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    18/06/2026 - 14:59

    ‘Donetsk Court’ Sentences Georgian Mirza Vanadze to 14 Years in Absentia on Mercenary Charges

    The so-called “supreme court” of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Donetsk has sentenced Georgian fighter Mirza Vanadze to 14 years in a “maximum-security penal colony” in absentia for fighting on Ukraine’s side “as a mercenary,” Russia’s state media reported on June 17. Citing Russia’s investigative committee, RIA Novosti said that Vanadze arrived in Ukraine in 2022, joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, received firearms and equipment, and took part in combat operations against “representatives of the…
    18/06/2026 - 13:54

    Suspect in Murder of Russian Artist and Putin, Kadyrov Critic ‘Using Georgian Passport’, Poland’s Tusk Says

    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that a suspect detained in connection with the murder of the Russian artist known as Semyon Skrepetsky, who drew caricatures of Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, is “using a Georgian passport.” Russian artist Robert Kuzovkov, also known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead by an “unidentified gunman” early on June 15 in Biała Podlaska, a small Polish town near the Belarusian border, where he had been granted asylum in…
    18/06/2026 - 13:05

    Criminal Probe Launched Against Formula TV On ‘False Report’ Allegations

    Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has launched a criminal investigation against the opposition-leaning channel Formula TV on allegations of “false report” concerning Goga Khaindrava, Georgian film director and former official known for his pro-government stances. “The investigation was initiated on the basis of a statement submitted by attorneys representing film director Giorgi (Goga) Khaindrava regarding allegations aired by Formula TV concerning Khaindrava’s possible involvement in criminal activity,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a June 17 statement. The…

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    The Dispatch

      17/05/2026 - 19:27

      Dispatch – May 17: Carmilla

      It’s been a habit of those of us from Georgian provinces that whenever we go back to where we came…
      07/05/2026 - 12:50

      Dispatch – May 7: The Lake, Part III

      When I published my first Dispatch about The Lake on May 7, 2023, it was a story about disruption. Heavy…
      15/04/2026 - 17:45

      Dispatch – April 15: Last Supra

      The ajika they offer in Imereti is not nearly as spicy as the one served further west. That’s probably because…
      25/03/2026 - 17:24

      Dispatch – March 25: This is fine

      It was February 20, a Friday afternoon, when the bank messaged me that my accounts had been frozen. I was…
      03/03/2026 - 23:20

      Dispatch – March 3: Trucks Who Pray

      There are many believers in Georgia, but none worship as loudly as the local trucks. You can spot them rushing…
      15/02/2026 - 12:06

      Dispatch – February 15: Aeschylus

      Aeschylus was the father of Greek tragedy, but he is said to have died in a rather funny way. Legend…

        Year of Descent and Endurance: 2025 in Georgia

        Like last year, on December 31, 2025, Georgian protesters will be gathering at their usual spot – Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue – to welcome the New Year. This year’s celebration is expected to be more modest than last year’s “Giant Supra.” The event follows a series of curbs on freedom of assembly and a string of unfortunate political developments that must have killed the spirit among Georgians. Frosty weather with occasional rainy snow is expected in the capital, while other parts of the country are experiencing heavier snowfalls and related disruptions. Many will be seeing 2026 from behind bars. Yet, as they bid farewell to a year marked by losses, the most dedicated activists will still have something to celebrate: on January 1, 2026, the non-stop protests that began last November will enter their 400th day. Against the odds, Georgian Dream has yet to achieve full consolidation of authoritarian rule, and the battle is still on. Here are the key trends that defined Georgia in 2025, along with a glimpse of what may lie ahead in 2026. Resistance and Repression 2025 in Georgia was a year shaped by repression and resistance. More than a hundred people remain in jail on criminal …

        Dispatch 2024 | Year of Fireworks

        In what has become a tradition, new years in Georgia begin before January 1. The year 2023 began on December 29, 2022, when People’s Power, the far-right offshoot of Georgian Dream, first announced that it would introduce a law on foreign agents. And 2024 started on December 30, 2023, when Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili – two weeks after Georgia was granted the long-awaited EU candidate status – ominously announced his comeback to formal politics in what would become a harbinger of many other unfortunate returns.  Now, as 2024 draws to a close, what is the event that will inaugurate 2025? Is it sanctioning Ivanishvili on the anniversary of his third coming? Or the departure of President Zurabishvili from her residence into a broader resistance? Or Georgian Dream Mikheil Kavelashvili enacting a myriad of repressive laws on the day of his widely boycotted inauguration? Or whatever will happen on the announced New Year’s Eve protest night on December 31?  With only a few hours to go before the end of the most endless year, there is a feeling that something could still happen to turn the context of the ever-shacking country upside down. And while we are holding our breath, …

        Dispatch 2023 | Bracing for Chaos

        To get a sense of how 2023 went in Georgia, go to Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue. The street has witnessed many highs and lows of independent Georgia and has stayed busy for the past twelve months. Countless shining stars – all blue and gold – covering the main thoroughfare reveal the year’s happy endings. The crowds around the Parliament bring back the memories of numerous massive gatherings – in the same place, but for different reasons. The EU flags proudly displayed on the parliament building take us to times when their absence would stir controversies. Occasional startling noise from explosives and fireworks only reminds us that there used to be more of it, showing the silent change activism can bring. A giant panda figure, awkwardly trying to fit in front of the Christmas tree, hints at all foreign policy uncertainties that Georgia brings into 2024. And then, behind the Christmas tree, there is a cross. The cross, once put there by violent crowds, stands untouched to warn how destructive faith can be when it’s misused – and perhaps also how the greatest perils still lurk behind the trees. As 2023 nears its end, Georgia says goodbye to another rollercoaster year. …

        Dispatch 2022 | Farewell to Masks

        As we slowly roll into the new year, the ending of 2022 in Georgia does not appear to be much different from last December: the country is caught in the continued polarization, with a renewed spotlight on the health of its jailed ex-President; economic hunger here again meets the political one for change; and the blaring horns of traffic jams in Tbilisi scream public discontent. As the music from Christmas celebrations drowns out all unhappy noises for a while, the eternal discussions resurface about the right date to mark Christmas, to best fit our religious, pragmatic, and – most importantly – geopolitical preferences.  And yet, Georgia is bidding farewell to a year that shook us with unthinkable developments with lasting and dramatic impact. In 2022, one global crisis followed another, and Georgia found itself at the center (isn’t it always at the center?) of all new chaos and new opportunities. But all these new things got lodged in older, firmly fixed local narratives and patterns of thought and action. Nini is back to the Dispatch to conclude 2022, review its highlights, and outline the trends to watch for in the coming year. Farewell to Masks, Hello to Arms THE VIRUS …
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