Day: April 17, 2026

Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling  apnews.com/article/air-new-z…

— The Associated Press (@AP) Apr 17, 2026

The post Romania reports airspace violation by drone during Russian attack on Ukraine first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.

Pro-government media on the opposition in Georgia

Pro-government media and representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party continue to claim that the opposition in Georgia is working on possible “revolutionary scenarios”. These accusations have reignited public debate over the role of “foreign actors” and the responsibility of local media.

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Allegations of “revolutionary scenarios” and Igor Blazevic

On 16 April 2026, the pro-government Imedi TV channel reported that the opposition’s alleged “revolutionary scenario” was being discussed and developed by Igor Blazevic, one of the leaders of the Prague Civil Society Centre.

The broadcaster said the State Security Service also holds information about planned and “preparing unrest” in Georgia, including intelligence received from foreign partners. It also claimed that Blazevic had been “training” opposition figures and giving them specific instructions in recent days.

The Imedi report, citing open sources, claims that Blazevic supports ongoing pro-European protests in Tbilisi and criticises laws passed by the Georgian parliament. The channel also says he took part in an event where participants discussed sanctions, forms of resistance and the prospect of a change of government.

At the same time, the report does not mention that Blazevic has publicly condemned the detention of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, the violent dispersal of protests and the arrests of opposition politicians.

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Allegations against TV Pirveli

According to Imedi, Igor Blazevic allegedly instructed TV Pirveli to spread information about expected changes in the government.

TV Pirveli strongly rejected the claim. It said the information was “false and disinformation, not based on any facts”. The broadcaster also said Imedi’s journalists did not contact it for comment while preparing the report. It described this as a violation of the broadcasting law.

Pirveli also noted that the UK has sanctioned Imedi for “spreading Russian propaganda”. It said the pro-government channel’s statement amounted to deliberate discrediting.

TV Pirveli called on the National Communications Commission to respond. It demanded both an end to the disinformation and full, clear coverage of its position on Imedi’s air.

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The government accuses the West of inciting a coup

Georgian Dream’s response

Representatives of the ruling party also commented on the situation. Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze said that for many years “attempts at coups have been financed through external interference”, and that social polarisation has deepened, adding that these processes are still ongoing.

Kaladze also said that, in his view, the public understands “who the real enemy of the country is” and what interests lie behind the current developments.

Georgian Dream MP Levan Machavariani praised the leadership of the State Security Service. He said the agency “has specific information” and will respond accordingly.

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An ongoing political narrative

The Georgian government has repeatedly accused the opposition and foreign actors of attempting to organise revolutionary processes in the country. In this context, various international experts and organisations are periodically mentioned.

For example, Peter Ackerman — founder of the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), who died in 2022 — has often been linked by the Georgian authorities to alleged discussions of coup scenarios. Ackerman also served in advisory roles in several international organisations, including Freedom House and other Western institutions.

In 2023, Georgia’s State Security Service published details of an ongoing case involving CANVAS. The agency said Serbian citizens Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic and Slobodan Djinovic held four days of workshops for NGO representatives at the Ibis hotel in Tbilisi. According to the SSS, they discussed “how to overthrow the government, how to resist the police and how to organise a coup”.

Opposition representatives strongly reject these accusations and describe them as politically motivated.

“Members of the CANVAS organization conducted training on overthrowing the government in Georgia” – Security Service

“How to resist the police and organize a coup d’état – the topic of the training conducted in Tbilisi by Serbian citizens” – Georgian SSG statement

Pro-government media on the opposition in Georgia