Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● The last strongholds of [democracy] in Georgia today are the media and civil society, said Laura Thornton, director of global democracy programs at the McCain Institute, in an interview with the Georgian service of Voice of America. She stated that Georgian Dream’s initiative to introduce a broadcasting law is an attack on free and independent media. “Georgian Dream has effectively taken control of the state. They have their own president and parliament, which, in my opinion, are illegitimate. They control all levels of power, including the legislature. This is a well-known scenario, and we have seen it in Hungary, not to mention Putin, who introduced several laws [in Russia] very similar to what is happening in Georgia. […] Many media outlets and journalists will have to seek funding locally, and that will be quite difficult,” Thornton said.

● “Georgian Dream, as the regime of [oligarch] Ivanishvili, has started talking about local administration elections in October to push aside the demand for new parliamentary elections, which has been at the center of over 100 days of continuous protests,” said Teona Akubardia, a member of the Gakharia – For Georgia party.

● The political movement Liberty Square has become a party. At its founding congress, Levan Tsutsqiridze was elected chairman. “Our goal is to create a leading political force in Georgia. It will be a truly modern, democratic political party. After that, our task will be to reclaim the state that Georgian Dream is taking from us. We must establish a real multi-party democracy, something Georgia has unfortunately never had before. Then, a multi-party democratic Georgia must become a member of the European Union. This is the path to establishing the rule of law, peace, security, and prosperity in this country,” Tsutsqiridze stated.

● The Public Defender stated that International Women’s Day on March 8 is an opportunity to reaffirm the rights and equal opportunities of all women and girls. “We must do more to achieve real change,” said the ombudsman, calling on the authorities to intensify efforts in this direction.

● Striking students of the Tbilisi Theatre and Film University have left their protest site inside the building (pictured below). They reported that the university administration called the police for the third time, and they were threatened with arrest. “We promise to continue fighting until the end—for all those unjustly arrested and for the future of our country,” the students said.

●  Since March 9, the air in Georgia has recorded an increase in particulate matter, mainly due to transboundary pollution—the spread of dust masses from desert areas in the south and southeast of the region, the National Environmental Protection Agency reported.

● Fuel prices for Armenian trucks have risen sharply in Iran. The issue has been discussed multiple times with Iranian authorities. Expert groups from both countries will soon review it comprehensively.

● Civil activist Mane Tandilyan continues her hunger strike at Freedom Square in Yerevan in support of Ruben Vardanyan, the former prime minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, who is imprisoned in Azerbaijan and also on a hunger strike. Tandilyan has been protesting for 10 days, has been hospitalized twice, but says she will not stop.

● Armenia has recorded 45 aftershocks following the May 8 earthquake. No casualties reported.

● Armenia and Belarus became Russia’s top flower suppliers in 2024 after the Netherlands. According to Russia’s National Florists Association, Armenia accounted for 7.1% ($32.1 million) and Belarus 6.2% ($28 million) of total flower imports.

● Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev stated that, in his opinion, Armenia fears being held accountable as a state for military aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its territories from 1991 to 2023, as the ongoing trial in Baku against former leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) may reveal. He added that “this is why Yerevan has launched a new propaganda campaign against the court, interfering in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs.” Hajiyev wrote on X, urging Armenia’s political leadership and international partners to review the 2019 UN Security Council report On War Crimes in the Occupied Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Responsibility of the Republic of Armenia.

● “The United States is deeply concerned about the continued arrests of Azerbaijani journalists, civil society activists, human rights defenders, and opposition members,” a U.S. State Department representative anonymously told journalist Alex Raufoglu in Washington. “As Vice President Vance emphasized, we must support freedom of speech, put an end to censorship, and stop the persecution of the opposition. We expect the Azerbaijani government to take this message seriously.” Currently, around 30 journalists are under arrest in Azerbaijan, facing smuggling charges, which they strongly deny, claiming they are being punished for investigating government corruption. In total, the February report published by the Union For Freedom to Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan lists 357 names. Read more here

● Azerbaijan is celebrating National Theater Day today.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 3-7 March, 2025