Council of Europe: Georgia’s prison population is twice the European a...

According to the report, as of 31 December 2025, there were a total of 8,592 prisoners in Georgia (including those in pre-trial detention). This means that the country has 231.9 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, which is significantly higher than the European average of 110 prisoners and is classified as “very high”.Declining trend, amnesty and pardonDespite the high overall figure, the report highlights the dynamics of the reduction in the number of prisoners: The total number of prisoners decreased by 15.5% in 2015-2025 The decrease in 2024-2025 amounted to 11% The Council of Europe attributes this decrease, among other things, to humanitarian acts - according to the document, in 2024 Georgia declared 953 amnesties and 688 individual pardons. Demographic profile of prisonersThe study describes in detail the structure of those in Georgian prisons: Age: The average age of prisoners is 39 years. In addition, the share of convicts aged 50 or older is assessed as “high”. Juveniles: As of January 31, 2025, there were 74 juveniles in the system (0.9% of the total). Women: Only 4.4% (377 prisoners) of the total prison population, which is considered a “low” figure. Foreigners: 11.9% (1,020 prisoners) of convicted persons are foreign citizens. This figure is “very low” compared to the European median (17%). The report also addresses prison capacity. The Georgian penitentiary system has a total of 12,332 places. The current density is 69.7 prisoners per 100 places, meaning that the system is not overcrowded.There are a total of 2,918 cells in the country, with an average of 2.9 prisoners per cell. In addition, the Council of Europe notes that spending the night in individual (separate) cells is not a standard in Georgia.

Kobakhidze slams Copenhagen protest crackdown in open letter to EU lea...

The open letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, was published after the political dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels was unilaterally suspended. According to the head of government, the formats for discussion and cooperation proposed by Georgia were repeatedly rejected by the European bureaucracy, which forced the country’s leadership to resort to a public appeal.In the letter, the Prime Minister asks EU leaders how they assess the events in Copenhagen, where, according to him, peaceful demonstrators were beaten with batons and dogs were used against them. According to the head of government, these actions contradict the standards of democracy and human rights that Europe was considered a benchmark for protecting.“The current situation poses a danger that Europe may become a benchmark not for protecting these values, but for ignoring and grossly violating them,” the letter states.According to the Prime Minister, the EU is currently in a “deep crisis of values,” which is manifested in democratic decline, economic stagnation, a migration crisis, as well as the weakening of national and gender identities. According to him, Georgia, as a candidate country for EU membership, expects a clear answer from Brussels about the union’s plan for managing internal crisis processes and the final results.Chronology of Georgia-EU relations and the current crisis:July 2021 – Annulment of the “Charles Michel Agreement”: The ruling party “Georgian Dream” declared the document signed with the mediation of the President of the European Council, which aimed at political reforms, null and void.June 2022 – Postponement of candidate status: The European Council did not grant Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership (unlike Ukraine and Moldova). The country was given a 12-point recommendation for receiving the status.March 2023 – The so-called The first protest of the “Russian law”: The ruling team first introduced the draft law on “agents of foreign influence.” This was followed by large-scale protests in Tbilisi of thousands and a stern warning from Brussels, which led to the government withdrawing the draft law.December 2023 – Granting candidate status: Given the geopolitical context, the European Council granted Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership on the condition that the country fulfills 9 new recommendations.April - May 2024 – Protests of thousands in Tbilisi: The re-initiation of the “transparency law” was followed by one of the most popular and continuous protests in the country’s history. The demonstrations lasted for more than a month, while Western partners warned Tbilisi that if the law was adopted, it would “block the European path.”May 2024 – Final adoption of the law: Despite protests and vetoes, the parliament finally approved the law “On Organizations Representing the Interests of a Foreign Power”. Brussels stated that this step contradicts the fundamental values ​​of the European Union.June-July 2024 – Suspension of membership and sanctions: The European Council officially announced the suspension of Georgia’s integration process. 30 million euros of the Defense Fund (EPF) and direct budgetary support (121 million euros) were frozen. In October, Ambassador Pavel Herchinsky confirmed the termination of the high-level political dialogue.October 26, 2024 – Parliamentary elections: Parliamentary elections were held, which the European Union described as a “referendum on the European course”. The CEC declared the Georgian Dream party the winner, prompting accusations of fraud from the opposition and civil society and a new wave of protests. The EU and Western partners have called for an independent investigation into election irregularities and have refrained from legitimizing the results.Foreign policy review and diplomatic deadlock: The post-election political crisis has reduced the chances of resuming dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels. The Georgian government accuses the European bureaucracy of unilaterally blocking bilateral formats, which has led the Georgian side to resort to open letters to European leaders and public criticism.

MIA to Create Hate Speech and Aggressive Campaigns Monitoring Departme...

This decision was announced by Mamuka Mdinaradze, Vice Prime Minister and State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Structures, at a briefing held at the Government Administration on Monday.According to him, the new agency will operate in a proactive mode, which means that the response will not depend only on a citizen's complaint - the department itself will monitor, prepare a legal assessment and, if necessary, send the materials to the court. The initiative concerns any type of public communication that contains hate speech, incitement to strife, and defamation.Mdinaradze noted that the decision is a continuation of the initiative put forward by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze several months ago, which aimed to open up the space for public discussion. According to the Vice Prime Minister, for years, external actors have been deliberately artificially closing the space for debate in order to encourage polarization and strife, which has established an aggressive standard of public rhetoric.The State Minister emphasized that the goal of the reform is not to restrict freedom of opinion and expression. According to him, similar practices are in place in a number of European countries, including Britain, Germany, and France, where institutions protect public space from destructive campaigns. According to Mdinaradze, institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is a fundamental step for the effective implementation of the relevant legislative framework adopted by the Parliament.

Georgia elects New Catholicos-Patriarch today

Some 1,200 delegates are expected to attend the ecclesiastical assembly. The session will include addresses by candidates for the Patriarchal throne, as well as speeches from delegates representing various eparchies. A scholar will also deliver a historical overview relating to the title of Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia.The Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Channel will partially broadcast the expanded Church council. Specifically, the opening of the assembly, as well as the voting process, will be aired live; the proceedings will be suspended during the counting of votes, and the final result will be announced on air. The chairman of the vote-counting commission, Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze), will announce the outcome of the ballot.Only bishops are entitled to participate in the vote to elect the Catholicos-Patriarch. The candidate who receives more than half of the votes cast by the participating bishops, in this instance, 20 votes, shall be deemed elected as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.The candidates for Catholicos-Patriarch are: the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri); Metropolitan Iobi of Mroveli-Urbnisi (Akiashvili); and Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili).Georgia’s 141st Catholicos-Patriarch, Ilia II, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93.

Papuashvili accuses EU ambassador of “political revenge” and interfere...

In a speech on Europe Day, Papuashvili said that the EU has departed from its founding principles and has moved into a regime of “politically motivated resolutions and threats of economic retaliation.”According to Papuashvili, the current EU leadership fails to understand the essence of the Schuman Declaration and, instead of peace, is promoting radicalism and “regime change” plans against the democratically elected government in Georgia.He stressed that separating Europe Day from Victory Day (May 9) is unacceptable, as it ignores the great sacrifice made by the Georgian people in World War II.In the letter, the speaker also drew attention to the ideological conflict, saying that the EU is trying to impose on the country “ideologies incompatible with the traditional way of life and human nature.”He said that European integration should not mean Brussels’ “sole rule” over Georgia, but should be based on equality and respect for national independence.Papuashvili defended Tbilisi’s position on non-interference in the economic confrontation with Russia, noting that calls for sanctions without security guarantees would lead to Georgia’s economic collapse. In conclusion, the Speaker of the Parliament called on the European Union to stop aggressive rhetoric and reconsider its "harmful policies" in order to pave the way for genuine dialogue.