Hans Gutbrod
@hansgutbrod.bsky.social
Interest in policy, think tanks, Caucasus, dogs, ethics. Teach at Ilia State University.
A lot more than one attack a day, if you average it out.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, said press freedom violations in Georgia have reached “unprecedented levels,” documenting 600 attacks on the press in one year.
RSF: Press Freedom Violations in Georgia Reach ‘Unprecedented’ Levels, 600 Attacks in One Year - Civil Georgia
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based media watchdog, said press freedom violations in Ge
civil.ge
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
A lot more than one attack a day, if you average it out.
In two days in London -- location seems to have changed within the university, and do register if you want to attend, as this will be required to join.
#Georgia
#Georgia
Event on #Georgia in London, Nov 26, with Nika Shurghaia, Irina Mamulashvili, Ilia Roubanis (and me), at @ucl.ac.uk , sign up below.
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
Georgia's Trajectory: One Year Since the Elections
One year after the Parliamentary Elections, the results remain heavily contested and unrecognised by most opposition parties due to widespread election fraud allegations. The Government response follo...
www.eventbookings.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
In two days in London -- location seems to have changed within the university, and do register if you want to attend, as this will be required to join.
#Georgia
#Georgia
In normal countries, theatre directors put plays on stage.
In abnormal reality in #Georgia right now, the drama is on the streets & theatre directors, here Giorgi Savanelidze, get dragged by police for insisting on citizens' rights.
Clear who the villains are.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRX9FSK...
In abnormal reality in #Georgia right now, the drama is on the streets & theatre directors, here Giorgi Savanelidze, get dragged by police for insisting on citizens' rights.
Clear who the villains are.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRX9FSK...
November 23, 2025 at 7:56 AM
In normal countries, theatre directors put plays on stage.
In abnormal reality in #Georgia right now, the drama is on the streets & theatre directors, here Giorgi Savanelidze, get dragged by police for insisting on citizens' rights.
Clear who the villains are.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRX9FSK...
In abnormal reality in #Georgia right now, the drama is on the streets & theatre directors, here Giorgi Savanelidze, get dragged by police for insisting on citizens' rights.
Clear who the villains are.
www.instagram.com/reel/DRX9FSK...
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Event on #Georgia in London, Nov 26, with Nika Shurghaia, Irina Mamulashvili, Ilia Roubanis (and me), at @ucl.ac.uk , sign up below.
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
Georgia's Trajectory: One Year Since the Elections
One year after the Parliamentary Elections, the results remain heavily contested and unrecognised by most opposition parties due to widespread election fraud allegations. The Government response follo...
www.eventbookings.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Event on #Georgia in London, Nov 26, with Nika Shurghaia, Irina Mamulashvili, Ilia Roubanis (and me), at @ucl.ac.uk , sign up below.
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
www.eventbookings.com/b/event/geor...
@uclssees.bsky.social
Haven't seen the film but twice saw the presentation by Rena, and they were utterly engrossing...
Wistful, evocative, and indeed a metaphor on politics and loss. Curious to see the movie.
Wistful, evocative, and indeed a metaphor on politics and loss. Curious to see the movie.
📷 OC Reviews | Searching for Satyrus — butterflies, family secrets, and cross-border collaboration
Review | Searching for Satyrus — butterflies, family secrets, and cross-border collaboration
Azerbaijani photographer Rena Effendi’s debut documentary explores the effects of state and familial conflict in the search for an elusive butterfly.
oc-media.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Haven't seen the film but twice saw the presentation by Rena, and they were utterly engrossing...
Wistful, evocative, and indeed a metaphor on politics and loss. Curious to see the movie.
Wistful, evocative, and indeed a metaphor on politics and loss. Curious to see the movie.
surrogacy in #Georgia has plenty of evidence of the slide in basic governance standards across the board -- yes, profits being made, and probably some happy stories, too, but also LOTS of women left very vulnerable.
Helena Bedwell for @ocmedia.bsky.social
oc-media.org/recent-contr...
Helena Bedwell for @ocmedia.bsky.social
oc-media.org/recent-contr...
Recent controversies spark concern in Georgia’s booming surrogacy industry
In recent years, Georgia has emerged as a major global fertility hub — yet there is no proper regulatory framework, leaving surrogates at risk.
oc-media.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:19 PM
surrogacy in #Georgia has plenty of evidence of the slide in basic governance standards across the board -- yes, profits being made, and probably some happy stories, too, but also LOTS of women left very vulnerable.
Helena Bedwell for @ocmedia.bsky.social
oc-media.org/recent-contr...
Helena Bedwell for @ocmedia.bsky.social
oc-media.org/recent-contr...
"Would" = has already established, as all of this effectively has happened and is happening.
Strong words in the statement, should be interpreted correctly by journalists & others.
Strong words in the statement, should be interpreted correctly by journalists & others.
PACE monitors say Georgian Dream prosecuting the opposition “would effectively establish dictatorship in Georgia.”
PACE Monitors Warn Georgian Dream Prosecuting Opposition Would Lead to ‘Dictatorship’ - Civil Georgia
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for monitoring Geor
civil.ge
November 20, 2025 at 5:04 AM
"Would" = has already established, as all of this effectively has happened and is happening.
Strong words in the statement, should be interpreted correctly by journalists & others.
Strong words in the statement, should be interpreted correctly by journalists & others.
If this was such an important step, why didn't it happen 12+ years ago???
Even to repeat this ludicrous claim in good faith is a mistake.
Even to repeat this ludicrous claim in good faith is a mistake.
Georgia has announced it will abolish the Administration of South Ossetia, a body created to rival the South Ossetian government in 2006, criticising it as a legacy of the formerly ruling United National Movement party.
oc-media.org/georgia-to-a...
oc-media.org/georgia-to-a...
Georgia to abolish South Ossetia government in exile
The administration was a failed attempt at creating an autonomous South Ossetia under Georgian control.
oc-media.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
If this was such an important step, why didn't it happen 12+ years ago???
Even to repeat this ludicrous claim in good faith is a mistake.
Even to repeat this ludicrous claim in good faith is a mistake.
When will this yammering about Gakharia stop? If existing oppo spectrum wants to convey it can govern, it must focus on issues at hand, rather than getting twisted up about GG getting a fellowship at the Hertie School.
Focus on issues that matter to people.
Focus on issues that matter to people.
November 17, 2025 at 9:56 PM
When will this yammering about Gakharia stop? If existing oppo spectrum wants to convey it can govern, it must focus on issues at hand, rather than getting twisted up about GG getting a fellowship at the Hertie School.
Focus on issues that matter to people.
Focus on issues that matter to people.
"join or die" may be a motto for quite a few contexts.
Why I changed my mind about the shutdown.
fallows.substack.com/p/why-i-chan...
(Paywall near the end.)
fallows.substack.com/p/why-i-chan...
(Paywall near the end.)
Why I Changed My Mind About the Shutdown ‘Surrender.’
Seven days ago, I thought we were seeing another episode of ‘DACO’: Dems Always Chicken Out. Now I think a deal I opposed is giving anti-Trump forces a stronger hand.
fallows.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:17 AM
"join or die" may be a motto for quite a few contexts.
Reposted by Hans Gutbrod
Screenshotting the very spot-on comment by Hans.
November 13, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Screenshotting the very spot-on comment by Hans.
dept of "lots of great things still happening in #Georgia, driven by good people & regime cannot stop them all" -- forest landscaping by Ruderal Architectures.
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/2025/11/12/i...
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/2025/11/12/i...
Amid Tbilisi’s suburban sprawl, Betania Forest stands out | Landscape Architecture Magazine
What landscape architects need to know. Ruderal’s landscape on the outskirts of the Georgian capital celebrates imprecision and a biodiverse forest palette. By Jessica Bridger "We knew the only way we...
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org
November 12, 2025 at 6:29 PM
dept of "lots of great things still happening in #Georgia, driven by good people & regime cannot stop them all" -- forest landscaping by Ruderal Architectures.
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/2025/11/12/i...
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org/2025/11/12/i...
Departure significantly increases likelihood that even Kakha Kaladze will move into the cross hairs of the Robespierrean purge at GD -- Khmaladze was a close KK associate for many years.
Also, not to be forgotten the (likely) suicide other KK dep 2ish years ago. bm.ge/en/news/irak...
Also, not to be forgotten the (likely) suicide other KK dep 2ish years ago. bm.ge/en/news/irak...
Irakli Khmaladze Steps Down as Deputy Minister of Justice
Irakli Khmaladze is no longer serving as Deputy Minister of Justice in
the Georgian Dream government...
bm.ge
November 12, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Departure significantly increases likelihood that even Kakha Kaladze will move into the cross hairs of the Robespierrean purge at GD -- Khmaladze was a close KK associate for many years.
Also, not to be forgotten the (likely) suicide other KK dep 2ish years ago. bm.ge/en/news/irak...
Also, not to be forgotten the (likely) suicide other KK dep 2ish years ago. bm.ge/en/news/irak...
really extraordinary, how Georgian Dream people are incriminating themselves, in their own words, telling us that the judiciary is rigged to do political deeds.
As Mariam Lashkhi said, “This wasn’t about a slap, pain, or redness, it was about her attitude toward the institution, and that’s why she was held accountable.” 2/2
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
really extraordinary, how Georgian Dream people are incriminating themselves, in their own words, telling us that the judiciary is rigged to do political deeds.
foto exhibition "Tavisupleba" on pro-European protests, in #Tuebingen, from Nov 28 until February, by Emilia Huppenberger #Georgia
November 9, 2025 at 9:19 PM
foto exhibition "Tavisupleba" on pro-European protests, in #Tuebingen, from Nov 28 until February, by Emilia Huppenberger #Georgia
Wonderful article about creating a great space & home away from the usual routes. #Armenia
Memories on a plate — How a forgotten Armenian village became a culinary destination
oc-media.org/memories-on-...
oc-media.org/memories-on-...
Memories on a plate — How a forgotten Armenian village became a culinary destination
After decades abroad, former ad executive Tatev Aghababyan returned to Armenia to build a new life centred on local traditions and ingredients.
oc-media.org
November 9, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Wonderful article about creating a great space & home away from the usual routes. #Armenia
Reposted by Hans Gutbrod
Arrests have become routine in #Georgia - so frequent it’s hard to keep track. A few days of detention now feel as common as a COVID diagnosis once did: inevitable, frightening, and especially dangerous for the vulnerable.
#RepressionInGeorgia #TerrorInGeorgia
#RepressionInGeorgia #TerrorInGeorgia
🟥 During the night of Nov 3 in #Tbilisi, journalist for Media Checker Ninia Kakabadze was arrested.
According to witnesses, she was clearly identified as press and performing her journalistic duties at today’s protest.
©️ Photo by @publikage.bsky.social; Nov 3 protest.
#GeorgiaProtests
According to witnesses, she was clearly identified as press and performing her journalistic duties at today’s protest.
©️ Photo by @publikage.bsky.social; Nov 3 protest.
#GeorgiaProtests
November 3, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Arrests have become routine in #Georgia - so frequent it’s hard to keep track. A few days of detention now feel as common as a COVID diagnosis once did: inevitable, frightening, and especially dangerous for the vulnerable.
#RepressionInGeorgia #TerrorInGeorgia
#RepressionInGeorgia #TerrorInGeorgia
light earthquake in Tbilisi, it seems.
November 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM
light earthquake in Tbilisi, it seems.
Great work by @ocmedia.bsky.social to explain how an obscure Japanese term has become charged with meaning in contemporary Georgia.
⭕ Explainer | Georgian Dream is notorious for its creative terms to describe its critics — but why is it using a term Akatsuki from the anime Naruto to describe protesters?
oc-media.org/explainer-wh...
oc-media.org/explainer-wh...
Explainer | Why is the Georgian Government comparing protesters to Naruto’s Akatsuki?
Georgian Dream is notorious for its creative names describing its critics — but why is it using a term from the anime Naruto to describe protesters?
oc-media.org
October 31, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Great work by @ocmedia.bsky.social to explain how an obscure Japanese term has become charged with meaning in contemporary Georgia.
Multiple arrests across Tbilisi today, ppl taken from their homes.
In living memory in Georgia, it hasn't been that bad. Many likely only administrative detention, but jailing is jailing. Parents ripped away from children, and and and.
In living memory in Georgia, it hasn't been that bad. Many likely only administrative detention, but jailing is jailing. Parents ripped away from children, and and and.
This one’s my new favorite: the regime’s propaganda outlet POSTV published a graphic listing “arrested members” of the Democratic Party even though most of the people on it hadn’t been arrested yet.
For example, Giga Lemonjava, a member of the Droa Party, was arrested an hour later.
For example, Giga Lemonjava, a member of the Droa Party, was arrested an hour later.
October 24, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Multiple arrests across Tbilisi today, ppl taken from their homes.
In living memory in Georgia, it hasn't been that bad. Many likely only administrative detention, but jailing is jailing. Parents ripped away from children, and and and.
In living memory in Georgia, it hasn't been that bad. Many likely only administrative detention, but jailing is jailing. Parents ripped away from children, and and and.