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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 14h

Incoming Ambo to Germany, Alexander Kartozia, politely challenged on the street about Irakli Kobakhidze's invocation of Joseph Goebbels today.

He scurries away. He knows very well that what the Georgian Dream regime says and does is indefensible.

www.facebook.com/share/v/1AgX...

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 16h

Indeed. And then the instruments of the state were used to pursue what should be a civil case.

I've heard qualified & sensible people claim that Cartu Bank should at least have been investigated based on what BI's lawyer *himself* described, essentially incriminating the bank.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 18h

Most accounts suggest that BI thought he should get more of the profit after the agreed loan was fully repaid, and that the case against Bachiashvili is flimsy at best.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 18h

Big news, shows the deadly mess inside the regime.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 1d

and culture event!
FOMO will host #Tbilisi launch of Nick Hudson's new album ON THE EVE OF HOPE.

"Nick Hudson (@the_academy_of_the_sun) is a UK-born, Tbilisi-based composer/artist who's been pushing the limits of music production and lyricism for the last 30 years."

fienta.com/nick-hudson-...

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 1d

October Overview on State of Play in Georgia -- some provisional thoughts.

Comments welcome.
open.substack.com/pub/hansgutb...

October Overview on State of Play in Georgia

Where are we now? Some provisional thoughts.

open.substack.com

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 2d

The rest of the interview is pretty OK & says sensible things.

IPN chose the headline that most emphasizes differences in the oppo camp. (In my view, Oppo spectrum should on principle stop assessing each other. Nobody wins.)

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 2d

Test it with the flag of Brittany to confuse them...

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 2d

Here the archive version of the article. Essential reading to understand Georgia.
archive.md/2025.10.06-0...

archive.md

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

More in the coming days.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

The kids on the barricades are not with any party or group but express the deep anger of many that their future is being stolen.

GD has nothing to offer but corruption -- and now is taking away even that! (Friend sent this, 30m ago.)

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

What to make of the day? Overall a show of strength -- but not one of direction.

That strength after months of repression remains impressive, but it won't be enough to get the country back on track, without a clearer, concerted strategy.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

Protest group coming down Rustaveli. Now it's quite some numbers.

And they keep coming. #Tbilisi #Georgia

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

To me, it's a tiny indication that GD might indeed think about snap parliamentary election, in which they can say that this problem is addressed.

(It's also an indirect admission, of course, that it was a *pivotal* undermining of secrecy last year & courts should have challenged it.)

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

Since I'm a voter (& was not in favor of boycott & said so clearly from spring) -- they brought in a tiny improvement to make the ink stain less of a problem, a paper cover when feeding ballot into machine. #Georgia

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 4d

Actually it's with Bera and his wife, who is also visible.

Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 5d

If you don't cycle in Tbilisi, you miss some of its prettiest sights. Almost midnight by the Mtkvari.

#Tbilisi #Georgia

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 6d

GIP tried to be as constructive as one can be, talked to GD, maintained relations as long as one could -- great org to work with.

Sign of the depth of the repressive assault they have to suspend their work, too.

Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 6d

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.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 6d

The Mt Tabori Golf & Spa is taking yr bookings now, starting at $400/ night.

Stark contrast between luxury rooms that practically no non-stealing Georgian can afford, while decent people get locked into prison. #Tbilisi #Georgia

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 6d

Good & necessary step, quite a few other steps should follow.

#Georgia

German Foreign Office @germany.diplo.de · 6d

Today, the Chargé d’Affaires of #Georgia was invited to the German Federal Foreign Office. We conveyed a clear message: the unfounded accusations and aggressive rhetoric by Georgian authorities against the German ambassador in Tbilisi are unacceptable and must stop.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 6d

Thx!

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Reposted by Hans Gutbrod

Jelger Groeneveld @jelgerg.bsky.social · 7d

The system founder of Georgian Dream, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has built up to rely on power is walking into the same entrapment as other autocratic regimes (yet much faster it seems): paranoia about his own allies.

jam-news.net/prison-and-e...

Prison and exile: how Ivanishvili deals with former allies

How former allies became enemies of Georgia’s de facto ruler Bidzina Ivanishvili

jam-news.net

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 7d

With Real Estate & Construction stalled & Public Admin (+9.1%) & Finance (+11.8%) accelerating amidst overall sector weakness, this growth is "a wonder," not genuine development. According to Khishtovani, the foundation of the economy is weak.
This translation from his FB. Data here also.

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 7d

Nearly all growth comes from ICT (+37.1%) & Education (+28.9%), which are "black boxes." ICT growth is often paper-based (int'l companies serving abroad), while the Education surge is unexplained. Real economic activity and jobs are not following suit. #Geostat

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 7d

interesting analysis by Goga Khishtovani, from FB. He says:
#Georgia's "amazing economic growth" is misleading. Core sectors like Agriculture (−2.5%), Construction (−2.6%), and Trade (∼+1.5%) are stagnant or shrinking. The growth is heavily reliant on a few unstable drivers.

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