GEORGIA: Razmadze Praises Russian Troops & more – 28th Aug 2025

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 28th of August twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

David Razmadze, head of the city council in Gori, central Georgia, and a member of the ruling Georgian Dream or the Kotsebi party, caused an uproar after the New York Times reported that he praised Russian troops who entered the city during the two thousand eight Russian-Georgian war.

In the article published on Wednesday, the 20th Razmadze described them as peacekeepers who stopped Saakashvili’s thugs from looting the city. He even said he felt thankful for their presence. Razmadze later denied using that wording and called the report a lie, insisting he never spoke positively about Russia. The New York Times responded that it quoted his words directly from a ninety-minute interview inside the council building.

Next up, on Wednesday, the 27th, a troubling case in Tbilisi highlighted how underdeveloped Georgia’s healthcare system is. An eighteen-year-old boy with disabilities, who cannot speak, showed signs of pain and was taken to several hospitals, but three of them refused to admit him. One said it had no space, another said it lacked proper conditions, and a third pointed to broken equipment and the absence of a psychiatrist.

His mother, Maia Baratashvili, spent the night outside of yet another hospital with her son. Videos showed him lying on a hospital floor in distress. After hours of waiting, he was finally admitted. Doctors first suspected a dental issue, but instead discovered severe pneumonia and put him on a ventilator

. After disability rights advocates drew wide attention to the case, the Health Minister met the mother and promised treatment from the country’s top doctors.

In other news, on Monday, the 25th, Zviad Tsetskhladze, an activist and political prisoner arrested during pro-European protests, wrote a letter to Pawel Herczynski, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, with a plea not to let Europe cancel Georgia’s visa-free travel or push the country out of the Council of Europe.

In his letter, he described Europe as an idea of freedom built on democracy, law, and human rights, and said that Georgia historically shared the same values. He wrote that losing visa-free travel would isolate Georgians and betray those who fought for closer ties with Europe.

His message comes as the European Commission considers suspending the visa-free regime, giving the Kotsebi government until the end of August to reverse laws that limit rights and stop democratic backsliding.

On Saturday, the 23rd, Anri Okhashvili stepped down as head of Georgia’s State Security Service after only four and a half months in the post. He was moved to a far less visible role as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s advisor on national security. Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the parliamentary majority, will take over the role.

This move raised suspicion that Okhashvili, who is a member of the Kotsebi elite, was not able to establish tight control over the State Security Service, one of the most powerful institutions in the country, which is in charge of acting against the major threats to national security. However, it is often used to spy on opposition members and act against any threats directed at the ruling party.

Several weeks ago, we reported that Gogi Bachiashvili, former head of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s investment fund and his close confidant, suffered a serious attack in prison. Recall that he was sentenced to eleven years for allegedly defrauding Ivanishvili of several thousand bitcoins, which Bachiashvili insists never belonged to Ivanishvili.

The Special Penitentiary Service launched an internal investigation into the attack. While few expected the authorities to punish anyone involved, their findings reached a new low even for government propaganda. On Thursday, the 21st, the Penitentiary Service said that it was possible that Bachiashvili, together with certain prison staff and other inmates, coordinated the attack on himself.

On Wednesday, the 27th, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Georgia. He met with Interior Minister Gela Geladze, and both sides discussed strengthening cooperation between their law enforcement agencies.

Ben-Gvir is one of the most controversial figures in Israeli politics, known for his far-right positions, past links to extremist groups, and sanctions from several Western countries. Pro-Palestinian leftist groups responded to his visit by hanging a massive Palestinian flag over the Freedom Bridge in the center of Tbilisi.

On Monday, the 25th, opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze said Georgia will face a huge financial loss after losing arbitration disputes with two energy companies. One case involves Russian company Inter RAO, owner of local energy company Telasi, where Georgia lost an appeal and must pay 94 million dollars, including penalties. The dispute began after Georgia canceled tariff guarantees that protected the company from currency devaluation, and courts ruled the government broke its commitments.

The second case involves Turkish company ENKA, tied to the failed Namakhvani hydropower project, which was cancelled due to a year-long protest by locals who said it would endanger the area. A Paris court ordered Georgia to pay 380 million dollars, and with penalties, the cost could rise to 450 million dollars.

Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the two independent media outlets, Netgazeti and Batumelebi, and now a political prisoner under the Kotsebi government, has been shortlisted for the twenty twenty-five Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The award, organized by the Council of Europe with the Václav Havel Library, honors people who take real risks to defend human rights.

Twenty-five years ago Mzia founded Netgazeti and Batumelebi, which maintained independence and were not afraid to criticize overreach by all three governments. However, the Kotsebi put her behind bars during pro-European protests, accusing her of resisting the police. She faced police abuse while being detained, and her refusal to settle with the authorities to receive more lenient punishment led her to become a symbol of freedom and resilience.

Speaking of the media, on Tuesday, the 26th, Georgia’s Charter of Journalistic Ethics announced that for the first time since twenty twelve, it will not be able to monitor and report on media coverage during major elections, referring to municipal elections set for October. The group usually tracks how TV and online outlets report on campaigns, checking for political bias and professional standards.

The Charter says that the new repressive laws, pushed by the Kotsebi, and the government’s broader pressure on media cut off its access to Western donor funding, which made these monitoring projects possible. Without that support, the organization can no longer run large-scale election monitoring.

For now, the Charter continues basic work on a volunteer basis, such as reviewing citizen complaints about ethical violations, but it says it cannot provide the wider services that once helped improve media and support fair elections.

In similar news, on Wednesday, the 27th, Tbilisi City Court froze the bank accounts of several NGOs after prosecutors tied them to last year’s pro-European protests. What started as demonstrations against the government's decision to suspend EU access talks in twenty twenty-four escalated into clashes between protesters and the police. Authorities say that protesters threw Molotov cocktails, burned parts of the parliament building, and set fire to police equipment. Simultaneously, over 400 protesters were violently beaten and some were allegedly tortured.

Investigators say these NGOs helped fund gear for protesters, such as gas masks, helmets, and protective eyewear. They also covered fines and legal fees for them. Prosecutors say this support fueled the unrest and was meant to weaken law enforcement.

Also on Wednesday, police in Tbilisi and Samegrelo arrested twelve people, including both Georgian and Chinese citizens, and closed thirteen venues connected to prostitution. Investigators say managers rented out spaces to women involved in prostitution and even helped them find clients, taking a part of the earnings.

The arrests followed hidden audio and video recordings. The police seized money tied to the activity. The news drew even more attention when it turned out that singer and popular TV personality Khatia Tsereteli, who has produced several viral music videos, was one of the arrested.

In a bit of weird news, the government declared the 29th of August a public holiday. Prime Minister Kobakhidze signed the decree, but authorities have not explained any reason behind the new holiday. The 28th of August is already a public holiday in Georgia for the Orthodox Church’s celebration of Mother Mary. The only reason for the new holiday seems to be that it’s on a Friday, giving people an opportunity to enjoy a four-day long weekend.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

The new Ramble on Georgian Slang is out now! Check out the hashtag #georgianslang. You can find the episode in the Rorshok Georgia Update on your favorite streaming platform or follow the link in the show notes!

We’ve also made a survey for you to choose the most important Georgian slang words that non-Georgian speakers should know to understand Georgia, Georgianess, and Georgia now! Tell us which ones are your favorite, too! Link in the show notes!

Nakhvamdis!