The arrest comes nearly a month after the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had launched an investigation into Baramidze’s remarks about the Georgian side not taking prisoners during the Abkhazia war in the early 90s as they were “shooting” them.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Baramidze will be charged “with high treason, namely sabotage,” facing a prison sentence of up to four years if convicted. The agency has been conducting an investigation under Articles 307 (high treason) and 318 (sabotage) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation “has unequivocally ruled out any instances of the execution of prisoners of war by members of the Georgian armed forces or other war participants during the armed conflict,” the Prosecutor’s Office said on September 11, following the arrest. “The information disseminated by Giorgi Baramidze is unfounded and made up, carries a deliberately ideological-informational character, and serves to damage Georgia’s state and national interests, foreign security, defense capabilities, and state institutions.”
The prosecutors said they will be seeking pre-trial detention, with the court yet to decide on the preventive measure.
The detention was broadcast live on Facebook by Baramidze’s wife, Anna Fylypchuk. In the footage, several officers can be seen apparently completing an arrest report while allowing Baramidze to change his clothes. Officers are then seen handcuffing him and escorting him out of the apartment and into an elevator, after which the livestream ends.
The case stems from Baramidze’s appearance on the Birth of Georgia program, in an episode published on YouTube on July 18, where he discussed his role during the war in Abkhazia and his efforts to secure the release of Georgian prisoners back when he was a member of the Georgian Parliament.
Baramidze said the exchange of prisoners stalled because the Georgian side had no prisoners to offer in return. “They [the separatists] stopped giving us prisoners, because we didn’t have prisoners. Our side was not taking prisoners,” he said. Asked by the program host, libertarian Girchi (renamed Free People’s Party) party leader Iago Khvichia why, Baramidze replied: “They [our side] were shooting [them].”
He also said he had personally gone to the front line on several occasions to prevent captured individuals from being shot so they could later be exchanged.
More to follow…
Also Read:
]]>The results of PISA, a study which assesses the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students and examines how well they can apply their knowledge in the real world, were published on September 8, leading Georgian Dream authorities to hail the improvements and attribute them to the reforms, while critics dismissed the change as “insignificant.”
Georgia’s recorded improvement comes amid what the report said was an international decline. “The overall performance of OECD countries declined, with the lowest average levels of performance ever observed in science, reading and mathematics,” the report noted.
The study covered more than 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies, while Georgia participated with 6,855 students from 265 schools, marking the country’s fifth test cycle since its first participation in 2010. The test has been conducted once every three years up until 2025, but the cycle is set to extend to once in every four years in the future.
For the study, the students took a two hour test, and each student was tested in two subjects, with test items being a mixture of multiple-choice questions and questions requiring students to construct their own responses.
According to the report, Georgian students scored an average of 422 points in science, compared with 384 in 2022; 416 points in mathematics, up from 390 in 2022; and 384 points in reading, compared with 374 three years earlier.
PISA 2025 average scores were a historic high for Georgian students in science and mathematics, while in reading, the average performance, while improved compared to 2022, remained still below PISA 2015 (401 points), the report said.
According to the report, Georgia’s results remain below the OECD average in all three subjects, with OECD average amounting to 482 points in science, 463 in mathematics, and 461 in reading.
Over the last 3-year cycle, the gap between the highest-scoring students and the weakest students widened in mathematics and science, but did not change significantly in reading, according to the report. Also, compared to 2015 the proportion of low-performing students decreased by four percentage points in mathematics, increased by nine percentage points in reading, and decreased by six percentage points in science.
The Georgian official analysis shows that a substantial share of Georgian students do not reach what PISA considers the baseline level of proficiency. In reading, 61% of Georgian students performed below Level 2, compared with 31% across OECD countries. In mathematics, 53% were below the baseline level, compared with 35% in the OECD, while in science the respective figures were 45% and 26%.
At the same time, one percent of Georgian students reached the top Level 5 or 6 in science, compared with an OECD average of 7%, while 2% reached those levels in mathematics, compared with 8% across the OECD. In reading, the OECD said “almost no” Georgian students reached Level 5 or higher, compared with an OECD average of 6%.
At the same time, the Georgian analysis shows improvement in the proportion of students reaching the baseline across all three subjects, noting that 27% reached at least Level 2 in all three subjects in 2025, up from 17% in the previous PISA cycle. It is, however, still far below OECD average of 50%.
According to the OECD report, the gap in science performance between the top and the bottom 25% of students in terms of socio-economic status narrowed in Georgia over the past decade, as across OECD countries on average.
“Over this period, performance improved among disadvantaged students, but remained stable among advantaged students,” the report says, noting that the socio-economic status accounted for 4 percent of the variation in science performance in Georgia in 2025, compared to 12% on average across OECD countries.
Significant disparities also remain between public and private schools, according to the Georgian analysis. Private-school students scored an average of 465 points against 418 among public-school students in science; 464 against 412 in mathematics; and 419 against 381 in reading.
Differences according to school location have narrowed over the past decade, with the Georgian analysis linking much of the change to improved performance among students in rural areas and small towns.
The analysis also identifies significant differences according to the language of instruction, highlighting particularly low results among students in Azerbaijani-language schools.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party officials welcomed the results, emphasizing the improvement since the previous assessment and Georgia’s performance against broader global decline in student achievement.
The GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said at a government meeting on September 8 that Georgia had improved in all of PISA’s main areas and achieved its best results of the past decade in mathematics and science.
“In terms of improvement in science performance, Georgia ranked first among the 91 countries participating in the study,” Kobakhidze said. “Against the backdrop of a global decline in achievement, Georgia is maintaining a steady trend of improvement,” he added, also pointing to a reduction in the share of low-performing students and a narrowing gap between urban and rural schools.
Kobakhidze nevertheless acknowledged that the results remained insufficient, saying there were still “shortcomings” and “much to improve.”
The GD Education Minister Givi Mikanadze similarly described the results as “very welcome news.” He highlighted the improvement in science in particular and linked the progress to the importance of the government’s ongoing education reforms.
Critics, however, were more skeptical. Simon Janashia, an education expert a member of the opposition Freedom Square party, offered a more critical assessment of the results.
“The changes are insignificant if we look at them from a long-term perspective, rather than comparing only the results of 2022 [post-pandemic] and 2025,” Janashia said.
Pointing to the small share of high-performing students, as well as high share of low-performing students on the other end of the scale, Janashia said “there has been a slight improvement, particularly in the share of students who perform at the lowest level, but the change in the overall results is insignificant.”
Janashia also questioned the significance of the gains, claiming Georgian schools had, for the first time, been instructed to have students practise taking the tests ahead of the 2025 assessment.
Author: Nino Baindurashvili
Also Read:
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’s facto foreign minister Oleg Bartsits paid a working visit to the Gali district, where he met with the so-called Gali district head Konstantin Pilia to discuss current issues of cooperation, including the provision of “consular services” to residents. Bartsits also visited the Enguri checkpoint, where he reviewed its operations and was briefed on the current situation at the crossing. The visit also included discussions on the possible resumption of Gali’s Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) and prospects for further engagement on the issue.
Abkhazia’s de facto leader Badra Gunba has ordered tighter oversight of grants allocated under the de facto Ministry of Agriculture’s “Agricultural Development for 2025” program and the de facto Ministry of Economy’s program supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, the latter implemented with direct financial support from Russia.
“We have neither the right nor the possibility to implement projects knowing that they will ultimately produce no effect,” Gunba said, stressing the need for greater efficiency in the use of public funds.
Gunba also raised the possibility of violations in the implementation of the programs, given the significant volume of funding. He said that any identified violations should be addressed and that those responsible should return the funds to the local budget. Oversight of the programs was assigned to the de facto prosecutor general’s office, interior ministry, and state security service, which were instructed to establish an “interagency commission” to monitor their implementation.
The decision to involve law enforcement agencies was interpreted within Abkhaz society as an indication that there are significant irregularities in the programs. Notably, the announcement came shortly after a visit to Abkhazia by Sergey Kiriyenko, the Kremlin official overseeing relations with the region, who regularly visits Abkhazia and reviews programs and infrastructure projects financed by Russia.
The de facto security services of Russia-occupied Abkhazia arrested local resident Roman Darsalia on allegations of making remarks about the Abkhaz “committing genocide of the Georgian people” during the 1992-1993 armed conflict. The de facto security service also published a video apology, where Darsalia introduces himself as a “citizen of Abkhazia” and apologizes for “unintentionally hurting the feelings of our people.”
In a non-original video of the livestream uploaded by Abkhaz sources, Darsalia is seen introducing himself to a Ukrainian blogger, Andriy Popyk, as being “from Abkhazia” but being ethnically “Megrelian” rather than “Apsua” (ethnic Abkhaz). During the conversation, Darsalia is heard agreeing with the blogger as the latter says that during the Abkhazia armed conflict, “there was a genocide of Georgian people; they drove everyone out.” However, it isn’t specified during the section who committed the genocide, and neither does the section show Darsalia making the genocide remarks himself. (More here).
Following his apology, Darsalia was released. However, the de facto Interior Ministry later reported that a search of his home had uncovered and seized ammunition, and that a criminal case had been opened against him.
Abkhazia’s de facto president Badra Gunba paid a visit to Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan, where he met with its Head Radiy Khabirov to discuss expanding “cooperation” in the economic, trade, transport, tourism, education and cultural sectors. During the talks, Gunba described cooperation between Abkhazia and Bashkortostan as having reached an “unprecedented level” and emphasized the importance of direct contacts with Russian regions. He also thanked Bashkortostan for its assistance with the reconstruction of Sokhumi’s waterfront.
According to Gunba, trade turnover between Abkhazia and Bashkortostan increased 15-fold in 2025. The sides discussed expanding the supply of Abkhaz agricultural products to Bashkortostan, as well as opportunities for Abkhaz businesses to use the region for storing and marketing their produce.
Transport and tourism cooperation were another focus of the visit. Direct flights between Ufa and Sokhumi were launched in May 2026 and have reportedly maintained high occupancy rates. Gunba noted that demand for the flights remained strong even after the end of the tourist season. Gunba invited Khabirov to visit Abkhazia on September 30, the so-called “Victory and Independence Day.”
Badra Gunba has approved a plan for “large-scale operational-tactical exercises” to be held from October 12 to 16.
According to Apsnypress, the exercises will involve “units on permanent alert” and reservists from Abkhazia’s so-called armed forces, as well as servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. The exercises are intended to “practice modern forms and methods of troop deployment, as well as the most complex aspects of commanding formations during combat operations,” the agency reported.
The training will reportedly include “the use of artillery, armored vehicles, and aviation,” with attention paid to “the use of high-tech weapons, command and control systems, and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities.”
An illegally detained Georgian citizen was released from custody in the occupied Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region and transferred to Tbilisi-controlled territory, the State Security Service of Georgia said on September 1. The man, identified by Res, a Tskhinvali-based news agency, as 31-year-old Giorgi Uznadze, had been detained there since March 18.
In Tskhinvali, the de facto acting leader of the occupied region, Marat Kambolov, met on September 4 with the visiting St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov. They discussed expanding cooperation between the Russian city and the occupied region, including humanitarian projects, education, and healthcare.
The 134th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place on September 8 in the village of Ergneti, near the occupation line in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region.
During the meeting, Tbilisi again raised the issues of illegal detentions and so-called borderization, as well as the need to hold accountable those responsible for the killing of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi. Representatives of Tskhinvali’s de facto authorities, meanwhile, again called for the removal of the Chorchana/Tsnelisi police checkpoint and raised concerns about the well-being of Tamaz Goloev, a Tskhinvali resident currently in custody in Georgia proper on espionage allegations. More here.
A “roundtable” on national security and public diplomacy was held in Tskhinvali, organized as part of the activities of the public support headquarters for Marat Kambolov, a candidate for “president” of the occupied Tskhinvali region. Participants discussed factors affecting the preservation of statehood, security, and international cooperation in the occupied region. The event concluded with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Beslan tragedy.
Konstantin Kochiev, “state advisor” to the leader of the occupied Tskhinvali region, said that the Geneva International Discussions remain an important mechanism for conflict prevention and maintaining stability in the South Caucasus. Local news agency “Res” reports that he made these remarks during a “roundtable” on national security and public diplomacy, organized as part of the activities of the public support headquarters for “presidential” candidate Marat Kambolov.
According to Kochiev, 67 rounds of negotiations have taken place over the years, one of the results of which was the creation of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism. Kochiev also identified the agreement on the non-use of force, border delimitation, and discussions on the refugee issue as priorities for the region. He emphasized the need to preserve the Geneva format as a channel for dialogue and for advancing the interests of the occupied regions—Tskhinvali and Abkhazia, as well as Russia.
Vadim Tedeev, rector of “South Ossetian State University”, stated that the 4th Russian military base, located in the occupied Tskhinvali region, remains one of the key factors in ensuring security and maintaining the balance of power in the South Caucasus. According to a report by the local news agency Res, he made these remarks during a “roundtable” on national security and public diplomacy.
The de facto ministry of internal affairs of the occupied Tskhinvali region reminded residents of the opportunity to obtain a Russian internal passport through a simplified procedure without leaving the region. Local news agency Res reports that the current application process will be available through August 1, 2028. The agency urged citizens not to delay submitting their applications to avoid a potential surge in applications as the program nears its end.
Marat Kambolov, the de facto acting leader of the occupied Tskhinvali region, appointed Ruslan Khabalov, born in 1990, as head of his “administration.” According to a report by the local news agency Res, Khabalov previously served in the region’s security service and held the position of first deputy head of the ‘State Protection Service.’ He holds a Ph.D. in Law and is a graduate of educational institutions of the Russian FSB.
The “security service” of the occupied Tskhinvali region stated that publications have appeared in the media and on social networks which, according to the agency, contain offensive statements and false information directed against it. According to a report by the local news agency Res, the statement specifically mentions a September 7 post by the United Ossetia party, which the agency characterized as an attempt to discredit the authorities and destabilize the socio-political situation.
RFE/RL’s Georgian Service reported that it had been informed of details of the deadly crash of the bus transporting passengers from Tbilisi to Moscow. According to the outlet, the crash, which happened on August 30 near the Russian city of Zheleznovodsk, claimed six lives, while 26 were injured, including nine children. Some 95% of the passengers were “Georgians,” the outlet said, citing a family member of one of the passengers.
Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexey Shevtsov said Russia sees “significant potential for cooperation” with countries such as Iran, Mongolia, North Korea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and others. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian news agency Interfax cited him as saying that Russia can offer “beneficial models of interregional cooperation,” noting such ties are already in place with China, Belarus and Kazakhstan. He added this should move beyond “simple trade and the exchange of goods toward the creation of joint production chains.”
Tbilisi City Court on September 4 greenlit the extradition of Russian citizen Mikhail Timofeyev, a former aide and political associate of imprisoned ex-Khabarovsk Governor Sergei Furgal, to Russia. Lawyers fear he may face ill-treatment if handed over to Moscow, and the ruling came amid wider concerns that Georgian authorities are resuming extraditions to Russia following a temporary suspension.
The Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia shares information on its Facebook page about a number of educational, cultural, and youth initiatives designed for different groups of Georgian citizens.
In particular, the section shared information about the first All-Russian Georgian Language Dictation to be held in Russia. The organizers are positioning the event as an initiative to preserve the identity of the Georgian diaspora in Russia and to promote the Georgian language and literature. Participants will be able to take the dictation both in person and online.
In addition, the section is providing information about the project “Russia and Georgia: The Poetics of Open Dialogue,” which is taking place at North Caucasus Federal University in Stavropol. The program is designed for students and language teachers from Georgia and includes an educational course for students as well as a professional development program for teachers.
In addition, the Russian representative office is distributing information among Russian-speaking youth in Georgia about the “Dostoevsky. RU” contest, dedicated to the 205th anniversary of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s birth. Participants aged 16 to 25 are invited to submit essays, videos, illustrations, comics, and other creative works. Winners will receive certificates, prizes, and publication of the best works.
Special attention is being paid to youth exchanges. Dmitry Olisov, head of the Russian Interests Section, held a meeting with Georgian participants in the 2026 International Youth Festival. During the conversation, they discussed a trip to Yekaterinburg, the forum’s program, and opportunities to establish professional, educational, and personal contacts with participants from other countries.
Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, declared Moscow’s readiness to support Georgia’s current government, Russian propaganda outlet “Eadaily” reports. He drew attention to statements by leading Georgian politicians that they oppose an escalation in Georgian-Russian relations. Karasin noted that this once again demonstrates Tbilisi’s sensible approach to the most important issues.
“At the same time, the West and Ukraine continue to promote their Russophobia, but they are met with principled resistance in Tbilisi. Here, officials state that not everything that benefits Berlin, London, and Vilnius serves the country’s national interests. We are ready to fully support such trends,” Karasin said. According to him, it appears that the adventurism of the Saakashvili era is a thing of the past.
Also Read:
“Specifically, monitoring conducted by the Communications Commission covering the period from August 10 through August 12 of this year found that, during the channel’s 9:00 p.m. news broadcasts, news coverage appeared to be based on the broadcaster’s personal attitudes and/or opinions,” the regulator said in a September 10 statement.
According to ComCom, since the broadcaster had not been sanctioned for a similar violation during the previous year, the regulator issued a written warning to the channel.
The decision is the latest enforcement action under controversial 2025 amendments that broadened ComCom’s authority to regulate broadcast content. Opposition-leaning Formula TV and TV Pirveli have each been fined twice under the amended rules, while pro-government POSTV was fined GEL 2,500 [ USD 960] in August over coverage the regulator said contained personal opinions and failed to present facts with due accuracy.
In April, pro-government Imedi TV also received a written warning along with other broadcasters over alleged violations of impartiality requirements, after ComCom said it would take a more proactive approach to enforcement, while criticizing the United Kingdom’s decision to sanction Imedi TV and POSTV over “Russian disinformation.”
Also Read:
“Since the expanded sanctions list announced by the U.S. State Department includes airlines that currently operate air travel between Georgia and Iran, the Georgian side, as in other cases, will act now as well in full compliance with the international sanctions regime,” GCAA said.
On September 8, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 36 targets, including 27 Iranian airlines, “for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, which the regime uses to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo.”
Among the Iranian airlines sanctioned by OFAC are Qeshm Air, Varesh Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Fly Kish Airlines, Taban Airlines and AVA Airlines, which operate flights to Tbilisi and Batumi, according to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service.
According to RFE/RL, a day after the sanctions were announced, Sepehran Airlines, one of the sanctioned carriers, operated a flight from Tehran to Tbilisi, with the aircraft landing at 11:51 on September 9.
“Georgia actively upholds and ensures compliance with sanctions imposed by our international partners,” the GCAA said in its September 10 statement. “This also applies to the aviation sector.”
The agency said that in the process of admitting foreign airlines to the Georgian aviation market, Georgia is “guided by national legislation, the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and bilateral or multilateral international agreements.”
It noted that while making decisions, Georgia also “takes into account the sanctions mechanisms by the European Union and the United States.”
The GCAA said that to ensure the safety of passengers, the local aviation market, and infrastructure for years, as an additional monitoring mechanism, it has been guided by “the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (“SDN List”) and all other sanctions lists administered by OFAC.” Accordingly, it continued, “Georgia has previously restricted the operations of several airlines as well.”
The agency said Georgia “will continue to fully ensure compliance with international requirements and will continue to be guided by these mechanisms.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent, announcing “Operation Economic Outcast,” warned that “any entity that facilitates money laundering or sanctions evasion on behalf of Iran risks being cut off from the U.S. financial system.” The measures also expand “secondary sanctions exposure for those who continue doing business with the Iranian regime and will accelerate the pace of U.S. enforcement.”
Also Read:
According to the official press release, Kobakhidze headed to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, and Head of the Government Administration Levan Zhorzholiani.
“It is important for Europe to have its own vision, its own independent policy regarding space issues,” Kobakhidze was quoted in the press release. “Our resources as a small country are limited in this direction, but we are part of the decision-making.”
He also said that Georgia had joined three declarations related to space security at the summit. “We will continue close partnership with our European colleagues on these issues in the future. Georgia will be fully involved in the process of making relevant decisions,” he said.
Kobakhidze also said in his media remarks on September 10 that “it is important for us to hear different views and positions at this summit so that, going forward, the country can formulate the right position on all issues and make the right decisions.”
Both Kobakhidze and Botchorishvili stressed the summit’s importance for high-level bilateral meetings.
The summit brings together decision-makers, professionals, and business representatives from more than 100 countries. Among those addressing the summit were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Macron.
The invitation comes amid the Georgian Dream government’s growing exclusion from major Western gatherings as its relations with the European Union and other traditional Western partners have deteriorated.
More to follow…
Also Read:
The copy of the case files shared by Razmadze shows the Interior Ministry’s Division for Combating Hate Speech launching administrative proceedings over Razmadze’s comment reading “f**k their moms na koleniakh”. The comment seems to refer to Simonyan’s remarks featured in the reel where she says Georgian rulers will be begging “на коленях” [na koleniakh] — “on their knees” in Russian — for “Mother Russia” to take it back.
Per the files, Razmadze faces proceedings under Article 166-1 of the Administrative Offence Code, which covers “petty hooliganism” – in particular “swearing, harassing citizens in public spaces, and other such acts that disturb public order and/or citizens’ peace,” and is punishable by a fine from GEL 500 to 3,000 or administrative detention of up to 20 days. The Ministry reportedly does not specify in the files who is the alleged target of the offensive comment.
The Ministry “is proceeding against me over insulting and swearing at Russian propagandists Margarita Simonyan and Vladimir Solovyov,” Razmadze said in a video address on September 10.
Following widespread backlash, the Interior Ministry made a statement on September 10 vaguely implying Razmadze is targeted for insulting Kobakhidze. However, citing the court files, Razmadze argues that the official allegations against him only cover “petty hooliganism” and do not include “insulting a public official” under Article 17316 of the Administrative Offences Code, another clause also commonly invoked by the Ministry’s “hate speech” division against citizens.
The reel uploaded by Razmadze in August is an apparent reaction to Irakli Kobakhidze’s August 18 briefing, where the GD Prime Minister defended the decision of Erekle II, the king of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, to sign the Treaty of Georgievsk with the Russian Empire in 1783. During the briefing, Kobakhidze called the signing of the treaty the “only correct and unavoidable decision” in light of Georgia’s “national interests” at the time.
(The signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk, which placed the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti under Russian protection, was followed by the eventual annexation of Russian kingdoms by the Russian Empire, turning it into a subject of fierce historical debate in Georgia.)
In the reel, Razmadze compares Kobakhidze’s remarks with those of Simonyan, stressing similarities between their narratives and warning that the Georgian authorities may be preparing the ground for “some type of cooperation” with Russia.
The reel features a video fragment where Simonyan, hosted by Solovyov, says King Erekle II “begged on his knees to be accepted in Mother Russia,” implying the decision saved Georgians “who were 50,000 at the time,” a claim aligning with Kobakhidze’s own demographic argument.
Simonyan goes on to say that “Mother Russia is taking back what’s its own” and “it’s time for everyone to come home,” before she goes on to say that “the new King Erekles” will “be begging on their knees for Mother Russia to take them home.” (In Russian, Erekle is translated as Irakliy, same as Kobakhidze’s first name.)
The reel then shows a fragment from Kobakhidze’s August 18 briefing defending the signing of the treaty.
In a statement given to media following the widespread backlash over the proceedings against Razmadze, the Interior Ministry said that the staff of the Division for Combating Hate Speech “work on a daily basis to identify violations that include both insulting a specific individual and using insults in public spaces.”
As part of these efforts, “insulting comments by citizen Tornike Razmadze, as well as Ana Bdeiani, who insulted Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on social media, have been identified,” the Ministry notes, with the vague phrasing used in the statement leaving it unclear whether Razmadze, too, is accused of insulting Kobakhidze.
According to the Ministry, the administrative proceedings against the two are underway under articles covering petty hooliganism and insulting a public official. The court documents shared by Razmadze with the media show that he only faces “petty hooliganism” allegations, but not those covering the insult of a public official.
The Interior Ministry’s Division for Combatting Hate Speech, which began operating on June 1, has launched dozens of administrative cases over social media posts and comments, resulting in fines ranging from GEL 1,500 to GEL 6,000, as well as cases of administrative detentions.
The division primarily brings charges under Articles 166 (petty hooliganism) and 17316 (insulting a public official) of Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offenses. The division’s early cases have raised concerns among government critics and opposition figures that people were fined for insulting them without hearing their opinions.
Critics have pointed the Division serves as a tool for the Georgian authorities to target and censor critics.
Also Read:
]]>According to the September 10 statement, Ioseliani met with representatives of the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Office of Foreign Assistance [presumably the current Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight].
The agency said that Ioseliani briefed U.S. officials on key human rights trends in Georgia and outlined recommendations from his office. During the meetings, “particular interest was expressed in freedom of expression, the importance of conducting effective investigations, and the rights of religious and ethnic minorities,” according to the Public Defender Office.
The discussions also addressed the human rights situation of people living in Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories, the Office said.
According to the statement, Ioseliani highlighted “many years of cooperation” between the Georgian ombudsperson’s office and the U.S. institutions. He also “stressed Georgia’s aspiration to continue moving toward strengthening democratic principles” and expressed hope that “close support from the United States will continue in this process in the future as well.”
Ioseliani’s visit comes amid continued uncertainty but more recent efforts to renew contacts between Tbilisi and Washington. The efforts have included a series of meetings between Georgian Dream and U.S. officials, including visits by State Department representatives to Tbilisi, meetings by GD representatives in Washington, and a March phone call between GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The contacts come as Georgian Dream continues to seek a reset of relations “from a clean slate,” while the U.S.-Georgia strategic partnership, suspended by Washington in November 2024, is yet to be restored.
Also Read:
]]>The statement came after Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported, citing “Georgian public figure” Besik Danelia, that Georgian volunteers, as part of “a humanitarian mission” to the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic,” a self-proclaimed entity in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, handed over motorcycles and prayer rooms to Russian servicemen from the “St Gabriel Urgebadze unit” and the “Nevsky brigade.”
Earlier, in January, a Telegram channel of the “Military Unit of the Moscow Patriarchate” reported forming “a new Orthodox unit named after Gabriel Urgebadze” in the “zone of Special Military Operation”, Moscow’s term for Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, and consisting of ethnic Georgians.
The reports drew condemnation from Andria Jagmaidze, Head of the Georgian Patriarchate’s Public Relations Department.
Georgian Orthodox Church “distances itself from the fact that the name of the Venerable Gabriel, Confessor and Fool-for-Christ, is being used to justify or support military actions,” Jagmaidze was cited by the Church-run newspaper Sapatriarkos Utskebani (Patriarchate Bulletin) on September 9.
Stressing that “Orthodox people are dying on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war,” which the Church watches “with great sorrow,” Jagmaidze raised concerns that the Patriarchate was not consulted about the use of the monk’s name.
“At such a time, without any consultation with the Orthodox Church of Georgia or any regard for its opinion, we suddenly found ourselves faced with an utterly unheard-of fact,” Jagmaidze said.
He continued that it’s “categorically unacceptable” that the name of “the venerable Father Archimandrite Gabriel, Confessor and Fool-for-Christ, be used for a military unit – the holy father’s labors and life were devoted entirely to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and to preaching love and compassion among people.”
Jagmaidze added that it’s also “a source of concern and worry” that some clergy of the Russian Church “support such an unacceptable use of the venerable father’s name.” The authors of this initiative seem to be “poorly acquainted with the life of Saint Gabriel. In this light, such an act is perceived as biased speculation in the name of the Church,” he concluded.
Monk Gabriel is a widely venerated saint among the Georgian Orthodox community. Having passed away in 1995 at the age of 66, he was canonized in 2012, and his grave in Georgia’s ancient capital, Mtskheta, is widely visited by the faithful, who believe it has miraculous powers.
Besik Danelia, whom RIA Novosti cited in its report on the Georgian volunteers, was identified by Georgian media as a member of the United Georgia political party led by Georgia’s former Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze as of 2020. He later appeared in 2025 as a witness before the Georgian Dream parliamentary commission chaired by MP Tea Tsulukiani – so-called Tsulukiani Commission – which has investigated the alleged crimes committed during the former United National Movement (UNM) government, among others.
The reports about the Monk Gabriel-named unit follow earlier reports that former Georgian Prosecutor General Otar Romanov-Partskhaladze is heading a Russian combat unit to fight against Ukraine.
Also Read:
]]>The statement was delivered on September 8 by Lithuanian diplomat Ausra Semaskieme on behalf of the group during the general debate. Among the countries that joined the statement were Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
“We would like to draw the Council’s attention to further deteriorating human rights situation in Georgia, particularly in light of legislation adopted in recent years that imposes restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, and does not align with international human rights law,” the statement said.
“Since November 2024, peaceful protesters, journalists, media workers, civil society and political opponents have been facing threats, assaults, harassment, fines and the freezing of their bank accounts,” Lithuania said on behalf of the group.
The statement further noted “with concern” that “many protesters and prominent opposition figures” had been convicted and sentenced, including “several in recent months.”
“All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately released,” the group said.
The group expressed regret “that despite repeated appeals from the international community, impartial investigations into allegations of excessive use of force and ill-treatment against demonstrators and detainees have not been fully carried out.”
The statement called on the Georgian authorities “to repeal concerning legislation, conduct impartial investigation into all alleged human rights violations, ensure accountability for those responsible, and engage in meaningful dialogue with civil society and the international community.”
Separate concerns were raised at the HRC session by Michele Cervone d’Urso, the EU’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, who recalled Georgia’s obligation to “uphold fundamental freedoms” and urged the “repeal or substantial revision” of recent legislation that undermines international human rights standards.
Also Read:
]]>