Judge Koba Chagunava has sentenced Soviet history researcher, educator, and historian Rusiko Kobakhidze to three days in administrative detention for the second time, again on the grounds of “blocking the road.” “The violation is evident, and there are no circumstances that would rule out detention,” — said Judge Koba Chagunava in his reasoning. The first …
Author Archives: Batumelebi&Netgazeti
Criminal Case Launched Against Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia Over “Gavrilov’s Night” and Chorchana Checkpoint Incidents
Criminal prosecution has been initiated against former Prime Minister and opposition For Georgia party leader Giorgi Gakharia in connection with the June 20, 2019 events and the Chorchana checkpoint case. The announcement was made on November 12, by the Prosecutor General, Giorgi Gvaramidze, at a press briefing. Gakharia is charged with organizing the intentional infliction …
Turkey Confirms 20 Soldiers Killed in Air Crash in Georgia Near Azerbaijani Border
Turkey has confirmed that 20 servicemen were killed when a C-130 military transport aircraft crashed in eastern Georgia near the Azerbaijani border on November 11. The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of National Defence confirmed the loss of its servicemen in an official statement on X: “Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on November 11, 2025, when …
Key Points from Mzia Amaglobeli’s Appellate Court Hearing
On November 11, the Court of Appeals in Kutaisi began hearing the case of Mzia Amaglobeli. Her lawyers are appealing the verdict delivered on August 6 by Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili, which sentenced Amaglobeli to two years in prison. The defense is seeking her full acquittal. The prosecution has also appealed, demanding conviction …
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Mzia Amaglobeli: “This Case Has No Connection to Law or Justice — My Imprisonment Is a Political Decision of the Regime”
Mzia Amaglobeli, Georgia’s imprisoned journalist and Sakharov Prize laureate, founder of Netgazeti and Batumelebi, requested to speak at the Court of Appeals. “I want to wish resilience and victory to the society in resistance. I want to thank the audience here in the courtroom, as well as my fellow supporters outside and my family, for …
Turkish Aircraft Crashes Near Georgia-Azerbaijan Border, Investigation Underway
An aircraft has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. Footage of the crash has been shared by the pro–Georgian Dream TV channel Imedi, which reported that the aircraft was believed to be a Turkish military jet. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has clarified that it was a cargo aircraft, and the details are still under …
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Multi-Billion Dollar Project Eagle Hills Contract Classified as Commercial Secret
The investment agreement signed with Eagle Hills, under which major development projects are to be carried out in Tbilisi and Adjara — including the creation of new residential and tourism infrastructure — has been classified as a commercial secret. This is stated in a decree issued by the Government of Georgia on October 22. According …
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Georgian Dream Promotes Prosecutors Involved in Mzia Amaglobeli’s Politically Motivated Case
According to information provided to Batumelebi, the prosecutors handling Mzia Amaglobeli’s case have been promoted: Tornike Gogeshvili has been appointed Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Batumi, while Shota Chkhaidze has become Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Ozurgeti District. The Prosecutor’s Office press center did not respond to Batumelebi’s inquiry about these personnel changes on November 6. Several …
Prosecutor’s Office Launches Criminal Proceedings Against Eight Opposition Leaders for “Crimes Against the State”
The Prosecutor’s Office has launched criminal proceedings against eight opposition leaders, charging them with crimes against the state. The announcement was made today, November 6, by the Prosecutor General of Georgia, Giorgi Gvaramidze, at a press briefing. According to him, criminal prosecution has been initiated against Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Nika Gvaramia, Nikanor Melia, Zurab …
From Prosecuting for the UNM Government to Banning UNM: Former Prosecutor Chairs Constitutional Court Panel
The ruling Georgian Dream party is invoking the murder case of Sergeant Roin Shavadze and past violations of journalists’ rights as arguments to ban the United National Movement and other opposition parties. The constitutional complaint has been assigned to the same judge who, as a prosecutor, oversaw the original investigation of Shavadze’s case during the …
Georgian Dream’s Foreign Ministry Questions Objectivity of European Commission Enlargement Report
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgian Dream responds to the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report, which ranks Georgia as the candidate country with the most negative assessment among the ten candidate countries. In a statement issued by the ministry, it says the European Commission’s critical evaluation is unfounded and “used for yet another round …
Georgia Called ‘Candidate Country in Name Only’ in EU Annual Enlargement Package
The European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report delivers its harshest assessment yet of Georgia’s democratic decline, warning that the country’s EU accession process has “de facto reached a halt” following a year marked by repression, human rights violations, and hostile anti-EU rhetoric from the ruling Georgian Dream government. In the 2025 Georgia Report, published on November …
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Teacher and Civil Activist Nino Datashvili Released on Bail After Months in Pretrial Detention
On October 29, teacher and civil activist Nino Datashvili, who had been held in pretrial detention, was released from the Rustavi Women’s Prison after the court replaced her detention with bail. Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili granted the prosecution’s motion to substitute Datashvili’s pretrial detention with bail set at 5,000 GEL. The prosecution’s decision …
Imprisoned Teacher and Civil Activist Nino Datashvili’s Health in Critical Condition, Defense Team Seeks Her Release
The health of imprisoned civil activist and teacher Nino Datashvili, a prisoner of conscience, has deteriorated sharply, raising serious concerns about her survival in detention. Her husband, Godi Pruidze, wrote on Facebook that he visited Datashvili on October 28 at the Rustavi Women’s Colony and found her in alarming condition. According to Pruidze, Datashvili can …
21 Individuals Charged in Case Involving Embezzlement of Rural Development Agency Grants
According to the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance, as part of an ongoing probe into the legality of how grants allocated by the Rural Development Agency of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture were spent, another member of an organized group has been arrested on charges of large-scale embezzlement of state funds, …
Former Adjara Government Head Tornike Rizhvadze Expected to Return to Georgia, Says Ex-Maritime Agency Chief
The former head of Georgia’s Maritime Transport Agency, Aleksi Akhvlediani, has told media that former Chairman of the Government of Adjara, Tornike Rizhvadze, is expected to return to Georgia in the near future. Akhvlediani made the statement on October 27, shortly before the start of his court hearing. “I stand by my position — I …
Tamar Lortkipanidze Charged with Violence, Police Vehicle Attack, Faces 4–7 Years in Prison
Tamar Lortkipanidze, 48, who climbed onto a patrol car during the October 22 protest in Tbilisi, has been formally charged by the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office with violence and attacking a police vehicle. The Ministry of Internal Affairs initially detained Lortkipanidze under Article 239 of the Criminal Code, which covers hooliganism. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, …
Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili Charged with Money Laundering
Former Prime Minister from the Georgian Dream party, Irakli Garibashvili, has been charged with money laundering but has not been detained, while Georgia already has more than 150 political prisoners, including individuals jailed for minor offenses such as possessing a medical mask or causing damages under 400 USD. The Prosecutor’s Office has requested a bail …
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14 Arrested in Past Two Days – One Detainee Sent for Compulsory Treatment at Mental Health and Drug Prevention Center
In the past two days, 14 people have been arrested under the new repressive laws enacted against the protest. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) on October 21, initials of 13 people detained over the past two days for “violating the rules of holding an assembly or demonstration” are: …
Tsira Zhvania, Third Journalist of Formula TV, Arrested for Allegedly Blocking Road During Protests in Tbilisi
Formula TV journalist Tsira Zhvania has been arrested on allegations of “blocking the road” during protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. “Two police officers were waiting for me near my home. We waited 20 minutes for the patrol crew. They just arrived – apparently, I’m being detained for blocking the road,” Zhvania wrote. Zhvania is …
’I Can No Longer See with My Left Eye and Was Denied a Doctor’: 64-Year-Old Prisoner of Conscience Describes Prison Conditions in Letter
64-year-old Kote (Konstantine) Kokaia, arrested in connection with the October 4 events, has written a letter to his daughter from prison describing the conditions of his detention. According to him, he has lost vision in one eye, requires medical attention, but has not been taken to a doctor. The conditions he describes indicate serious violations …
Citizen Who Voluntarily ‘Admitted’ to Blocking Road Not Detained After Others Arrested for Same Act
Film director Giorgi Tavartkiladze, who voluntarily went to the police and stated that he had blocked the road, was not detained. According to his lawyer, Nika Simonishvili, Tavartkiladze was questioned at the police station. “Director Giorgi Tavartkiladze went to the police station on his own and said: ‘I blocked the road – arrest me like …
Over 30 Media Outlets in Georgia Express Solidarity with Journalist Vakho Sanaia
Over 30 media outlets express solidarity with journalist Vakho Sanaia. On October 19, police detained Vakho Sanaia, a journalist and anchor at Formula TV. The court sentenced him to six days of administrative detention on charges of blocking a road. The full statement reads: “On October 19, Formula TV journalist Vakho Sanaia was detained and …
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Another Journalist Arrested in New Wave of Detentions Targeting Daily Protests
“Formula TV” journalist Keta Tsitskishvili is reportedly being detained. She wrote about it herself: “They’ve come for me too! The police showed up! If they think they can scare me, my family, or any of my friends – they’re wrong. In the end, we will still win,” Tsitskishvili wrote, asking her grandparents not to worry. …
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“For Georgia” Party to Take Up Parliamentary Mandates
Members of the For Georgia party, founded by former Prime Minister from Georgian Dream Party (2019-2021) Giorgi Gakharia, plan to take up their parliamentary mandates. The announcement was made today, October 20, by party member Giorgi Sharashidze during a briefing. According to him, refusing to use the parliamentary and municipal platforms – especially in this …
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Sixteen More Arrested in Connection with October 4 Events, Total Detainees Now 62
Sixteen more people have been arrested on October 17 in connection with the events of October 4, bringing the total number of detainees to 62. The announcement was made by Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Gela Geladze, representing the ruling Georgian Dream party. “Today we arrested 16 additional individuals. As of now, a total of …
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Freedom Behind Bars: EU Parliament Hears Call to Stand with Mzia Amaglobeli
On October 14 in Brussels, five Members of the European Parliament co-hosted a discussion titled “Freedom Behind Bars: Standing with Mzia Amaglobeli and Georgia’s Pro-Democracy Movement.” Following the opening remarks by the MEPs, the floor was given to Amaglobeli’s colleagues and her international lawyers. The event also featured addresses from Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, …
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Arrests Continue: Flagbearer of Batumi Protests Detained by About Ten Police Officers, Witnesses Say
Flagbearer of the Batumi protests, Zurab Chavchanidze, has been arrested. According to information provided to Batumelebi, the flagbearer was detained today, October 8, in Batumi. Witnesses say around ten police officers participated in the arrest. Batumelebi has learned that Zurab Chavchanidze has been transferred to Tbilisi. Chavchanidze attended the protest in Tbilisi on October 4. …
Five Organizers of October 4 Protest Ordered into Pre-Trial Detention; 13 More Arrested — What We Know
On October 6, thirteen more people were arrested in connection with the investigation into the October 4 protest. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, stated that two additional individuals have been declared wanted. According to the United National Movement (UNM), four of the detainees – Aleksandre Khabeishvili, Sergo Megrelishvili, Abo Naveriani, and Kakha Mzhavanadze …
Former Deputy Chief of JF of Georgia’s Armed Forces Faces Up to Nine Years in Prison Over Pro-European Protests
One of the key figures arrested on serious criminal charges in connection with the October 4 events Colonel Lasha Beridze, former Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces. Since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Batumelebi has published several interviews with Lasha Beridze, featuring him as a military analyst. …
Zourabichvili Urges Public to Defend Rustaveli Protest, Says October 4 Was a Russian Operation Aimed at Discrediting Movement
On October 5, Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, addressed the public. Responding to the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement classifying all gatherings and assemblies as an “attempt to overthrow the government,” she called on people to protect the Rustaveli protest and continue the peaceful demonstrations. According to Zourabichvili, a “Russian special psychological operation” was carried …
Security Service Says It Seized Large Cache of Firearms and Explosives Linked to October 4 Events
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) claims that a large quantity of firearms, ammunition, and explosives with a detonator has been discovered in connection with October 4 events. According to the SSSG, on the instructions of a Georgian representative of a military unit operating in Ukraine, Georgian citizen B. Ch. acquired a significant amount …
Burchuladze Son Says Clashes at Presidential Palace May Have Been the Result of Betrayal, Not the Original Plan
Lekso Burchuladze, son of Paata Burchuladze, told TV Pirveli that he believes the plan was not to storm the Presidential Palace, but that there may have been another plan, possibly involving a peaceful entry – “they would have come over to our side”. He said he feels there was a betrayal from within and called …
October 4 Rally Organizers Face Up to Nine Years as Total Detainees Remain Unknown and MIA Warns Against All Assemblies
All members of the organizing committee of the October 4 rally announced by opera singer and one of the leaders of the Rustaveli Avenue movement, Paata Burchuladze, have been arrested, including Burchuladze himself. They face up to nine years in prison. On October 5, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a statement warning that any …
‘Treacherous Betrayal,’ ‘Agents,’ and ‘External Enemies’ – Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Letter with Anti-Western Messages
Bidzina Ivanishvili has issued a letter on the 13th anniversary of the Georgian Dream victory in the 2012 elections. “Another test awaits us on October 4,” he writes in the letter, which contains numerous anti-Western messages similar to statements made by his team members. At the same time, Ivanishvili mentions “external enemies” and “agents.” He …
Georgian Dream Propagandist Says Part of Youth Is “Redundant” and Should Leave Georgia
“Georgian Dream” propagandist Zaza Shatirishvili claims that part of the youth is “redundant” and should leave Georgia – “just as the communists left the Basque Country during Franco’s regime”. He praised the Spanish dictator and said that “Georgian Dream” likewise defends religion. Speaking on Radio Sivrtse, Shatirishvili said that many opposition supporters are already emigrating. …