საინფორმაციო სააგენტო ინტერპრესნიუსი

Today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced its judgment in the case of Matchavariani v. Georgia, finding a violation of Article 5, paragraph 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights – according to a statement released by Transparency International – Georgia.

"Intelligence was one of the main directions of cooperation with the West and one of the relatively independent agencies. However, in recent years, we have seen individuals with overt political positions and party affiliations appointed to lead the intelligence service. The agency was never fully independent—and it won’t be under the umbrella of the State Security Service (SSSG) either," said security specialist Andro Gotsiridze on Palitra News’ program Political Space.

The protest rally in front of the Parliament has resumed. Participants have blocked Rustaveli Avenue.

“What the judge did — deliberating for an hour instead of a minute — is already a benefit and a result for us. Had he issued a ruling in favor of my motion, it would have meant that all prior decisions had to be annulled,” said Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, following the conclusion of his court hearing.

From the moment the Criminal Code was amended, failure to comply with the request of a parliamentary temporary investigative commission became a criminal offense, stated Mari Meshveliani, the prosecutor in the case of Nika Gvaramia, leader of the “Coalition for Change”. She was responding to claims by Gvaramia and his lawyers during the hearing, who argued that non-compliance with such a request constitutes an administrative offense rather than a criminal one, noting that an identical article exists in the Code of Administrative Offenses [Article 173(3)], and therefore criminal proceedings should not have been initiated.

Giorgi Tavdgiridze, a member of the group “Phari,” stated on PalitraNews’s program "Resume" that from May 27, protests will erupt throughout the city, with people preparing for strikes in parallel, marking the start of intensified civil resistance.

According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), representatives of the Russian occupation forces illegally detained three Georgian citizens on the occupied territory near the village of Khurvaleti, in the Gori Municipality. One of the detainees has already been released and is now on territory controlled by the central government, while the other two remain in illegal detention.

Grigol Gegelia, one of the leaders of Lelo – For Strong Georgia, stated that the government’s plan to place the State Intelligence Service under the control of the State Security Service (SSS) represents a deliberate attack on national institutions.

“How long must we keep chasing illegality like a lamp dragged behind, with our bail payments? There will be no bail payment!” – said the leader of “Coalition for Change” to journalists.

According to lawyer Beka Basilaia, the Georgian Court of Appeals has upheld the first-instance verdict against former President Mikheil Saakashvili in the case concerning his illegal border crossing, without holding an oral hearing.

Georgia has appointed new ambassadors to the Republic of Italy and Hungary. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tamar Liluashvili has been appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Italy, and Nikoloz Laliashvili as Ambassador to Hungary.

“What the regime is planning for October — I think it’s wrong to call that an election. It will be a spectacle staged by the regime,” said Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change,” regarding the possible participation of opposition parties in the upcoming local elections.­

“This is not about bail, and not about 10,000 or 50,000 GEL – this is about whether you are playing by Ivanishvili’s rules or not!” – says Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, responding to the question of whether bail should be paid on behalf of some opposition politicians who refused to cooperate with the temporary investigative commission established in Parliament.

"The issues are being returned to the Prosecutor’s Office — matters that were already under its jurisdiction — and there is nothing particularly special or remarkable about this," stated Davit Matikashvili, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, in an interview with journalists.

“It is striking that recently, the German Ambassador has been using artistic methods to convey specific messages and speaks to us through carefully chosen visual backdrops. A few days ago, he gave an interview in front of a poster reading ‘Freedom for Mzia’. With this, he clearly expressed his attitude toward the judge whose trial he claimed to be observing,” wrote Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on social media.

“If we don’t listen to each other, we’ll all go over the edge. There are red lines that no group has ever crossed, and I believe never will. There are tactical issues in this struggle that we must constantly debate. Criticism is welcome, but don’t break down an open door,” – wrote Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, on social media.

“Since November 23, 2003, not a single day has dawned in this country without someone being humiliated, beaten, or killed – whether in front of their wife and children or neighbors. Executioners were in power,” – journalist Giorgi Mamatsashvili stated during a session of Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission.

During a state of war, the composition of the Defense Forces will include the National Military Conscription and Recruitment Agency.

The company states that the issue has been resolved and the train service on the Kutaisi–Batumi route has been restored.

Head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, told journalists that the FARA law does not mention the imposition of any kind of restrictions. On the contrary, he said, the law will contribute to better transparency and presentation of projects carried out by donor organizations in Georgia.

Ana Buchukuri, one of the leaders of For Georgia (Gakharia – For Georgia), responded to the statement made by Nika Melia, leader of the Coalition for Change, regarding local self-government elections.

IamtheCODE, the pioneering African-led global movement dedicated to advancing digital education and inclusive innovation, has officially launched