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

● “Their fear is our strength” – a protest is planned today at 12:00 pm on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi against the arrests of activists during Sunday evening’s demonstration (see video below). A group of masked police officers detained Giorgi Ortoidze and Giorgi Samkharadze, who were celebrating Easter at the site of ongoing pro-European protests.

● Thousands of people spent the weekend and celebrated Easter in front of parliament in Tbilisi. The mass protest has been going on for nearly four months – today marks day 145 – with demands for new parliamentary elections and a lawful change of government. Another demand is the release of detained protesters. Participants say that although the government has already adopted several repressive laws, it cannot stop the people’s will to join the European space.

● Georgian media are discussing two Easter messages – from Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II and Bishop Grigol of Poti, a member of the Holy Synod. The Patriarch spoke about peace, selflessness, and sacrifice but said nothing about the political crisis or the societal division in Georgia. He mentioned conflicts but did not name Ukraine or Russia. In contrast, Bishop Grigol spoke directly about the challenges Georgia has faced in the past year, including Russian influence, attempts to “appropriate the church,” and the “establishment of a regime more dangerous than dictatorship.” He warned of a value confusion that serves only the adversary’s goals: “A vivid example is the deliberate distortion of the concepts of enemy and friend, misleading society,” he said.

● The village of Shukhuti in the Guria region of western Georgia was once again in the spotlight on Easter Sunday. Hundreds of guests and journalists gathered to watch the traditional local game “Leloburti” – a kind of rugby without rules. Teams from the upper and lower parts of the village, divided by a small stream, compete to carry a 16 kg ball filled with sand and sawdust to their side. The winner earns the honor of placing the ball on the grave of a recently deceased village resident. The game is intense and physical, and several participants were injured this year as well. The team from Zemo Shukhuti won for the second year in a row. Local media noted an unprecedented number of women took part this year. Video below

Day 144 of nonstop pro-European protests in Tbilisi marked by fresh detentions of demonstrators

📹 Video by Nanuka Zhorzholiani, FB pic.twitter.com/bNX6l6vupa

— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) April 20, 2025

● Armenia celebrated Easter, known locally as “Zatik”—meaning liberation and return to God. Families prepared traditional meals with raisin pilaf and red-dyed eggs. In Yerevan, a candlelit procession took place on Easter night.

● Media note that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not attend the Easter Patriarchal Liturgy in Etchmiadzin, while EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos was seen in the front row. Reports link Pashinyan’s absence to ongoing tensions between the government and the church.

● “The difficult situation in the country is tied to security threats, worsened by internal divisions. Alarming campaigns against our national and Christian identity continue,” said Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II during the liturgy.

● Pope Francis called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace agreement, saying in his Easter message that he prays for reconciliation and regional restoration.

● Armenia’s National Security Service raided the Shengavit district administration in Yerevan and detained several employees. No reason has been disclosed. District head Razmik Mkrtchyan criticized the actions as unlawful and against the community’s interests.

● Weightlifter Garik Karapetyan became a two-time European champion.

Video: how Easter is celebrated in Armenia:

● Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov called direct talks between Baku and Yerevan “the most effective way to resolve issues” in an interview with Turkish channel TRT World. At the same time, he questioned Armenia’s stance: “Armenia, along with every other country in the world, recognizes Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan — which means the Karabakh issue is closed. So why does Armenia insist on the OSCE Minsk Group, which facilitated talks since the 1990s? Does Yerevan have other plans for the future? A final peace agreement depends on Armenia’s next steps. Armenian officials sometimes mention plans to amend their constitution, which still contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan — but it’s unclear what those amendments would be.”

● Today in Baku, a court hearing will be held in the case of anti-war activist Bahrus Samedov, a doctoral student at Charles University in Prague, who is accused of high treason. The trial is reportedly closed to the public. More details on Samedov’s case are available here.

● The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has called on France to abandon its colonial policy and respect the right to decolonization for the peoples of Kanaky, Maohi Nui, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, French Guiana, Réunion, Wallis and Futuna, and Corsica. BIG also offered to mediate in this process. The statement was a reaction to the French public broadcaster’s documentary Complément d’enquête and related media reports linking Azerbaijan to unrest in New Caledonia in May 2024. BIG Director Abbas Abbasov called these reports “another example of biased and unethical propaganda.”

● In the past three years, 273 Ukrainian children—whose parents were killed or captured in the Russia-Ukraine war—have undergone rehabilitation in Azerbaijan. Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Husyev announced this at a press conference, calling the program an important part of strategic partnership between the two countries. Azerbaijani MP Alibala Magerremzade reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and said Azerbaijan stands with the Ukrainian people.

● Potato prices continue to rise in Azerbaijan, reaching 2 manats (about $1.50) per kilo for old potatoes and 5–6 manats ($3–4) for new ones. Economists attribute this to a 20% increase in diesel fuel prices and higher service tariffs in some sectors.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 14-18 April, 2025