On the 329th day of protest Georgian police intervened on Wednesday evening as anti-government protesters once again tried to block Tbilisi's central avenue, defying tightened protest laws. The crackdown led to a series of arrests, with some estimates reaching almost 30.

Dalle 10:35 interverrò a "I divergenti", programma di Radio Capodistria condotto da Barbara Costamagna, per parlare di Mzia Amaghlobeli e di diritti umani in Georgia. Interverrà congiuntamente anche Claudia Bettiol per discutere la situazione in Belarus'. radiocapodistria.rtvslo.si

Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s opposition For Georgia party members will take their seats in Parliament, ending a nearly yearlong boycott.

🧵 La guerra sta corrodendo il sistema di potere e la Russia di Putin? | @giovannisavino.bsky.social www.valigiablu.it/guerra-ucrai...

🧵L’attentato contro il giornalista Sigfrido Ranucci è una grave minaccia per la nostra democrazia www.valigiablu.it/lattentato-g...

Georgia’s Parliament, fully controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has fast-tracked legislative amendments that would severely restrict street protests and allow the courts to ban individuals from engaging in political activity.

Poet Zviad Ratiani was sentenced to two years in prison after Tbilisi City Court Judge Giorgi Gelashvili, in a last-minute decision, reclassified the charge from assaulting a police officer to a less severe “resistance, threat or violence” against an official. Read more: civil.ge/archives/703...

Georgia continues to protest. Day 315 #GeorgiaProtests

For the third day in a row, GD has been detaining people involved in the October 4 rally and the Presidential Palace incident. Twelve more people were detained today. Including the five organizers, a total of 35 people are currently in detention. #TerrorinGeorgia

Former Gldani No. 8 prison chief Davit Gogoberishvili was found dead. Authorities are investigating possible incitement to suicide. He headed the prison where Giorgi Bachiashvili was beaten in July, an incident that led to his controversial resignation.

⭕️On October 7, Judge Lela Maridashvili ordered the pre-trial detention of five organizers of October 5 protest. ♦️13 more were arrested last night. ♦️Kobakhidze promised "zero compassion" #GeorgiaProtests #RepressionInGeorgia

Days after an attempt to storm the Presidential Palace on the elections day, Georgian PM Kobakhidze downplayed the significance of the daily anti-government protests, threatening a policy of ‘zero sympathy’ against the protest movement. 🔗 Read more: oc-media.org/kobakhidze-t...

Mio ultimo per @valigiablu.it sugli sviluppi in Georgia nel weekend.

Despite the authorities promise to regard any further protests as a ‘continuation of yesterday’s attempt’, insinuating further arrests, protesters in Tbilisi have blocked the road near the Georgian Parliament, the traditional site of the ongoing daily anti-government protests.

Tbilisi 10:35 #GeorgiaProtests

CEC released preliminary results of municipal vote, with Georgian Dream party leading with 80.7% of the vote nationwide, compared to combined 19.3% received by opposition parties. In Tbilisi's mayoral race, GD's Kakha Kaladze received 71.55% of the votes:

The Central Election Commission has reported 602,445 voters had cast their votes as of 12:00. 🔴 The percentage is very similar to 2021 local elections at 12:00 and is slightly higher than what was recorded in 2017. ➡️ Read live updates: oc-media.org/live-updates...

Very sad day for the Georgian Institute of Politics, a think tank focused mostly on foreign policy dimensions, but also obviously om the internal political developments. Due to the repressive legislation adopted, the organization has to close.

Thrilled to have contributed to the latest issue of @neweasterneurope.eu with an article on Italy. I examine why narratives echoing elements of Russian state propaganda are so prevalent in Italy, and why they resonate with parts of the public opinion.

Just published, my piece on the U.S. Armenia-Azerbaijan deal and its prospects. There is a lot of hard work still to be done, I argue, but the shared coincidence of interests that neither country wants Russia as a guarantor has been transformative. www.foreignaffairs.com/armenia/unli...

L’ultimo numero della newsletter di Meridiano 13 si incentra sull'Armenia che oggi celebra la sua indipendenza. Contiene un’interessante intervista a @simonezop.bsky.social op.bsky.social sulla tragedia degli armeni del Karabakh e vari pezzi su temi culturali e sportivi (inclusi un paio miei).

Su Meridiano 13, ho discusso con @tilmanalioscia.bsky.social la tragedia dimenticata degli armeni del Karabakh, a due anni dalla pulizia etnica. www.meridiano13.it/armeni-del-n...

🟥 Two Russian activists detained in Georgia during the ongoing anti-government protests, Anastasia Zinovkina and Artem Gribul, have been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison on drug charges.

Sono appena tornato da un settimana intensa di incontri ed eventi a Palermo, organizzati nell'ambito di MOST, la Summer School di @memorialitalia.bsky.social. Tantissimi gli spunti di riflessione sull'Europa dell'est, l'Italia, il giornalismo e molto altro.

Tre articoli che ho scritto ad agosto su quanto sta avvenendo nel Caucaso del Sud: 1) Per @facta.news ho analizzato gli sviluppi nei negoziati di pace tra Armenia e Azerbaigian (al di là delle esternazioni trumpiane), dopo l'importante incontro di Washington lo scorso 8 agosto.

Un altro aggiornamento sulle relazioni russo-azere anche in virtù del nuovo attivismo di Trump nel Caucaso del Sud. Trovate l'articolo che ho scritto con Francesco Brusa su il manifesto di oggi. ilmanifesto.it/in-rotta-con...

Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili found Giorgi Ahobadze not guilty and released him due to lack of evidence. He was charged with purchasing and possessing a large amount of drugs. Akhobadze was denying charges, claiming the drugs were planted. #TerrorinGeorgia

Breaking: Batumelebi and Netgazeti founder Mzia Amaghlobeli has been sentenced to two years in jail after the court reduced criminal charges from attack on a police officer to "resistance, threat or violence" against an official.

The verdict for detained Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli has been postponed again, until 6 August. She faces 4–7 years on criminal charges for slapping Batumi’s police chief. Amaghlobeli has to travel 400km to Batumi from Rustavi Prison and back to attend each hearing.

Today, journalist Mzia Amaglobeli will deliver her final speech at her last court hearing, where the court's decision might be announced. Amaglobeli, who is a co-founder of two media outlets, faces up to 7 years in prison. Updates below 🧵

Con Francesco Brusa abbiamo scritto dell'evolversi delle relazioni dell'Azerbaigian con Russia e Ucraina. L'articolo è su il manifesto di oggi (pagina 5). ilmanifesto.it/la-diplomazi...

Tomorrow at 13:00 the concluding hearing is expected for journalist Mzia Amaglobeli at Batumi City Court. She is facing up to seven years. This is a sketch I did of a couple of weeks ago of Mzia after media got banned from video and photo reporting of trials.

An interesting read with original insights and well-argued takeaways.

Segnalo questo ottimo articolo di Claudia Bettiol che sta seguendo le manifestazioni in corso da Kyiv. www.meridiano13.it/anticorruzio...

"Solo chi vive in una bolla di beata ignoranza è rimasto sorpreso da polemiche e proteste". Una frase dell'articolo di @matteopascoletti.bsky.social che ben sintetizza la questione.

📢 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐯'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚. 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚 𝐔𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐧 𝐞 𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐨 𝐃𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚. 💻 docs.google.com/.../14Ib8Btw...

"Georgia cannot join the EU until its government changes its authoritarian course," the European Parliament says.

Domani mattina dalle 8:45 sarò ai microfoni di Radio InBlu 2000 (conduce Chiara Placenti) per parlare delle complicate relazioni reciproche tra Azerbaigian, Armenia e Russia. www.radioinblu.it/live/

Trent'anni fa, il 3 luglio 1995, ci lasciava Alexander Langer. Un mio articolo per ricordarlo sul magazine della Fondazione Gariwo.

🧵 Oggi una doppia uscita legata all'Azerbaigian. 1/ Su MicroMega ho raccontato la repressione in corso nel paese, tra arresti e lunghe condanne ad attivisti, giornalisti e ricercatori. Purtroppo è un argomento quasi ignorato in Italia, tra i pochi che ne parlano @cesarebarberis.bsky.social.

Georgian Dream MP Irakli Zarkua has proposed expelling foreign ambassadors critical of the Georgian government, with particular emphasis on German Ambassador Peter Fischer. oc-media.org/georgian-dre...

Bahruz Samadov, a doctoral student at Charles University in the Czech Republic and a researcher accused of high treason, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The verdict was handed down on June 23 by the Baku Grave Crimes Court.

Researcher and OC Media contributor Bahruz Samadov has attempted to take his own life in prison, after prosecutors demanded he be sentenced to 16 years on charges of treason. ➡️ Read more: oc-media.org/azerbaijani-...

🚨 BREAKING: Azerbaijan jails journalists from Abzas Media and RFE/RL's Azerbaijani service in trial condemned as a ‘sham’ 🗣️ @amnesty.org's Marie Struthers: “Azerbaijan's judicial system is being weaponized to muzzle independent journalism.” More details via @occrp.org👇

Per il mio ultimo per @valigiablu.it ho parlato con l'Ufficio Relazioni Internazionali del Comune di Milano per capire come si è arrivati all'incontro tra il sindaco Sala e Kaladze del 9 giugno. Non una pagina molto edificante per i motivi che spiego nell'articolo...

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said the country needs ‘to try’ to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and dissolve the OSCE Minsk group by ‘the end of the year’. ➡️ More: oc-media.org/pashinyan-sa...

Yesterday Georgian Dream organized what I would define as a propaganda stunt in my hometown, Milan. Kakha Kaladze, Irakli Kobakhidze and Maka Bochorishvili attended the inauguration of the Georgian Consulate. On the Italian side, a couple of AC Milan old stars and the mayor of the city. ⤵️

📌 Explainer: The 16 legislative changes that have shaped Georgia’s authoritarian slide oc-media.org/explainer-th...

Un breve aggiornamento sulla situazione in Georgia per Valigia Blu.

Tbilisi City Court placed Ahali party co-chair and Coalition for Change leader Nika Melia in pretrial detention for refusing to pay the bail imposed for defying the Georgian Dream parliament’s temporary investigative commission’s summons.