Annual Christmasepistle by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, in which he decries global technological advancements creating "bioethical challenges", including the development of artificial intelligence.[1]
An icon of Saint Matrona of Moscow featuring her in discussion with Joseph Stalin is gifted to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi by pro-Russian Georgian politicians, causing public protests for several days, culminating in activists throwing paint at the icon and the Patriarchate agreeing to removing the depiction of Stalin. [3]
10 January: Russia abolishes customs duties on oil and gas exports to South Ossetia.[4]
12 January: Polish Ambassador Mariusz Maszkiewicz reveals having been verbally assaulted by Georgian diplomatic officials after having called for the closure of the Stalin Museum of Gori.[7]
14 January: a high-ranking delegation representing the Georgian Dream party visits China, leading to affirmations about the close ties between the Georgian government and the Chinese Communist Party.[9]
a Georgian civilian is detained by Russian soldiers near the village of Akhmaji, close to the South Ossetian occupation line.[10]
the highly-covered trial of Lazare Grigoriadis, a young man arrested in March 2023 during anti-government protests, is postponed till February 26, forcing him to spend another month in pre-trial detention before a final verdict is granted.[11]
US Global Anti-Corruption Coordinator Richard Nephew visits Georgia to meet with parliamentary, judicial, domestic intelligence, and civil society leaders.[12]
The European Parliament adopts a resolution recommending EU executive bodies to adopt a more robust approach to tackling frozen conflicts, including in Georgia, underlining previous failures to ensure Russia's enforcement of the 2008 ceasefire agreement.[13]
Parliamentary Speaker Papuashvili asserts that the Ukrainian and Moldovan Presidents, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Maia Sandu respectively, as well as several members of the European Parliament "lied" when condemning the torture of Saakashvili.[15]
The Georgian Orthodox Church issues statement, saying that it will remove the icon featuring Saint Matrona of Moscow, a Russian Orthodox saint, blessing Joseph Stalin.[16]
21 January: a fire causes the destruction of the National Art Gallery of Abkhazia and more than 4,000 works. The incident causes public outcry against local authorities.[17]
23 January: Police clashes with the protesters attempting to block an evication of a family in Tbilisi, sparking debate over tighter regulations for the predatory lending and the practice of evications from an only residential place.[18][19] At least one journalist is injured during protests, another one arrested. Protests continue for several days as the authorities refuse to release student protesters.[20]
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili makes four new ambassadorial appointments to reshape the diplomatic corps in the Middle East and Asia: Paata Kalandadze to China, Zaza Kandelaki to Israel, Archil Dzuliashvili to Jordan, and Noshrevan Lomtatidze to Kuwait.[21]
Georgia and Saudi Arabia sign an agreement establishing an Intergovernmental Coordination Council.[22]
a wave of cyberattacks targets the websites of the President of Georgia and several opposition-affiliated media agencies.[23]
Georgia and Armenia sign a Declaration of Strategic Partnership[24] during a visit by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Tbilisi, a visit criticized by President Salome Zourabichvili for being held without her knowledge.[25]
26 January: EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar is denied entry in Abkhazia for the second time in six months.[26]
Irine Chikhladze, a corporate attorney, is appointed Deputy Public Defender, in charge of children's rights, gender issues, disability rights, and regional affairs.[27]
Irakli Garibashvili resigns as Prime Minister of Georgia after serving for three years, the longest-serving head of government since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012.
2 February: The Georgian court sentences an activist accused of defacing the icon of Saint Matrona of Moscow, which featured her blessing Joseph Stalin, to five days in prison on petty hooliganism charges.[28]
5 February: The State Security Service of Georgia announces seizing C-4 explosives reportedly bound for Russia and Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. The SSSG reports the involvement of Ukrainian politician of Georgian descent, Andrei Sharashidze, and suggests that the operation might have been part of Ukrainian efforts to draw Georgia into a war with Russia.[29]
6 February: President Salome Zourabichvili delivers her final annual address to Parliament, speaking about security issues and challenges to Georgian democracy and sharply criticizing the ruling Georgian Dream party.[30]
6-7 February: A series of landslides hit several areas in western Georgia, killing two in Adjara and nine in Nergeti village, Baghdati Municipality.[31][32]
7 February: A Cameron Balloons Z-315 hot air balloon crashes near Asureti, Tetritsqaro Municipality, killing all three on board, including two aviators (a Georgian and a Pole) and an Imedi TV cameraman.[33][34]
8 February: The Parliament of Georgia approves the ruling Georgian Party's chairman Irakli Kobakhidze as the country's new prime minister and his cabinet of 12 ministers, with 84 votes to 10, 105 MPs are present.[35]
