Day: September 1, 2025
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia said on September 1 that it has summoned several NGO heads to testify in the “sabotage” probe, days after authorities froze the bank accounts of seven civil society organizations, claiming they equipped protesters who committed “violent acts” against police in 2024.
“To establish important circumstances in the case, heads of certain non-governmental organizations have been summoned in the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to testify as witnesses,” the Office said in the statement.
The Prosecutor General’s Office did not disclose who was summoned. Nino Dolidze, the former head of ISFED who led the organization in 2024, said she was one of those summoned and requested to testify before a magistrate judge.
The investigation is ongoing under several criminal charges, including “sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravated circumstances, assisting a foreign organization or an organization under foreign influence in hostile activities, and financing actions against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security.” The charges carry penalties ranging from seven years to life in prison.
“The investigation into the criminal case has established that during 2024, the planning and organization of violent protest rallies in front of the Georgian parliament and across the country actively involved not only leaders of opposition political parties but also representatives of certain funds and non-governmental organizations,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
Earlier, the Office pointed to the organizations’ purchases of protest gear, including medical and face masks, special gas helmets, protective goggles, and pepper spray, as well as what it described as their “financial patronage” of protesters and their families, by covering fines and providing free legal aid. The pro–Georgian Dream TV channel Imedi then aired on August 27 what it presented as evidence in the case, showing that the NGOs were in fact targeted over seemingly minor purchases of protective equipment during police dispersals of protests in the spring and winter of 2024.
The freezing of key Georgian NGOs’ accounts drew widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally, with the EU urging the authorities to “immediately” reverse the move.
In the September 1 statement, the prosecutors also confirmed that this is the same investigation under which, in March, five solidarity funds were frozen. The funds had supported protesters, including by covering hefty fines.
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The wives of #Pashinyan and #Aliyev, Anna Hakobyan and Mehriban Aliyeva, on the sidelines of the #SCOSummit2025 summit in #China.#Armenia #Azerbaijan #SouthCaucasus pic.twitter.com/7pAiw7lFRq
— Karina Karapetyan (@KarinaKarapety8) September 1, 2025
On September 1, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and her daughter Arzu Aliyeva, along with First Lady of the People’s Republic of China Peng Liyuan and the spouses of the heads of state and government attending the meeting in the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” format, participated in a boat trip along the Haihe River in Tianjin, China, Azernews reports.
Chergoleishvili scandal over children’s photos
Georgia’s ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has urged political parties, public figures and the media to show a high level of political and social responsibility and refrain from unethical statements, especially when such rhetoric directly or indirectly concerns children.
“It is unacceptable to use hate speech, to spread, encourage or justify hatred in response to a different opinion or someone’s social media post,” the ombudsman’s office said.
The statement came in response to a scandal involving Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the opposition party Federalists, who posted photos of her political opponents’ children on Facebook as part of an argument.
What happened
A well-known Georgian politician, Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalists party, sparked a scandal on Facebook after posting in support of Tea Tsulukiani, the deputy speaker of parliament from Georgian Dream. The move was unexpected, as Tsulukiani is usually the target of criticism from all opposition forces.
This time the controversy was personal: on social media, people were making unethical comments about Tsulukiani’s possible second marriage. Chergoleishvili came to her defence, saying such attacks would not have happened if Tsulukiani were a man. She called those “laughing” at Tsulukiani “pigs” and asked: “Why did you stay silent about president Mikheil Saakashvili’s ‘harem’?”
Chergoleishvili then faced a storm of criticism on Facebook. In response, she lashed out with foul language and posted photos of the young children of those who had attacked her online.
After complaints demanding a criminal case against her, Chergoleishvili deleted the photos and her posts and issued an apology.
The marriage row then turned political. Tina Bokuchava, head of the opposition United National Movement, demanded that Chergoleishvili be expelled from the “Group of Eight” – a bloc of parties that had jointly declared a boycott of the 4 October local elections.
“I will never have anything to do with a politician who swears at children,” Bokuchava wrote on social media.
Chergoleishvili replied that it was impossible to exclude her from the “Group of Eight” because “it is not a platform or an alliance, but simply a gathering of parties boycotting the ‘October farce’.”
Ombudsman’s statement
“It is important that every member of society fully respects the rights of children and takes special care to avoid causing harm to minors through public statements.
A politician’s family status can only become a matter of public interest if it is directly linked to their public role – for example, in cases of conflict of interest or abuse of power.
In a democratic society, attention should be focused on the substance of political decisions, their impact and their consequences for citizens,” the ombudsman’s office said.
Chergoleishvili scandal over children’s photos
News in Georgia
The South Caucasus is on the verge of a significant transformation in its transport and logistics landscape, which could create a direct connection from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea. During a special Cabinet of Ministers meeting on August 26, held in conjunction with President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Washington, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev highlighted Azerbaijan’s crucial role in this developing corridor. Transport expert Rauf Aghamirzayev echoed this assessment in comments to Azernews, emphasizing the range of options Azerbaijan is putting on the table