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United Neutral Georgia. Screengrab from Imedia live broadcast.

2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Georgian pro-government group calls for ‘cleansing’ of opposition voters

by Shota Kincha

•2 min read

The pro-government United Neutral Georgia group has advocated for opposition voters to be identified and prosecuted after Georgia’s 26 October parliamentary elections. On Tuesday morning, the group stated that Georgia remained afflicted by ‘revolutionary scenarios’, ‘pseudo-liberalism’, and ‘polarisation’ imposed from abroad. They said that Georgia’s opposition forces were ‘rootless spies’ supported by their ‘outside patrons’ as well as Georgians who vote for them in the elections. ‘When

Georgia's Constitutional Court. Official photo.

Democracy

Georgian Constitutional Court declines to suspend foreign agent law

by OC Media

•2 min read

The Constitutional Court of Georgia has declined a motion to suspend the foreign agent law pending a final ruling on its constitutionality. On Wednesday, the court announced it had agreed to hear the case against the law, more than a month after four separate lawsuits against it were filed and merged into one appeal. According to their decision, none of the law’s articles will be suspended until the case is resolved. Two of the eight judges, Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tughushi,

2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Who’s who in Georgia’s parliamentary elections?

by Shota Kincha

•13 min read

Georgians will go to the polls on 26 October in crucial parliamentary elections. Unlike in previous years, this election will be held under a fully proportional system. This means parties will be allocated a percentage of parliament’s 150 seats based entirely on the percentage of votes they receive nationwide, doing away with elections for individual MPs in single-seat constituencies. However, despite calls from many smaller parties, and despite previously promising the opposite, the ruling

Independent candidates Shafag Mayilova (left) and Ulduz Guliyeva (right) in front of the Central Election Commission. Photo: Ulviyaa Ali.

2024 Azerbaijani Parliamentary Elections

Azerbaijani independent candidates call for investigation into electoral fraud

by Aytan Farhadova

•3 min read

A group of independent candidates who stood in 1 September’s parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan have called on the Central Election Commission (CEC) to launch an investigation into electoral fraud in the elections. During and after the vote, photos and footage portraying widespread electoral violations appeared on social media. According to the chairman of the CEC, Mazahir Panahov, applications recording voting violations ‘will be sent to the relevant district election commissions imm

US State Deparment spokesperson Matthew Miller. Photo: state.gov.

Democracy

Washington ‘doesn’t rule out’ further actions over Georgia’s foreign agent law

by OC Media

•2 min read

The US State Department has said it does not rule out further measures in response to Georgia’s controversial foreign agent law, adding that Washington’s review of its relations with the Georgian Government was ongoing. In a press briefing on Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that the Georgian government ‘continues to move in a deeply troubling direction, one that moves the country further away from its Euro-Atlantic trajectory, which the Georgian people, we kn

Bahruz Samadov. Photo: Bahruz Samadov/Facebook

Azerbaijan

Amnesty International calls on Azerbaijan to release Bahruz Samadov and other government critics

by Aytan Farhadova

•2 min read

Amnesty International has called on the Azerbaijani government to release OC Media contributor Bahruz Samadov and other government critics targeted in the lead-up to Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections. Samadov, a political analyst and outspoken advocate for peace with Armenia, was arrested on 21 August and charged with high treason over his contact with Armenian researchers and peace activists. Similar charges were filed against Talysh minority researcher Igbal Abilov in July. In their s

OC Media editor-in-chief Robin Fabbro and executive director Mariam Nikuradze covering a pro-EU rally in Tbilisi in June 2022. Photo: Tata Shoshiashvili/OC Media.

Democracy

OC Media refuses to register as ‘foreign agent’ in Georgia as government deadline passes

by OC Media

•2 min read

OC Media has refused to register with the Georgian Government as an organisation ‘carrying out the interests of a foreign power’ after the deadline to do so passed on Monday. OC Media, a regional news platform registered and headquartered in Georgia, joins a majority of local media and non-governmental organisations in boycotting the controversial legislation. OC Media co-founder and executive director Mariam Nikuradze stated that registering in the database ‘would go against our mission’