The position of party chairman became vacant following former chair Irakli Garibashvili’s announcement of his withdrawal from politics.The 9th GD Congress has also formally updated the composition of the Political Council for the Georgian Dream party.The Political Council is now comprised of: Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Kakha Kaladze, Shalva Papuashvili, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Giorgi Volski, Tea Tsulukiani, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Irakli Chikovani, Maka Bochorishvili, Nikoloz Samkharadze, Mariam Kvrivishvili, Dimitri Samkharadze, Sulkhan Tamazashvili, and Nino Tsilosani.Irakli Kobakhidze had previously held the position of Chairman of the Georgian Dream Party between 2021 and 2024.

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Beka Urushadze has a PhD in economics and information and communications technologies. He has worked as a project manager in different educational institutions and has held managerial positions in commercial organizations such as Urus Group, Vision Fund International and World Vision International.Beka Urushadze worked as an IT advisor in the Penitentiary and Probation Ministry. He replaced Davit Tabidze in the post at the Municipal Development Fund.

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By decision of the Prime Minister, the position of State Governor in Mtskheta-Mtianeti was assigned to Aleksandre Zagashvili, in Shida Kartli to Simon Guledani, in Samtskhe-Javakheti to Zaal Gelashvili, in Guria to Giorgi Ghurjumelidze, and in Kvemo Kartli to Levan Kharabadze.According to the governmental administration, Irakli Kobakhidze met with the newly appointed state governors today at the Government House, together with the Minister of Regional Development, Kakha Guledani.The Prime Minister emphasized the special importance of regional development and noted that the establishment of the Ministry of Regional Development as a separate agency also demonstrates the priority of this issue.According to the Head of Government, even more attention will be paid to the effective implementation of projects related to regional development, and in this process, the regions need to have leaders distinguished by experience, professionalism, and integrity.The Prime Minister also drew attention to the need to improve the quality and coordination of projects and wished the newly appointed state representatives success.

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According to the document, the media landscape is diverse and, at the same time, highly politically polarised. Manipulation, hate speech and disinformation are widespread in the media, especially on television, the main source of information. Media owners often control editorial content, as was the case with Rustavi 2, a TV channel that changed its editorial line after its handover to a former owner, and the public broadcaster GPB, which experienced government interference. Regional and community radio stations struggle with funding problems, while the print media’s readership is in decline and that of online news outlets is on the rise.The country is undergoing a new and serious political crisis following widely contested legislative elections in October 2024, which have plunged the country into a repressive environment and international isolation. This environment is conducive to sustained competition for control of television networks. Although Georgian law prohibits political parties from owning media outlets, the big networks generally defend the interests of their owners, who often have close ties to political leaders. The same goes for state-owned media, which are subject to strong interference by the authorities. At the same time, the authorities often refuse to respond to media that criticise them and sometimes resort to censorship, raids, smear campaigns and intimidation.The government still hasn’t fulfilled the European Union’s recommendation on press freedom, a necessary step before starting negotiations on membership. Contrary to previous reforms strengthening pluralism and transparency in the media, the government even adopted a repressive “foreign influence” law that copies the Russian “foreign agents” legislation, which undermines media freedom. The courts sometimes try to attack the confidentiality of sources, even though it is guaranteed by the law on freedom of expression.The underdeveloped advertising market is declining in print and online media, which are largely financed by donors, usually from the West. The worrying economic problems of privately owned media have been accentuated by the “foreign influence” law, which penalises media outlets supported by Western institutions, as well as changes in advertising legislation, distorting competition with the heavily subsidised state-owned media.Georgian society is marked by strong social tensions on certain issues, such as religion, LGBTQ+, rights and Russian influence, impacting journalistic coverage. Influential social figures, such as members of the Orthodox clergy, are wiretapped by the security services, thereby violating the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.Verbal and physical assaults on journalists are frequent, including by senior government officials, especially during electoral campaigns. A sustained and brutal assault on about 50 reporters during homophobic counter-demonstrations in July 2021, in front of impassive security forces, marked an unprecedented setback. The lack of transparency and progress in the investigation speaks to the impunity enjoyed by those who commit crimes against journalists.

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According to Levan Ioseliani, all possible measures must be taken to prevent harm to minors“It should be emphasized that when conducting investigative actions, all possible measures must be taken to prevent harm to minors. For this purpose, the law enforcement agency is obliged to assess the situation in advance and create a safe environment for the minors. And, in case of impossibility of prior consideration, the minor should be promptly removed from the ongoing processes, with the involvement of a family member, relative or trusted person, or if this is not possible, the involvement of a social worker and psychologist should be ensured.The Public Defender will study the above facts and will have all appropriate responses within the scope of his authority,” reads the statement.The police searched the residence of Aleko Tskitishvili, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Centre. Searches were also carried out at the homes of journalist and Nanuka Fund founder Nanuka Zhorzholiani, as well as Mariam Bajelidze, one of the founders of the Sirtskhvilia (Shame) movement.

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At the Government Palace of the Republic of Armenia, the leaders discussed the fruitful collaboration between Georgia and Armenia, highlighting their good neighbourly relations and strategic partnership in trade, economy, transport, and culture fields.The Georgian President and the Armenian Prime Minister also addressed regional challenges, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the South Caucasus.Mikheil Kavelashvili expressed Georgia’s support for the conclusion of peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, describing the agreement as a historic advancement toward enduring peace and stability in the region.He noted that Tbilisi had recently hosted a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and he expressed hope that cooperation within this framework would persist for the region’s prosperity.In closing, Mikheil Kavelashvili reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to enhancing regional dialogue and cooperation in the South Caucasus.

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“Today, Georgian Dream stands as a united and strong political force, thanks in large part to our founder and honourary chairman, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is a guarantor of peace and stability in our country. He successfully consolidated our team during a critical time, maintaining unity while helping us avert major threats to our nation and fostering tangible progress across all sectors.In this context, I believe I have fulfilled the honourable mission assigned to me by our founder and the party, which began with my appointment as Minister of Defence, followed by my second term as Prime Minister, and my election as Chairman. I no longer see a need to remain in this office or politics overall. Therefore, I have decided to step down as Chairman of the Georgian Dream party and retire from politics, choosing instead to serve my country in a different capacity”, - stated Irakli Garibashvili.Irakli Garibashvili was elected Chairman of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party on February 1, 2024, and served as Prime Minister of Georgia twice: from November 20, 2013, to December 30, 2015, and again from February 22, 2021, to January 29, 2024.

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“Political leaders shouldn’t fear the Georgian people. Georgian civil society are fiercely independent actors,” Shaheen wrote on X. "The Georgian Dream fast tracking another draft law to stifle NGO operations is one more step away from the democratic future the Georgian people want. Political leaders shouldn’t fear the Georgian people. Georgian civil society are fiercely independent actors." -@SenatorShaheen https://t.co/2ZH0vrj4gY — Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) April 16, 2025 The Parliament has urgently considered and approved a legislative package in the third reading, after which international donor organizations will no longer be able to issue grants without the consent of the government. The same bill prohibits international organizations from organizing lectures, seminars or other similar public events in favor of political parties.80 deputies unanimously supported the approval of the planned amendments to the Law on Political Associations of Citizens, the Law on Grants and other related laws.

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“It is a great honor and responsibility for us to hold this forum in Baku – a city that unites countries with rich culture, history and traditions and at the same time plays an important role in modern politics,” Sattarov noted.Regarding bilateral cooperation, he noted Azerbaijan’s interest in developing ties with Albania, Bulgaria and Georgia.“Georgia is not just a neighbor and strategic partner, it is a bridge in the Black Sea region,” he noted, and proposed deepening cooperation in the field of media regulation.The forum is attended by about 30 authorized representatives of media regulatory bodies from countries in the region, including Serbia, Romania, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

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The sanction list includes the country's first deputy minister of internal affairs Shalva Bedoidze, for allegedly being responsible for allowing serious human rights violations.It has also sanctioned Mirza Kezevadze, deputy head of the special tasks department of internal affairs ministry, general prosecutor Giorgi Gabitashvi and Karlo Katsitadze, head of the special investigatory service.According to the information posted on the UK government, this package of sanctions is aimed at Georgian officials responsible for committing serious human rights violations under the 2020 Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulation.The sanctions include an asset freeze, a director disqualification sanction, and a travel ban.Reminder, Mirza Kezevadze has been included in the "Magnitsky List". Information about this was published on the website of the US Treasury Department on December 19, 2024.

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