Strasbourg Court Begins Substantive Review of Case on Seizure of Bank...

The authors of the joint lawsuit sent to Strasbourg are: “Social Justice Center”, “Civil Society Foundation”, “Fair Elections”, “Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information” (IDFI) and “Safari”. The organizations applied to the European Court for legal response on October 15, 2025.According to “Fair Elections”, the European Court granted the aforementioned lawsuit the status of a case with significant impact (Impact Case). This decision means that the Strasbourg Court is assessing the scope of the case in advance and believes that it can have a significant impact on the practice of the Court itself, national legislation and broader human rights and public issues.“The commencement of the substantive examination of the case in this mode is an important message to the Georgian authorities that any action aimed at restricting civil society activities, criminalizing human rights activities and persecuting independent organizations will be subject to international legal assessment and cannot remain without an appropriate response,” the organization said in a statement released on Monday.

Former senior officials of the Regulatory Agency exposed in the GEL 53...

As a result of more than 1,000 investigative actions conducted in the case, 17 members of the organized group have been detained at this stage, and 3 individuals who are in hiding will be declared wanted. In addition, charges have been brought against 11 individuals who are cooperating with the investigation, and criminal prosecution has been initiated against 24 legal entities.According to the agency, former high-ranking officials of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency are among the accused. They have been abusing their personal interests and official position to facilitate the functioning of the criminal scheme for years.The investigation revealed that a large-scale network of so-called “pharmacy drug trafficking” operated in the country in 2018–2025, and the process was organized by the heads of companies importing psychotropic drugs. To cover up the crime, the drugs were documented in the names of fictitious pharmaceutical companies, but in reality, without any prescriptions or permits, they were sold at high prices throughout the country in facilities that did not even have the status of pharmacies.It has been established that the income from illegal trade amounted to 53,833,723 GEL. In order to legalize the funds, a significant part of the criminal income was recorded in the form of salaries and dividends, after which the defendants acquired a large amount of real estate and movable property. The mentioned assets have been fully seized, from which the damage caused to the state will be compensated in the future.According to the statement of the Deputy Head of the Investigation Service, Guga Tavberidze, the investigation is underway under Articles 192 and 194 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for imprisonment for a term of 9 to 11 years. The agency warns all individuals and legal entities operating in the field that the state will be particularly strict towards such crimes, which damage the budget and endanger the lives of citizens.The mentioned large-scale event was carried out by the Investigation Service under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, as well as with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service and the Revenue Service.

State Audit Office to Inspect Communications Commission and State Audi...

The need for legislative amendments arose after the decision taken in December 2025 transferred the functions of the Personal Data Protection Service and the Anti-Corruption Bureau to the State Audit Office from March 2026.According to the rapporteur of the draft law, First Deputy Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee, Irakli Kheladze, the main novelty is the subordination of the regulatory commissions - the Communications Commission and the State Commission for Electronic Communications, which were not subject to inspection until now - to the Audit Service. Their audit will be carried out on a similar principle to the National Bank, which means that the agency will only inspect administrative and capital expenditures and will not interfere in the substantive decisions of the regulators.Within the framework of the reform, auditors are also granted exceptional powers, which will allow them to request information related to state procurement directly from private individuals participating in tenders. In addition, in order to speed up operational work, the Audit Service will receive direct access to the electronic databases of other administrative bodies based on memoranda.At the same time, sanctions are being tightened, and the amount of the fine for failure to provide documentation or submitting false information to the agency is increasing from the current 1,000 GEL to 5,000 GEL. The draft law also specifies that financial compliance and efficiency audits include control of both ongoing and already implemented activities.From a structural point of view, the law adds a new position - the Secretary of Public Relations. He ensures coordination and communication with other agencies under the instructions of the Auditor General, although the addition of this position does not require additional financial expenses from the budget.

Kobakhidze: Our main task is to completely neutralize the collective “...

Speaking to journalists, the Prime Minister reviewed the current situation in the opposition and noted that the weakening of opposition parties and the destruction of political power will have a positive impact on the country’s democratic environment and political system.According to Kobakhidze, the disagreements between opposition entities exclude the possibility of gaining public support.The Head of Government emphasized that this trend and voter sentiment were clearly reflected in the 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025 election cycles, where the opposition failed to achieve the desired results.The Prime Minister assessed the opposition spectrum as an anti-state group and a foreign agent, adding that their structural dismantling is a prerequisite for the country's long-term stability.

Vučić: Serbia Studies Georgia’s “Unprecedented” Economic Growth in Eur...

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Vučić noted that Georgia’s 9.3% first-quarter economic growth stands out compared to European countries. He said such performance would be “extraordinary even in Western Europe” and highlighted Georgia’s progress since 2012.The Serbian president also pointed to sectoral developments, including strong growth in tourism and a reported 12% increase in construction activity. He said Serbia is analyzing Georgia’s economic data to identify areas for potential policy lessons.Vučić emphasized the “brotherly” ties between the two countries, rooted in shared Orthodox traditions, and met with the acting head of the Georgian Orthodox Church during his visit, marking his first official trip to Georgia.