properties confiscated, including a land plot and a house in Malaga, Spain. Tbilisi City Court Judge Irakli Khuskivadze delivered the verdict on April 23, …

Author: Kit Yuen *All photographs by Kit Yuen – kityuen.co.uk @_mello.j_ The first thing you notice in Dano is that it looks like a portal into the distant past. This wild and untamed village, isolated by the high mountains of Tusheti in Georgia’s north-eastern province, seems forgotten by all except God. You’d be forgiven for …

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the outgoing chief of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), said wiretapping has increased, contributing to what he described as an “at least thirtyfold” rise in the flow of information to the agency. He assured, however, that wiretapping is conducted legally under court warrants. “If about a year ago the flow of …

Parents of children diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare and progressive genetic muscle-wasting disorder, launched round-the-clock protests outside the Government Administration building in Tbilisi, as officials dispute their claims about the necessity and effectiveness of what parents say is life-saving medication. For over a year, parents have been calling on authorities to fund …

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) released its 2025 annual report, speaking, among others, of alleged attempts to overthrow the government “by violent means,” as well as alleged efforts at “destabilization,” foreign interference, and propaganda and disinformation campaigns. During the report’s coverage year, the SSSG had three leaders: Grigol Liluashvili, who headed the agency …

Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Georgia to ensure law enforcement accountability and repeal restrictive “foreign influence” laws, in an April 21 statement issued a week after his visit to the country, where he met with Georgian Dream government officials, authorities, and civil society representatives. The visit to Georgia …

The de facto foreign ministry of occupied Abkhazia said in an April 20 statement that Sokhumi “has taken note” of recent remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and “shares Russia’s position on the consequences of Georgia’s accession to the EU.” During an April 16 press briefing, Zakharova said that if Georgia were to …

Nikoloz (Nariman) Makarashvili, a controversial religious leader and suspended Orthodox cleric with a fringe but devoted following who hailed him as “King,” “God,” and “saint,” was found dead on April 19 in his apartment in Tbilisi’s Ponichala district. Police have opened an investigation into incitement to suicide, a standard procedure in such cases, while followers …

Trump Organization, a real-estate conglomerate owned by the current U.S. president and managed by his family, plans to build a “first in the region” Trump Tower in Tbilisi with local partners, the group announced in its press release. The news comes as the Georgian Dream government continues efforts to reset relations with Washington amid persistent …

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, together with GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and Government Administration Head Levan Zhorzholiani, is participating in the 2026 Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. Antalya Diplomacy Forum, hosted by Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is “a high-level gathering of professionals who …

A delegation from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Weimar Triangle countries – France, Germany, and Poland – visited Tbilisi on April 16 and met with the ruling Georgian Dream party officials, as well as with opposition politicians and civil society representatives. The delegation included Brice Roquefeuil, Director for Continental Europe at the Ministry …

Georgia’s disputed parliament expanded exemptions under the country’s Law on Labour Migration for a wider range of foreign professionals and introduced a new framework for short-term work requiring no work or residence permit. The amendments to the law were fast-tracked and adopted on April 15, with 75 MPs voting in favor and none against. The …

On April 16, Georgia is to close airspace over the area of Abastumani, a health resort in the country’s south, with officials citing the need to ensure clear skies above the local astrophysical observatory. However, sources told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian Service that the move is in fact a “whim” of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the …

Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said the officials reviewed 165 grant applications over the past year and gave a “positive recommendation” for issuing grants in more than 95% of cases, referring to the controversial procedure under Georgia’s Law on Grants that critics say effectively restricts access for critical media and non-government actors to foreign …

Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, is visiting Georgia “to engage with government, authorities, and civil society on a range of important human rights concerns,” as he wrote on social media on April 13. The visit comes amid the Georgian Dream government’s continued crackdown on dissent, including opposition, civil society organizations and …

Two people were briefly arrested on April 29 in the village of Shulaveri in Marneuli municipality, populated mostly by ethnic Azerbaijanis, as tensions flared between protesting farmers and police. The Interior Ministry said the arrests were made for “disobeying police.” Video footage from the scene showed the arrests followed protesters’ attempt to block the road …

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s press secretary, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, denied media reports that Yerevan plans to transfer the village of Jiliza to Georgia as part of the border delimitation process. “Any statement, idea, or ‘information’ suggesting an intention, plan, or agreement to transfer any part of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia to …

A former employee of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), currently working in the Interior Ministry, was arrested on accusations of “taking out classified information” from SSSG, the State Security Service reported on April 25. It was not immediately clear from the statement whether the information was leaked or disclosed to a third party. …

Lazare Grigoriadis, who was previously convicted in a “Molotov cocktail” case related to the 2023 protests against the foreign agents law, was arrested on new allegations of making a “threat” two years after he left jail through a presidential pardon. Grigoriadis, 25, was arrested under Article 151 of the Criminal Code, covering threats to kill, …

Poet Zviad Ratiani, who is serving a two-year sentence for slapping a police officer, was placed under a stricter prison regime in a decision his lawyer described as “unsubstantiated,” as the Special Penitentiary Service cited “information regarding his safety” that it said led to his classification as a “higher-risk” inmate. In a letter from Tbilisi’s …

Senior Georgian Dream officials have suggested summoning EU Ambassador in Georgia Paweł Herczyński over his remarks made in Brussels, where the diplomat warned, among others, not to let Georgia “go back to the dark times.” The remarks, obtained by Netgazeti, were made on April 23 during the launching ceremony of “Georgia in Focus” exhibition hosted …

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said on April 23 that it arrested the head of a department of Kodori Hydropower Plants LLC , a subsidiary of Enguri HPP operating in the occupied Abkhazia territory, on suspicion of misappropriating and embezzling a large amount of money. The individual, who the agency said “fully cooperated” …

Georgia has been “permanently suspended” in Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international platform focused on transparency, accountability, and participation, over concerns that the conditions for membership – including an “enabling environment” for government and civil society to work together – no longer exist. The decision, announced on April 22, follows Georgia’s temporary suspension in 2024 …

The National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) released the final results of the 2024 census, according to which the population of Georgia stood at 3,929,581 as of November 14, 2024, marking an increase of more than 200,000 compared to the 3.71 million recorded in the previous 2014 census. The census, conducted from November 14 to …

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that while Georgia shows “no signs of reversing democratic backsliding,” an indication of Tbilisi’s willingness to change course would be what she described as “genuine engagement” in human rights dialogue, as EU foreign ministers discussed the country at a recent meeting in Luxembourg. “Georgia shows no signs of …

Amnesty International, a UK-based human rights organization, said Georgia has “plunged head-on into authoritarian practices, with systemic crackdowns on dissent” in its 2025 “The State of the World’s Human Rights” report published on April 21. The report, which reviews human rights developments in 144 countries during 2025, says that in Georgia, “the rights to freedom …

Georgia has been identified by Freedom House among six new countries using tactics of “transnational repression,” alongside Afghanistan, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, in a recent report on incidents in 2025 in which states silenced dissidents beyond their borders, including through assassination, assault, kidnapping, threats, and harassment. According to the organization, “at least 54 governments, …

Georgia’s external merchandise trade, excluding non-declared trade, totaled USD 5.867 billion in January-March 2026, marking a 0.2% year-on-year increase, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on April 20. China retained its position as Georgia’s largest export market, while Turkey remained the leading import partner, with motor cars continuing to dominate trade on …

Tsotne Ivanishvili, the youngest son of Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, lamented “violence” and “polarization” during a ruling party’s youth event in response to a question about abuses against protesters, with the billionaire’s son instead calling to engage in “conversation, discussion, debate.” Ivanishvili, 20, made the remarks at the April 18 event …

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said on April 17 that its chief, Mamuka Mdinaradze, along with two deputies and the head of the intelligence service, was on a “working visit” to the Czech Republic. “Meetings were held with the heads of the Czech Republic’s security services on security-related issues,” the agency said, without …

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that if Georgia were to join the European Union, Russia “would have” to include it on the list of countries with “unfriendly regimes” and extend to it “retaliatory economic measures.” She made the comment during an April 16 press conference in response to a question about how EU …

Ani Vazagashvili, who has headed the legal department of the pro-government and UK-sanctioned Imedi TV, was approved on April 15 by Georgia’s disputed parliament as a new member of the Communications Commission (ComCom), the state media regulator, with 80 MPs voting in favor and none against. She replaces Vakhtang Abashidze, who had served at ComCom …

Money transfers to Georgia from abroad reached USD 320.60 million in March, marking a 9.8% increase compared to the same month last year, according to data from the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). Once again, the largest share of these inflows came from the European Union and the United States, which together accounted for 64,4% of all …

The ajika they offer in Imereti is not nearly as spicy as the one served further west. That’s probably because enough tears have already been shed on those rare occasions when it is prepared here. The occasion is the kelekhi, a Georgian funeral dinner. The kelekhi ajika is different from the usual kind, and critics …

Hungarian Prime Minister-in-waiting Péter Magyar pledged to continue what he called “good relations” with Georgia in his first comment on the country after voters chose him to replace Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Georgian Dream, in the April 12 parliamentary elections. “Obviously, we will continue good relations with Georgia,” Magyar said during …