EU welcomes Georgian President's decision to pardon oppositionist

The pardon by Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili of Nika Gvaramia, director general of the opposition Mtavari channel, is "a step towards depolarization in Georgia." This was stated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel. The politician also welcomes the statement of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili that the country will not return to the discussion of the draft law on “foreign agents”. “Georgia's future is in the EU,” Michel said.

The release of Nika Gvaramia was also positively received by the Helsinki Commission. “President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned Nika Gvaramia, who was persecuted and unjustly imprisoned by the Georgian government. Thank you, Madam President, for yet another example of courage and leadership,” the statement said.

Recall that last year the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Nika Gvaramia, an associate of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, to 3.5 years in prison in the case of inflicting damage to the TV company Rustavi 2 in the amount of 6.8 million lari ($2.6 million). The country's Supreme Court recently upheld the lower court's decision. The opposition considers Gvaramia a political prisoner.

Последние новости
Putin cited Ramzan Kadyrov's large family as a role model
Society
Putin cited Ramzan Kadyrov's large family as a role model
19 December 2025

During the annual "Year in Review" press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to a question about support for young families, noted the tradition of early marriages in the North Caucasus. He said he believed this was "right" and suggested "following their example," citing Ramzan Kadyrov's large family.
Adam Kadyrov blamed preachers of nationalist hatred for the murder of a Tajik boy
Society
Adam Kadyrov blamed preachers of nationalist hatred for the murder of a Tajik boy
19 December 2025

Following the murder of 10-year-old Kobiljon Aliyev, a boy from a Tajik family, at a school near Moscow, Adam Kadyrov, the son and aide of the head of Chechnya, stated that the tragedy was not an isolated incident, but the result of a "systemic problem."
Georgia Accuses the European Union of Undermining the Country's Sovereignty
Politics
Georgia Accuses the European Union of Undermining the Country's Sovereignty
19 December 2025

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticized the statement by European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas that the European Union supports the Georgian people, but not the country's government.
The European Parliament condemned the rise in the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan
Human rights
The European Parliament condemned the rise in the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan
19 December 2025

The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the arbitrary arrests and sentences handed down to Azerbaijani scholars Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov. The resolution expresses concern over the growing number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, which, according to the European Parliament, has reached 400.