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Kanye West (Ye) to Perform in Tbilisi in June

https://civil.ge/archives/733326

Published: May 6, 2026 13:23

American rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, will perform in Tbilisi on June 12, Starring Georgia, a state-run project organizing the event, announced on May 6. The planned Tbilisi show comes amid the cancellation of several European dates following…

National Bank Raises Refinancing Rate to 8.25% for First Time in Two Years, Citing Middle East Situation

https://civil.ge/archives/733277

Published: May 6, 2026 11:21

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) raised the refinancing rate by 0.25 percentage points to 8.25%, citing escalating Middle East tensions and prolonged disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as the…

European Parliament Committee Adopts Critical Report on Georgia, Draws Backlash from Tbilisi

https://civil.ge/archives/733243

Published: May 6, 2026 09:58

The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) adopted on May 5 a critical report on Georgia, which Tbilisi denounced as “entirely detached from reality.” The report, based on the European Commission’s 2025 report, was passed by 53 votes to…

Georgia’s High Council of Justice Picks Six Supreme Court Nominees

https://civil.ge/archives/733175

Published: May 5, 2026 12:52

The High Council of Justice of Georgia (HCoJ), the body overseeing the judiciary, finalized applications for lifetime appointments to the country’s Supreme Court on May 4 and will now submit six nominees to the country’s disputed parliament for…

SSSG Arrests Georgian Official Who Had Worked for Ivanishvili’s Cartu Group on Espionage Allegations

https://civil.ge/archives/733184

Published: May 5, 2026 12:46

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said on May 5 that it had arrested a Georgian official for spying for a foreign country’s intelligence service. While the agency did not name the suspect in its initial statement, it later confirmed to Civil.ge…

UK, Finland, Other Members of Media Freedom Coalition Flag ‘Troubling Trends’ in Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/733133

Published: May 5, 2026 09:05

The United Kingdom and Finland, current co-chairs of the 51-member Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), have raised concerns over what they describe as “troubling trends” in Georgia’s media environment, in a joint op-ed marking World Press Freedom Day and…

Formula TV Reports Signal Disruptions Over Debt to Operator

https://civil.ge/archives/733134

Published: May 5, 2026 08:18

Formula TV, Georgia’s major opposition-leaning channel, announced on May 4 that its broadcast had been temporarily suspended for part of its audience due to an outstanding debt to Stereo Plus, an operator that distributes the channel’s free-to-air signal…

Kobakhidze, Botchorishvili Speak with Zelenskyy, Sybiha at EPC Summit in Yerevan

https://civil.ge/archives/733076

Published: May 4, 2026 13:46

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the margins of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on May…

Georgia’s Annual Inflation at 5.9% in April 2026

https://civil.ge/archives/733006

Published: May 4, 2026 08:24

Georgia’s annual inflation rate stood at 5.9% in April, while consumer prices increased by 1.7% month-on-month, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (Geostat) on May 4. Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 0.5%…

Kobakhidze Attends European Political Community Summit in Yerevan

https://civil.ge/archives/732990

Published: May 4, 2026 07:28

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is attending the eighth European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on May 4. Georgian Dream Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and Government Administration Head Levan…

Ekho Kavkaza, RFE/RL’s Russian-Language Unit Covering Georgia and Its Occupied Territories, Closes

https://civil.ge/archives/732941

Published: May 2, 2026 12:56

Ekho Kavkaza, the Russian-language unit of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian Service that targeted audiences in the occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia/Tskhinvali regions, closed on May 1 as part of the organization’s restructuring. In an April 28…

Nino Shubladze Appointed Director General of Rustavi 2 TV Channel

https://civil.ge/archives/732925

Published: May 2, 2026 08:30

Nino Shubladze, a political talk show host and head of the news service at the pro-government Rustavi 2 TV channel, has been appointed its new director general, replacing Bakur Bakuradze, who will continue as artistic director, the channel announced on May…

Patriarchal Locum Tenens Shio Mujiri Meets Georgian Dream FM Maka Botchorishvili

https://civil.ge/archives/732915

Published: May 1, 2026 14:54

Patriarchal Locum Tenens Shio Mujiri, who temporarily governs the Georgian Orthodox Church ahead of the election of a new leader, met with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on May 1. “The discussion touched upon meetings with Georgian…

Sokhumi, Tskhinvali, Moscow Digest – April 24-30, 2026

https://civil.ge/archives/732871

Published: May 1, 2026 10:49

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 Russia Prosecutes Abkhaz Opposition Leader On April 28,…

Disputed Parliament’s ‘Price Commission’ Concludes Work

https://civil.ge/archives/732883

Published: May 1, 2026 10:44

The Interim Commission to Study the Pricing Structure of Food Products, Medicines, and Fuel in Georgia’s disputed parliament concluded its three-month work on May 1. The 14-member commission, established in February, followed calls from Georgian Dream…

Roman Kartsivadze Moved from MIA Special Tasks Department to SSSG Role

https://civil.ge/archives/732859

Published: May 1, 2026 08:44

Roman Kartsivadze, who headed the Special Tasks Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA), has been appointed head of the Special Operations Department at the State Security Service (SSSG), the agency said on May 1. The transfer…

Georgian Dream Expects U.S. State Department Visit in May

https://civil.ge/archives/732774

Published: April 30, 2026 14:02

Georgian Dream officials say they expect a visit by U.S. State Department representatives in May, amid hopes to reset ties and ongoing uncertainty over largely frozen ties between Washington and Tbilisi. The expectations for May follow earlier statements…

Citizens of Various Countries, Including Georgia, Identified by Ukraine in Probe Into Russian-Linked Network

https://civil.ge/archives/732707

Published: April 30, 2026 12:42

Ukrainian prosecutors said they had exposed a network linked to Russian special services involving citizens of various countries, including Georgia, that allegedly planned serious crimes such as contract killings, sabotage, and provocations across several…

Georgia Records Slight Drop in International Visits in Q1 2026, with Russia Leading by Visitor Share

https://civil.ge/archives/732723

Published: April 30, 2026 11:25

Georgia recorded 1.2 million visits by international visitors in the first quarter of 2026, down 0.2% year-on-year, while the number of international visitors was 994,800, up 2.5% compared to the same period last year, with visitors from Russia accounting…

Georgia Falls 21 Places to 135th in RSF 2026 World Press Freedom Index

https://civil.ge/archives/732593

Published: April 30, 2026 09:35

Georgia has fallen 21 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index 2026 to rank 135th out of 180 countries and territories, down from 114th in the previous year, marking a total drop of 75 positions over the past 25 years.…

Georgia’s GDP Up 10.7% in March, Q1 Growth at 9.1%

https://civil.ge/archives/732712

Published: April 30, 2026 08:23

Georgia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 10.7% year-on-year in March 2026, according to rapid estimates released by the National Statistics Office (Geostat) on April 30. Average real GDP growth of the first quarter of 2026 stood at 9.1%.…

Sokhumi Says It Detained Three Russians on Terrorism-Related Allegations

https://civil.ge/archives/732706

Published: April 30, 2026 08:13

The de facto security service of occupied Abkhazia said it had detained three Russian citizens on terrorism-related allegations and transferred them to Russian authorities. According to the de facto agency, the detainees – Anastasia Kaushan (born 1986),…

Disputed Parliament Approves New SSSG Head, State Minister Post for Mdinaradze

https://civil.ge/archives/732395

Published: April 29, 2026 13:31

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…

Georgia to Co-Host 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup With Armenia

https://civil.ge/archives/732640

Published: April 29, 2026 12:48

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…