Become an OC Media member and receive exclusive access to:
Support independent journalism in Caucasus
Become an OC Media memberAlready a member?
My previous OC Insider was titled ‘Georgia’s uncertain 4 October’. That date has now passed, yet the ambiguity has not faded — neither the ambiguity tied to the day itself, nor, even more so, the ambiguity that has haunted the future of the Georgian state since long before 4 October. For those who haven’t been closely following events, here’s a brief recap: on 4 October, Georgia held municipal elections that were boycotted by much of the opposition, including the two largest opposition groups.
On 4 October, two remarkable events are set to unfold in Georgia — the municipal elections and an anti-government demonstration, branded by its initiators as a ‘peaceful revolution’ and a ‘peaceful overthrow’ of Georgian Dream’s rule. I feel uncertain about what exactly to expect from that day, and based on past experiences, I’m not even trying to form any specific expectations. The elections issue has further fractured Georgia’s already fragmented opposition: two major opposition groups and s
The Azerbaijani government’s Media Development Agency released a statement on Tuesday decrying the spread of fake news about the country. The statement cited recent false stories that had gone viral — that Azerbaijan would withdraw from the Eurovision song contest if Israel is banned and that Azerbaijan has been supplying Ukraine with weapons via Sudan. The agency called the stories ‘disinformation’ and called on ‘the international community, media resources, journalists, and public activists [
On Wednesday, a Tbilisi court again left teacher and activist Nino Datashvili in pre-trial detention. Criminally charged in June for resisting court bailiffs while supporting detained protesters, she faces up to seven years in prison and remains in custody despite deteriorated spinal condition. That same day, in the same court, the trial of arm wrestler Khatia Vibliani was held. Just days earlier, she had beaten a 14-year-old boy in the street. If convicted, Vibliani could face a maximum of two
