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“New newspaper called ‘Kriminaluri Kakheti’ is published in Kakheti province”

Rezonansi reports that the regional newspaper Imedi, unrelated to the television station of the same name, premiered a new newspaper in the province of Kakheti. Called Kriminaluri Kakheti (Criminal Kakheti), it will document allegations of criminality and human rights abuses:

The monthly paper will focus on incidents of human rights violations in the province.

“Journalists will write investigative articles, and we will pay serious attention to human rights protection issues as well,” say the paper’s editorial staff.

The first issue of the paper carries investigative articles and exclusive interviews. In the future, the newspaper plans to cooperate with NGOs working on human rights issues.

The reader will have opportunity to know how his rights are protected, who they should talk to in case of violations, etc

Kriminaluri Kakheti will be distributed in the province’s towns and villages.



“British specialists to observe May 21 parliamentary elections in Georgia”

Akhali Taoba reports on a meeting of British Ambassador Denis Keefe and Central Election Commission (CEC) chairman Levan Tarkhnishvili:

According to the British Embassy’s press service, the ambassador asked Tarkhnishvili to register 22 British observers to cover various Georgian regions.

Great Britain will send 35 short-term observers for the May 21 parliamentary elections. Two long-term observers are already in the country.

At the meeting, the sides also discussed the CEC’s preparations for the upcoming elections.

“May 21 parliamentary elections are vitally important for Georgia’s democratic development. I’m happy that Great Britain has the chance to send such a big number of the observers here. This proves yet again that [Britain] supports Georgia on the road to democracy,” Denis Keefe said.



“Norwegian National Guard delegation visits Ministry of Defense”

Rezonansi reports on a visit of Norwegian National Guard officials:

The purpose of the visit is to advise the Georgian National Guard on reservist issues.

Nino Bakradze, head of the International Relations and Euro-Atlantic Integration Department of the Defense Ministry [has] met with the guests, [who are] representatives of the National Guard of Norway’s planning and policy department.

The sides discussed the latest achievements in Georgia’s defense sphere and aspects of bilateral cooperation between Georgia and Norway.

Besides Bakradze, the visitors also meet with the commander of Georgia’s National Guard, Colonel Davit Aptsiauri.



“Several young girls disappeared in Abkhazia”

Akhali Taoba reports that several young women have gone missing in breakaway Abkhazia recently. The newspaper, in its editorial wisdom, omitted any mention of whether the cases are thought to be connected:

[The missing women’s last names are] Lavrinenko, Kuznetsova, Manukian, Shakhbazian and Sarkissian. Their average age is from 19–25, though Kuznetsova is underage.

Local police are trying to find the girls, though they have not found any yet.