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

● The 5th president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, addressed tens of thousands of participants at a pro-European rally near parliament in Tbilisi, announcing the creation of a nationwide Platform of Resistance. “The platform is open to all pro-European parties and groups that are ready to set aside political differences and fully share the two main goals of the protest: to call for new, fair parliamentary elections and to free political prisoners,” Zourabichvili stated.

● Famous opera singer Paata Burchuladze called Zourabichvili’s speech a “disappointment” and “diversion.” “Tens of thousands of people came, and they were told about some plan that no one knows when or how it will be implemented. We don’t have that much time to wait. We are losing the country; it is moving in a different direction. There are mothers here whose children are in prison. She talks about preparing for new elections – what elections can we even talk about when we are losing the whole country? I propose that on April 8, we start an indefinite protest and not disperse until we get a positive decision on the immediate holding of new elections and the release of political prisoners,” Burchuladze said on air for Palitra News.

● The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warning that an investigation has been launched regarding the use of pyrotechnics at the rally, which is prohibited under the new law.

● The Batumi city court has begun a substantive review of the criminal case against Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of the well-known media outlets Netgazeti and Batumelebi. The latest session was held with her presence. Mzia faces up to 7 years in prison on charges of assaulting a police officer after slapping the Batumi police chief, who allegedly insulted her. Representatives from the embassies of the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom attended the session as observers. Solidarity protests in support of Mzia Amaglobeli are being held across Georgia daily. She was brought into the courtroom to chants of “freedom for Mzia!”

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from Georgian Dream announced that “Georgia will establish its own government efficiency department, which will evaluate the work of the government both in past years and in the present.”

● The administration of Georgian Dream’s presidential representative, Mikheil Kavelashvili, denied rumors that he would attend the parade in Moscow on May 9, calling them “deliberate disinformation.”

● Transparency International – Georgia announced that it is working on an updated catalog of alleged corruption cases in the country’s top government circles, which will allow tracking of these violations and provide insight into the scale of corruption. The list already includes 224 high-level corruption cases involving at least 207 senior officials, including 16 judges, 37 members of parliament, 34 government officials, and 62 municipal employees, according to the statement.

● French photojournalist Jérôme Chobeaux was denied entry into Georgia. He had been actively posting reports on Instagram about the pro-European protests in Tbilisi, which have been ongoing for four months.

● British Airways has launched London-Tbilisi-London flights, with four weekly departures from Heathrow Airport.

At the mass protest rally near parliament on March 31 in honor of Georgia’s Independence Referendum Day. Photo by David Pipia / JAMnews:

● The German ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ralf Horlemann, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was given a “strong protest” regarding the placement of the separatist regime’s flag on the German president’s Instagram page during his visit to Armenia. The ministry called it an “unacceptable open political provocation.” The post has since been removed from the German president’s social media accounts. According to Azerbaijan’s APA news agency, the ambassador called the publication a “technical mistake” and issued a verbal apology. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Germany must publicly apologize for this violation.”

*Frank-Walter Steinmeier began his visit to the region on March 30 by traveling to Yerevan, where he stated that Germany and Europe are interested in stability in the South Caucasus. He called the progress in drafting a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia “impressive” and said he would discuss the matter in Baku, where he will travel after Yerevan. His visit will continue until April 2, and he is scheduled to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

● The well-known opposition figure Tofig Yagublu, who is currently under arrest, announced that he has begun a hunger strike on April 1 “against the unfounded, unlawful, and immoral sentence” of nine years in prison. “I was slandered and unjustly imprisoned on false charges. Everyone knows that I was arrested for my political activities.” Tofig Yagublu was arrested on December 14, 2023. He has been charged with fraud causing significant financial damage, including the use of forged official documents. Throughout his political career, Yagublu has been imprisoned multiple times. He has called on the international community to focus attention on Azerbaijan through his hunger strike, read more here

● Niyameddin Ahmedov, a member of the Popular Front Party and the bodyguard of party leader Ali Karimli, has ended his hunger strike after more than a month. It was reported that he made this decision for the sake of his mother, who had announced that she would also begin a hunger strike. Ahmedov’s hunger strike was in response to the decision to toughen his sentence and transfer him to a high-security facility for a year. In 2020, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of financing terrorism and inciting actions against the state. Ahmedov categorically denies these accusations, stating that he was arrested simply for serving as Karimli’s bodyguard on a voluntary basis.

● Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov posted on X in connection with the March 31 Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis. “We honor and remember the tens of thousands of innocent Azerbaijanis who were brutally massacred by radical Armenian groups 107 years ago. The recurrence of such horrific acts by #Armenia against innocent Azerbaijanis – ranging from mass deportations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide, to war crimes – underscores the necessity for ending impunity of those responsible for these atrocities,” the statement reads.

● The Ministry of Defense stated that “Armenia is trying to create a false perception within the international community and hide its armed provocations by spreading misleading information.” “Armenia has been regularly shelling Azerbaijani army units in recent days, as well as attempting reconnaissance flights […], while simultaneously spreading disinformation to cover up its provocations. The claims that Azerbaijani forces allegedly shelled the Armenian settlement of Khanazakh are false. However, on March 31, Armenian forces once again fired on Azerbaijani positions near the settlement of Bazarchai in the Garakilsa region,” the ministry’s statement reads.

● The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran had a phone conversation, which experts describe as a noteworthy event amid the recent tensions between Iran and the United States. The press service of the Azerbaijani president reported that during the call, “satisfaction was expressed with the dynamics of high-level mutual visits between the two countries, and opinions were exchanged on the prospects of bilateral cooperation in various fields.” U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with new sanctions, tariffs, and military actions due to Tehran’s refusal to engage in direct negotiations with Washington regarding its rapidly expanding nuclear program.

● The Azerbaijan Press Council condemned a Deutsche Welle documentary on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict as a “violation of all journalistic principles.” “Only ethnic Armenians are featured as experts in the film, and several biased claims are made, including an attempt to frame the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in religious terms. The film was prepared by the Armenian lobby in France and later translated and distributed by Deutsche Welle. We urge Deutsche Welle to refrain from actions that could spark new conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia and to stop spreading absurd information,” the statement said.

● As a result of shelling from Azerbaijan, a residential house in Syunik was damaged, but there were no casualties, the Ministry of Defense reported. “The incident occurred at night, around 00:50, when the enemy opened fire in the direction of the village of Khnatsakh in the Syunik region,” the statement said.

● German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, currently visiting Yerevan, posted a photo featuring the flag of the former unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on his social media. In the accompanying text, he wrote that “Nagorno-Karabakh was predominantly populated by Armenians.” At a briefing with his Armenian counterpart, Vahagn Khachaturyan, Steinmeier emphasized Germany’s interest in stability in the South Caucasus and stated that a peace agreement with Baku should pave the way toward it. He also highlighted Germany’s support for Armenia’s interest in the EU and Europe.

● The parents of 81 fallen soldiers refuse to recognize their remains, MP Gegham Nazaryan told journalists after a meeting between security officials and the relatives of missing soldiers. Nazaryan, who lost his own son in the 44-day war in autumn 2020, said he repeatedly asked investigators for his son’s personal belongings but never received them. It turned out that the belongings of fallen soldiers had been collected without proper identification. The investigative committee justified this by saying they were unprepared for such a workload, but the MP rejected this explanation.

● The meeting took place in a tense atmosphere. Nazaryan specifically asked what should be done if multiple DNA tests confirmed the identity of fallen soldiers, revealing that some of the missing were actually among them, yet the parents refused to accept the deaths of their sons. This wording angered the meeting participants, who stated that Nazaryan had no right to refer to their sons as deceased.

● Armenia has selected the company responsible for producing biometric passports and ID cards. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the consortium DEMIA Identity Security France and A.C.I. Technology S.à.r.l. will take on the project. Production of the new cards will begin in the second half of 2026. According to the ministry’s plan, the private operator will not only print the documents but also handle their issuance.

● National Security Service chief Armen Abazyan announced the launch of a criminal case following a video posted by Turkish blogger Ogyun Ozdemir, in which he stands in the center of Yerevan and calls it “historical Azerbaijani land.”

● Discussions continue regarding the municipal elections in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. The ruling party received the highest number of votes but failed to secure the “50+1” majority needed to appoint its mayoral candidate. Opposition parties are working on forming a coalition to nominate their own candidate for mayor. Read more here

● A group of forcibly displaced Karabakh Armenians held another protest outside the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, demanding the reinstatement of social assistance, which will be significantly reduced starting today. “We deserve a dignified life,” wrote Karabakh mothers on the ground at the entrance to the government building.

● At 8 PM today, large-scale rallies will take place across Georgia to mark the 34th anniversary of the March 31, 1991, referendum, where nearly 99% of voters supported restoring the country’s independence. Fifth president Salome Zourabichvili will address demonstrators in Tbilisi. The rallies are part of ongoing mass protests demanding the release of arrested demonstrators and new parliamentary elections.

● Protesters marching from Dmanisi (Kvemo Kartli) will join the Tbilisi rally after covering 100 km, stopping in four cities and 20 villages to hold demonstrations in solidarity with “prisoners of conscience” arrested during pro-European protests (pictured below).

● Opposition leaders and Salome Zourabichvili met to discuss freeing detained protesters, resisting Georgian Dream repression, and holding new elections to change power legally.

● Public outrage is growing over a parliamentary commission from Georgian Dream reviewing the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili, including the 2008 Georgia-Russia war. Many active and former military personnel, police officers, and families of fallen soldiers oppose claims that Georgia started the war, stating, “Russia is the main aggressor, and the current government follows its orders.”

● The National Bank of Georgia and the People’s Bank of China signed a memorandum on bilateral cooperation.

● Irakli Bebua, a 33-year-old Georgian citizen who spent five years in an Abkhazian prison for publicly burning the Abkhaz flag, has been released and is now on government-controlled territory.

The sign on the poster in the photo reads: “We demand new elections!”

● Municipal elections were held on March 30 in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. According to unofficial preliminary results, the ruling Civil Contract party’s candidate, Sariq Minasyan, received the most votes with 36.22%. The Communist Party, represented by former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, secured 20.48%. Other results: Our City with candidate Martun Grigoryan – 15.56%, producer Ruben Mkhitaryan’s party – 7.87%, and the Mother Armenia bloc led by Karen Simonyan – 6.11%.

●  Despite its lead, the ruling party likely did not secure the required ’50+1′ majority and may be unable to govern Gyumri alone.

●  The Mother Armenia bloc announced its readiness to support any opposition candidate with the highest vote count to prevent the ruling party from taking control. Other opposition groups have yet to make statements.

● The ombudsman’s office reported numerous violations and social tensions during municipal elections in Gyumri and Parakar, citing incidents of forced campaigning, breaches of ballot secrecy, and other irregularities. The findings will be compiled and sent to relevant authorities.

● Prime Minister’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan stated that the elections were mostly peaceful and accused opposition media of intentionally spreading claims of violations.

● The opposition Our City bloc reported that its candidate for the Gyumri Council of Elders, Anahit Khalatyan, was kidnapped. Mayoral candidate Martun Grigoryan claimed she was secretly taken to Yerevan without notifying her lawyer. Human rights activist Arsen Babayan later confirmed her detention.

● “Voter turnout in Gyumri’s municipal elections compared to previous years is cautiously encouraging,” wrote former head of the State Revenue Committee Davit Ananyan on Facebook.

● The defense ministry denied Azerbaijan’s claims of weekend shelling from Armenia. “This information is false. The ministry is ready to investigate if evidence is provided to the Armenian side, in line with the prime minister’s office position. We remind that Armenia proposed a joint Armenia-Azerbaijan mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations, but Azerbaijan has yet to respond,” the statement said.

● German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Armenia for an official visit. He is scheduled to meet with President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, visit the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, and attend a cultural reception.

● A protest by displaced Karabakh women took place near government residences in Yerevan (pictured below). They opposed the April 1 cuts to financial assistance for Karabakh refugees. Their banners read: “Housing program failed, Artsakhis left homeless,” “Armenia is Artsakh’s security guarantor, not an observer,” and “Dignified living in our homeland.”

● Today, Azerbaijan marks the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis. According to the official version, on March 31, 1918, around 12,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, and tens of thousands went missing in massacres carried out by Armenian armed groups. Expert Toghrul Mashalli examines different accounts of these events.

● On March 30, mosques across Azerbaijan held celebratory services marking the end of Ramadan.

● A court has ordered the one-month pretrial detention of Galib Mammadov, head of Melissa Group, after an excavator from his company began demolishing a residential building last week while residents were still inside. Mammadov has been charged under Article 186.2.2 of the Criminal Code, “intentional destruction or damage to property,” carrying a prison sentence of three to seven years. Excavator driver Einullayev Gala Seymur oglu has also been detained in connection with the case and faces the same charges. A court decision on his pretrial detention is pending. Here is a video report on the incident.

●  The Ministry of Defense reported that over the weekend, Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights near Azerbaijani army positions in the Gerenzur area. There were also multiple instances of gunfire from the Armenian side toward Goris, Basarkechar, and Chambarak.

●  Starlink announced on X that its “high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Azerbaijan.”

● In January-February, trade between Azerbaijan and China increased 1.5 times compared to the same period in 2024. According to the customs committee, Azerbaijani exports to China grew 5.3 times, reaching $10.9 million, while imports from China rose 1.5 times to $734.5 million. Here, an economist provides a critical analysis of the significant import-export gap and its impact on Azerbaijan’s economy.

● The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences over the devastating earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.

PHOTO: Construction in Karabakh is advancing rapidly. In Shusha, Soviet-era apartment buildings have been demolished, and ten new structures—including a hotel, office spaces, restaurants, and the city’s state reserve administration building—are being built simultaneously. The project, which began two years ago, is set for completion by the end of this year, according to the pro-government outlet Report, which also published photos of the site:

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 24-28 March, 2025