Dato Parulava

30 Posts

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Dato Parulava is a journalist and former staff writer at OC Media. He’s interested in human rights, with a focus on minority rights and Georgia’s EU integration process, and is currently study

19 April Agreement

Analysis | Brokered by Charles Michel, broken by Georgian Dream

by Dato Parulava

•13 min read

The rise of illiberalism in Georgia is turning heads in Brussels and yet still, the country is pushing ambitious foreign policy goals with the EU. In light of discrepancies between domestic policies and foreign policy aspirations, MEPs and pundits tell OC Media that Georgia should prove its ambitions are not just on paper, or the country has much to lose. On 9 August, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani bravely presented his country’s ambitious foreign policy, according to which Georgi

Abkhazia

Video | No Place to Live — IDPs in Georgia

by Dato Parulava

•0 min read

After almost three decades since the war in Abkhazia, thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are still waiting for the government to provide them with homes. Why are they are still waiting?

Abkhazia

Georgia’s medical programme for Abkhazians and South Ossetians may be at risk

by Dato Parulava

•10 min read

Every year, hundreds of patients travel from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Tbilisi to take advantage of free medical treatment provided by the Georgian government. However, a cut to coverage of diagnostics, a lack of clear information, and opposition from Tskhinvali are putting the success of the programme at risk. ‘When I first arrived, I didn’t know what to expect from Georgians,’ says Gunda (not her real name). ‘I thought people would be aggressive towards us, but I was amazed to find out i

blessmobiles

Video | Priests rule the streets as Georgia marks Day Against Homophobia in lockdown

by Dato Parulava

•0 min read

The usual stand-off between supporters of queer rights and homophobic counter-protesters did not take place this 17 May in Tbilisi, as Georgia marked International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia under a state of emergency. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, however, ‘blessmobiles’ laden with priests still roamed the streets spraying holy water on pedestrians.

The European Parliament. Photo: Dato Parulava/OC Media.

2020 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Rejected joint EU–Georgia statement reveals raft of criticisms from MEPs

by Dato Parulava

•6 min read

The EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee has failed to adopt a joint statement after officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party rejected critical amendments. A copy of the draft statement seen by OC Media revealed criticisms of the Georgian Government from MEPs in several key areas. At the committee in Strasburg on 12–13 February, MEPs had wanted to include condemnation of the Georgian Government’s ‘politically motivated’ prosecution of opposition leaders, the selection process