GEORGIA: Stray dogs in danger & more – 2nd Apr 2026

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 2nd of April twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Wednesday, the 1st, a viral video from the Gori municipal dog shelter sparked a massive social media backlash across Georgia. Animal rights activist Tamaz Elizbarashvili filmed smoke rising from the facility’s crematorium at 4:30 a.m., reporting a horrific smell of burnt meat. He said that this happened after a truck full of stray dogs entered the facility in the middle of the night.

gram, which aims to sterilize: 9000

After this news spread, several successful attempts have been made by citizens in Poti, Zugdidi, and Tbilisi to prevent municipal workers from taking stray dogs from the streets.

Changing topics. On Monday, the 30th, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had a phone call with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This is the first high-level communication between two countries since the Kotsebi stole Georgia’s twenty twenty-four parliamentary elections. They supposedly discussed regional security in the Caucasus and the Black Sea. Kobakhidze called the exchange productive, hoping that it will lead to a reset of the relationship and regaining of strategic partner status.

Just a day later, Iran’s Ambassador to Georgia issued a sharp warning, which many connected to this call. He said that countries hastily opening their doors to reckless foreign interests would eventually pay a price. He said that those aligning with American policies face rising risks, including economic instability and regional conflict.

Next up. On Tuesday, the 31st, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a statement regarding the election of the next Georgian Patriarch. Russian officials say that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who serves as the spiritual leader of the global Orthodox Church, seeks to control the Georgian Church following the death of Ilia II. The report says Bartholomew is lobbying for two specific candidates: Metropolitan Abraham of Western Europe and Metropolitan Grigol of Poti and Khobi. Russia describes this as an attempt to install candidates loyal to him.

In other news. On Tuesday, the 31st, Tbilisi police arrested thirteen individuals linked to neo-Nazi groups. The suspects, including seven minors, targeted people with extreme physical and psychological violence using clubs and brass knuckles. These radical groups specifically attacked those who did not share their ideology and filmed the abuse to spread their influence online. Beyond the violence, members also robbed and extorted their victims. Investigators found firearms, Nazi symbolism, and masks during house searches. Authorities also charged four additional people currently in prison for similar crimes. This crackdown follows a months-long investigation into these violent networks. The suspects now face up to fifteen years in prison for torture, robbery, and organizing group violence.

On Friday, the 27th, Valerian Kochiashvili, businessman and owner of George Oil, said he signed an agreement to import coal and oil from Donetsk, a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine. He said he aims to import the goods to Georgia and then re-export them to India and Turkey in late April. He also half-jokingly said that if the ruling party tries to prevent this deal, he will cut their ears off, including Bidzina Ivanishvili. Several months ago, Kochiashvili was fined 1,000 Lari, which is 350 dollars, for verbally insulting and threatening the German Ambassador.

In response to the situation, Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that while Georgia has no obligation to follow EU sanctions, the country still respects them to support the Ukrainian people.

On Tuesday, the 31st, Georgian Dream or the Kotsebi officially joined the new Patriots for Europe group within the Council of Europe. This move aligns the ruling party with a right-wing bloc led by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. The alliance includes delegates from six nations who focus on protecting national sovereignty and traditional values. Georgian representative Nino Vardosanidze now serves as a vice-president for this conservative faction.

Speaking of Hungary. On Thursday, the 26, Ukraine’s Security Service revealed that they identified a Hungarian spy who previously operated under diplomatic cover in Georgia. The agent, Zoltán Andre, reportedly conducted espionage in Georgia between twenty-sixteen and twenty-twenty before moving his operations to Ukraine.

While the Ukrainian authorities did not detail his specific activities in Tbilisi, they confirmed he later led a spy network in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, which has a significant ethnically Hungarian population.

On Thursday, the 26th, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte released the twenty twenty-five annual report, which detailed changes in the alliance’s relationship with Georgia. Following the disputed twenty twenty-four parliamentary elections, NATO reprioritized the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, shifting focus away from political projects due to concerns regarding the country’s democratic direction.

Technical military cooperation continued, however, with joint exercises held last May and NATO advisors remaining in Tbilisi to assist with defense capabilities. The report states that while NATO’s open door policy remains, Georgia must return to a pro-European path to continue toward membership.

On Monday, the 30th, a tourist staying in Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi found herself in hot waters, after it was revealed that she damaged a historical artwork displayed in her room.

The piece, titled Patriots Are at War, was created in the ninety-nineties by Georgian artist Lia Shvelidze as a tribute to the war in Abkhazia. The guest, a Kazakh artist of Chechen roots, filmed herself repainting the work and posted it online, describing her actions as a dialogue with Georgian art.

Shevalidze on the other hand described it as an act of vandalism. The hotel fined the guest and moved the damaged painting for restoration. Police are now investigating the incident.

On Monday, the 30th, the national energy regulator approved a significant hike in electricity prices starting this April. Households across Georgia will pay between eighteen and thirty-four percent more for power, with low-income families facing the steepest percentage increases. Officials blame rising import costs and the need for massive infrastructure investments to reduce future outages. Critics warn that these higher tariffs will soon drive up the price of basic groceries and essential services nationwide.

On Thursday, the 26th, OC Media published a deep dive into the uncertain future of the Georgian Orthodox Church after the death of Patriarch Ilia II. The piece explains that for the first time in nearly fifty years, the patriarchal throne is vacant, which triggers a complex election process.

The article looks into internal tensions within the church, Shio Mujiri’s controversial reputation as a potential successor, and concerns that the government or Russia might interfere in the election. It captures the end of a long, centralized era and shows the challenges a new leader will face in today’s more critical society. You can find the link to the full English language article in the Show Notes.

St Antony’s College in Oxford will host the Fifth Annual Oxford-Georgia Forum on May 27. This in-person event brings together scholars and practitioners to look at the country's political and cultural landscape.

Participants will discuss the domestic political climate, mass protests, and the democratic direction of the country. Panels will also examine Georgia’s security infrastructure amidst shifting global alliances and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

The forum includes a focus on cultural heritage through literary studies and also marks ten years of the Oxford Georgian Translation Project. You can find the link to the full schedule in the Show Notes.

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

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Nakhvamdis!