Education Overhaul, High-Profile Arrests, and Chemical Agent Claims Dominate Georgian News
December 4, 2025, in Georgia was marked by significant policy changes, high-profile arrests, and ongoing controversies. The Minister of Education, Science, and Youth announced a major reform for 2026, where the state will fully fund tuition fees for students enrolled in public universities. Conversely, state grants will no longer be issued to students attending private universities. This overhaul also includes the implementation of an 11-year school system, with an optional 12th year available for students aspiring to study abroad. Foreign students will face restricted admission to state universities, a move that has drawn comparisons from some professors to a "return to the Soviet Union."
In a significant development, the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance arrested three Kazakh citizens, who are executives at the Batumi Oil Terminal. They are accused of customs violations involving over 10,000 tons of crude oil, valued at 15 million GEL, disposed of without proper procedures. This comes amidst earlier reports of investigative services entering the terminal premises.
The country continues to grapple with the fallout from a BBC investigation into the alleged use of chemical agents during the suppression of protests in 2024. International bodies like Human Rights Watch and the OSCE Chairperson, Elina Valtonen, have expressed serious concern, with Valtonen stating that if proven true, it would be "horrendous" and warrant international condemnation. Georgian government officials, including Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, vehemently deny the use of any prohibited substances, maintaining that only permissible crowd control agents were employed. Calls for a parliamentary investigative commission into the matter are intensifying.
In other news, businessman Gela Barkalaia's dacha in Saguramo was reportedly robbed, and his 70-year-old assistant suffered severe beating and hospitalization. Police have made arrests in connection with the incident. Economic reports indicated a 7.9% decrease in Georgian wine exports for January-October 2025, with Russia remaining the primary market. The official USD exchange rate stood at 2.7016 GEL. Meanwhile, international brands like Starbucks are reportedly considering entry into the Georgian market, and Subway opened its 28th branch in the country.
On the sports front, Georgian UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for his upcoming fight against Petr Yan, aiming for a record-breaking fourth title defense in a calendar year. The draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup also took place, with the Georgian national team, the "Lelos," placed in a group with strong contenders South Africa, Italy, and Romania. The team's immediate goal is to advance from the group stage, with the match against Italy seen as a major test.