RSS Parrot

CoE Secretary General Calls to ‘Uphold Political Pluralism’ in Georgia Ahead of Opposition Ban Hearings

https://civil.ge/archives/755363

Published: October 20, 2026 15:55

Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), called on the Georgian ruling majority “to uphold political pluralism and preserve the space for political opposition” in a statement coming a day before the country’s Constitutional Court is…

Inmate Hospitalized As Lawyer Alleges Attack By Detainees With Reported Criminal Underworld Links

https://civil.ge/archives/755319

Published: October 20, 2026 15:29

Davit Peikrishvili, a detained figure associated with Georgia’s criminal underworld in media reports, was hospitalized with “multiple injuries” as his lawyer alleges an attack at Gldani Prison on October 19 by recently detained figures similarly associated…

Resigned Judge Explains ‘Many Factors’ Behind Seeking Recusal From GD’s Party Ban Case

https://civil.ge/archives/755321

Published: October 20, 2026 14:07

Judge Manana Kobakhidze spoke with RFE/RL’s Georgian Service about “many factors” — including her human rights advocacy before 2012 and her Georgian Dream past — that led her to request recusal from the ruling party’s lawsuit to ban five opposition…

Gakharia’s For Georgia Seeks Separate Examination in GD’s Opposition Party Ban Case

https://civil.ge/archives/755287

Published: October 20, 2026 11:47

For Georgia, an opposition party founded and led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, says it requested the Constitutional Court to separately examine its case as the court starts to hear Georgian Dream’s lawsuit seeking to declare five opposition…

Georgian Foreign Ministry Accuses EU Representatives of Interference After Criticism of Party Ban Proceedings

https://civil.ge/archives/755241

Published: October 20, 2026 07:53

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused EU representatives of interference in internal affairs and an attempt to pressure the court after the European Commission spokesperson criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party’s constitutional lawsuit seeking…

Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 9.2% in January-September 2026

https://civil.ge/archives/755167

Published: October 19, 2026 09:46

Georgia’s external merchandise trade, excluding non-declared trade, reached USD 20.535 billion in January-September 2026, up 9.2% year-on-year, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on October 19.…

Journalist Vakho Sanaia Sentenced to 30 Days’ Detention in Proceedings Over Social Media Posts

https://civil.ge/archives/755159

Published: October 19, 2026 08:47

Vakho Sanaia, the opposition-leaning Formula TV anchor and journalist, was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention after the Interior Ministry filed another complaint against him over social media posts the Ministry deemed insulting to Georgian…

Keinishvili Quits NBG Board Amid Prosecutors’ Probe, RFE/RL Investigation Into Business Dealings

https://civil.ge/archives/755092

Published: October 18, 2026 16:14

Nana Keinishvili announced her departure from the board of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) a week after prosecutors announced a probe into alleged illegal business activities, and RFE/RL’s Georgian service published a report suggesting she may have…

Ivanishvili Present as Georgian Dream Meets to Discuss ‘Domestic, Foreign Policy Issues’

https://civil.ge/archives/755066

Published: October 17, 2026 13:01

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, made a rare public appearance on October 17, chairing meetings of the party’s political council and parliamentary majority, with Prime Minister Irakli…

Shares of UK-Sanctioned Imedi TV Owner Redistributed Among Four Shareholders

https://civil.ge/archives/755050

Published: October 17, 2026 11:17

The shares of Georgian Media Production Group, the company that owns the British-sanctioned, pro-government TV Imedi, have been redistributed among four people, who now hold equal 25% stakes in the company, according to documents filed with Georgia’s…

Kobakhidze Meets Iranian President in Yerevan as Tehran Calls for ‘Practical Cooperation’

https://civil.ge/archives/755035

Published: October 17, 2026 09:23

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on October 16 on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biodiversity in Yerevan, where the two discussed bilateral…

OSCE Chairperson-In-Office Ignazio Cassis Visits Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/754917

Published: October 16, 2026 21:44

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis visited Georgia on October 16 in his capacity as the chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), holding talks with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and…

Sokhumi, Tskhinvali, Moscow Digest – October 9-15, 2026

https://civil.ge/archives/754968

Published: October 16, 2026 15:20

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 Occupied Abkhazia to Host Domino Championship in 2027…

October 4 Unrest Defendant Kirvalidze Detained on New Contempt of Court Charges

https://civil.ge/archives/755000

Published: October 16, 2026 14:10

Giorgi Kirvalidze, an athlete charged in the October 4, 2025 election-day unrest case, was detained on new criminal charges of contempt of court on October 16, as he was leaving a detention facility after serving a seven-day administrative sentence for…

Money Transfers to Georgia Down 10.1% in September Amid Drop in Russia Transactions

https://civil.ge/archives/754942

Published: October 16, 2026 12:14

Money transfers to Georgia from abroad fell by 10.1% year-on-year to USD 285.7 million in September 2026, marking the biggest annual decline recorded so far this year, according to the latest data published by the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). Transfers…

EU Delegation Pledges Assistance for ‘People of Georgia’, Says No EU Funding Goes to Authorities

https://civil.ge/archives/754930

Published: October 16, 2026 11:11

Reiterating the pledge to spend EUR 38 million on new projects in Georgia, the EU Delegation in Georgia said the bloc no longer provides funding to Georgian authorities but continues to aid the “people of Georgia.” The funding was first announced by the EU…

Kipiani, ‘Katsro’: Figures Associated With Criminal Underworld Arrested on Group Violence Charges

https://civil.ge/archives/754913

Published: October 16, 2026 10:00

Vakthang (Vato) Kipiani and Avtandil Bilanishvili, known as “Katsro,” two figures long associated with Georgia’s criminal underworld in media reports, have been arrested alongside another person, Shota Kipiani, on charges of group violence. Bilanishvili…

MP Viktor Japaridze Sells Majority Stake in UK-Sanctioned POSTV

https://civil.ge/archives/754820

Published: October 16, 2026 08:50

Viktor Japaridze, a Georgian businessman and lawmaker from Georgian Dream’s offshoot People’s Power party, has sold his 52% stake in pro-government channel POSTV, months after the channel was sanctioned by the United Kingdom over alleged involvement in…

Inmate Died at Kutaisi Prison After Reportedly Falling From Bunk Bed, Penitentiary Service Says

https://civil.ge/archives/754817

Published: October 15, 2026 15:48

An inmate identified as G.G. died at Penitentiary Facility No. 2 in Kutaisi on October 9 after reportedly falling from the upper level of a bunk bed, the Special Penitentiary Service said on October 15, citing accounts from cellmates. The death comes amid…

Backgrounder: Constitutional Court Starts Hearing Opposition Party Ban Case

https://civil.ge/archives/754671

Published: October 15, 2026 15:09

Georgia’s Constitutional Court announced on October 13 that its seven-judge plenum accepted for consideration on the merits the ruling Georgian Dream party’s lawsuit seeking to ban five opposition parties, scheduling the first hearings in October. The…

Opposition Alliance Announces Rallies on October 25, November 28 Amid GD’s Bid to Ban Parties

https://civil.ge/archives/754781

Published: October 15, 2026 13:00

Opposition Alliance, which unites nine Georgian opposition parties, announced an October 25 rally in Tbilisi titled “Georgia without Ivanishvili. Georgia deserves better,” protesting, among others, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s efforts to ban several…

Supreme Court Judge Selection Process Restarts After Only Candidate Withdraws

https://civil.ge/archives/754741

Published: October 15, 2026 11:35

Georgia’s High Council of Justice (HCOJ), a body supervising the Georgian judiciary, will restart the selection process for a Supreme Court judge after the sole candidate, Temur Gogokhia, withdrew on October 13, a day after advancing to the final stage.…

Suspect in Alleged U.S. Asylum Fraud Scheme Extradited From Argentina to Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/754737

Published: October 15, 2026 08:20

Giorgi Khatiashvili, accused of involvement in a transnational organized crime scheme that allegedly fabricated asylum claims for Georgian citizens seeking to enter the United States, was extradited from Argentina to Georgia, the Prosecutor’s Office…

Guard at the Center of Prison Sexual Abuse Allegations Left Georgia’s Penitentiary System

https://civil.ge/archives/754680

Published: October 14, 2026 14:04

Giorgi Varabiovi, a prison staffer identified in media reports as being among the guards featured in the alleged sexual assault of inmate Giorgi Davitadze, has left the Georgian Penitentiary Service, the agency confirmed to Civil.ge. Varabiovi, reportedly…

Opposition’s Zurab Japaridze Detained in Turkey on His Way to Brussels, To Be Returned to Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/754683

Published: October 14, 2026 10:55

Zurab Japaridze, leader of the opposition Girchi – More Freedom party, said he has been detained at the border in Turkey on his way to a summit in Brussels and will be sent back to Georgia, citing a ban on entering Turkey apparently based on information…

Venice Commission Criticises Georgia’s 2025 Amendments Extending Party Ban to Individuals

https://civil.ge/archives/754623

Published: October 14, 2026 08:08

The Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body, has warned that Georgia’s October 2025 legislative amendments that allow for extending the party ban to individual members are contrary to international standards of pluralism and democracy, and…

Denied Recusal, Judge Manana Kobakhidze Quits Constitutional Court

https://civil.ge/archives/754560

Published: October 13, 2026 15:38

Judge Manana Kobakhidze has resigned from the Georgian Constitutional Court after her request to recuse herself from a case filed by the ruling Georgian Dream party to ban several opposition parties was refused. “Pursuant to the Order No. 2 issued by the…

Venice Commission Criticizes Georgia’s New Foreign Funding Restrictions, Urges Review of Criminal Penalties

https://civil.ge/archives/754522

Published: October 13, 2026 13:52

The Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law matters, has criticized Georgia’s March 4 legislative amendments that restricted foreign funding and political activities. The Commission has warned that the legislation…

Vietnam’s Vice President Visits Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/754454

Published: October 13, 2026 08:31

Vietnamese Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân arrived in Georgia on October 12 for an official visit, with the delegation holding meetings with Georgian Dream government officials and signing bilateral cooperation documents. Xuân was welcomed at Tbilisi…

Is All Foreign Policy Local? Explaining Georgia’s Shifting Alignments

https://civil.ge/archives/753630

Published: October 12, 2026 16:19

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has turned increasingly authoritarian over the past few years. Faced with a worsening security environment, local legitimacy concerns, and growing international isolation, the party increasingly tied its foreign policy…

Constitutional Court Rejects Judge’s Request to Recuse Herself From GD’s Party-Banning Lawsuit

https://civil.ge/archives/754369

Published: October 12, 2026 15:14

The Constitutional Court of Georgia rejected the request from Judge Manana Kobakhidze, who sought to recuse herself from Georgian Dream’s lawsuit seeking to ban several opposition parties, citing concerns that her previous political activities and…

EU Ambassador Announces EUR 38 Mln in New Projects for Georgia

https://civil.ge/archives/754328

Published: October 12, 2026 13:44

EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski announced plans for EUR 38 million in new EU-funded projects to support rural development, businesses, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection, hoping to sign the projects by the end of this year “in…

Kobakhidze Announces Increase in Pensions for Those Under 70, Housing Compensation for IDPs

https://civil.ge/archives/754351

Published: October 12, 2026 12:49

Pensions for people under the age of 70 will increase by GEL 45 to GEL 415 (USD 160) from January 1, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on October 12, reversing the government’s initial plan to raise them by GEL 20. He also announced…

Officials, Patriarch Launch ‘God, Homeland, Human Being’ Symposium in Tbilisi

https://civil.ge/archives/754274

Published: October 12, 2026 09:06

Georgian Dream officials, Orthodox clergy, academics, and foreign church delegations gathered on October 11 for the opening ceremony of the international symposium “God, Homeland, Human Being,” dedicated to the 1,700th anniversary of Georgia’s adoption of…

Two Illegally Detained Georgian Citizens Released From Tskhinvali Custody

https://civil.ge/archives/754230

Published: October 11, 2026 12:58

Two Georgian citizens who were detained near the Tskhinvali occupation line on September 3 have been released and returned to the Tbilisi-controlled territory, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said on October 9. While the SSSG did not name the…

Russia Suspends Sale, Import of Drinks From Several Georgian Producers, RBC Reports

https://civil.ge/archives/754203

Published: October 10, 2026 12:44

Russia has suspended the import and sale of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks — including Nabeghlavi and Coca-Cola — from several key Georgian producers, Russian media outlet RBC reported, citing a document from the Russian consumer rights and public…