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

● On the Marneuli-Bolnisi highway in the village of Nakhiduri, a car hit two teenagers, both of whom died. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that the driver, a 21-year-old man, was driving with four passengers when he struck two pedestrians. Following the incident, unrest broke out at the scene as locals stopped the ambulance and assaulted the driver. An eyewitness told 24news.ge that the driver was nearly unconscious and appeared to be under the influence of substances. Another local resident said people stopped the ambulance because they saw the medics attending to the driver instead of the teenagers.

● Republican Senator Joe Wilson, chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and author of the “Megobari Act,” announced that this document, which proposes sanctions against Georgian government representatives, will be one of the first bills considered by the new U.S. Congress after it is sworn in on January 3. In an interview with Radio Liberty, he stated, “America will sanction and remove from our shores all relatives of criminals who attack freedom (Ivanishvili & co.). Corrupt kids & cousins will not enjoy living in our GREAT NATION while their crook fathers & uncles cheat, murder & steal. We must put AMERICA FIRST. ‘Georgian Dream’ has completely mistaken views about Donald Trump. Trump supports leaders like President Zourabichvili, who stood against the war criminal Putin,” Wilson said.

● “The Czech Republic supports the statement of the Nordic and Baltic countries expressing concern over the situation in Georgia,” said Jan Lipavský, the Czech foreign minister. He shared the statement on his page in X.

● Chairman of the Estonian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson: “Russia’s takeover of power in Georgia and the ambiguous stance of European governments toward the illegitimate regime sadly indicate that all of Europe will soon have to pay a high price to protect its freedom. Both moral and tangible support for the people of Georgia is needed—through words and actions. Europe must not give up either.”

● Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, appointed by the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, who is on the Magnitsky list and sanctioned by several Western countries, has appointed Supreme Court Judge Shalva Tadumadze, also sanctioned by Lithuania and Ukraine, as his deputy.

● According to Transparency International Georgia (TI), around 200 cases of violence, harassment, and intimidation of journalists were recorded in 2024.

● Since yesterday, border control at the Agarak checkpoint on the Armenian-Iranian border has been carried out exclusively by Armenian Border Troops. Previously, Russian border guards were also stationed there. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked the Russian border guards for their years of service and wished success to the Armenian forces.

● Electricity tariffs will remain unchanged in the new year. It has been announced that there will be no price changes until February 1, 2026.

● The water level in Lake Sevan rose by 22 cm in 2024, the highest increase in the past eight years.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife launched a “Family Podcast” on YouTube. The first episode aired yesterday, in which they shared their desire to communicate directly with people and convey their thoughts without media distortion or inaccuracies. They described it as a conversation between a small family and a larger one—the people, of whom they are a part, according to Nikol Pashinyan and Anna Hakobyan.

● Today marks the Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis Worldwide. On December 31, 1989, crowds in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan destroyed the Soviet-Iranian border. Thousands of Azerbaijanis crossed the Araz River, inspired by the first opportunity in decades to reunite with their compatriots in Iran. On the same day, the first-ever World Congress of Azerbaijanis opened in Istanbul. These two events led to December 31 being declared the Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis Worldwide.

● Three individuals injured in the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau and treated in Kazakhstan have been transported to Baku. Minister of Health Teymur Musaev stated that the patients are in the intensive care unit and in “moderate condition.” Nine others have already been discharged from the hospital. Overall, 38 people died, and 29 were injured in the December 25 crash. Read more here

● Kazakhstan has sent the black boxes from the Aktau plane crash to Brazil. The flight recorders will be analyzed at Brazil’s Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA).

● It has been revealed that the air traffic controller handling the plane during the tragedy was Ali Idrisov, a former player for the football club “Terek” (now “Akhmat”). He was questioned by Russian investigators. Idrisov claimed he was unaware of air defense operations at the time of the landing and learned about the “Cover” protocol (activated during air attacks) five minutes after the incident.

● On December 29, the inauguration of Mikhail Kavelashvili, the president appointed by the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, took place in the parliament building. His legitimacy is not recognized by the opposition, civil society, or non-governmental organizations active in Georgia. Western partners of Georgia have also refrained from congratulating him on his victory. At the same time, a large rally in support of President Salome Zourabichvili was held outside the presidential administration building. Zourabichvili’s term officially ended on December 29, but she announced that she will remain president until new parliamentary elections are held. She is backed in this stance by the opposition and hundreds of thousands of participants in ongoing protests demanding elections and a lawful transfer of power. Some Western partners of Georgia are also calling on the authorities to hold new parliamentary elections. Read more here

● Today, a package of amendments restricting human rights came into force. The parliament, composed entirely of “Georgian Dream” deputies, passed the laws in mid-December, and they were signed yesterday by Kavelashvili, the party-appointed president. The changes include a ban on the use of fireworks, lasers, and masks during public gatherings. Penalties have been significantly increased, new criminal offenses have been introduced, and additional grounds for arrest have been established. Employment processes in state institutions have also been simplified, including the ability to dismiss and hire employees more easily. One notable change is that even if a court rules in favor of an individual, the state is no longer obligated to reinstate them in their job. Read more here

● After the inauguration of the Georgian Dream-backed president, he, along with party members, the appointed prime minister, ministers, and the speaker of parliament, participated in a conference of Georgian ambassadors held at the Bodbe Hotel in Sighnaghi. The event focused on discussing Georgia’s foreign policy priorities.

● Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp called on the Georgian authorities to “consider holding new parliamentary elections based on OSCE recommendations.” He also expressed admiration for “Salome Zourabichvili’s leadership and her steadfast commitment to Georgia’s European path” and for “the citizens of Georgia, who have been peacefully defending their democratic and European future in the streets for over a month, despite violence and intimidation.”

● Senator Joe Wilson, Republican and Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission: “Peaceful Protests are most effective in the tradition of MLK & Vaslav Havel. War criminal Putin wants violence to further oppression! The civilized world supports Georgian Patriot Freedom Fighters who with peaceful resistance will prevail as in Bucharest with Ceaușescu fleeing!”

● The Nordic and Baltic countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) issued a joint statement expressing concern over the situation in Georgia. The official text was shared on X by Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže. The statement emphasizes that these countries are long-time supporters of Georgia’s European aspirations and stress the urgent need to assist Georgia in resolving its political crisis. The Nordic and Baltic nations urged the Georgian authorities to consider holding new elections based on OSCE recommendations.

● Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: “The people and authorities of Georgia understand everything and will not become pawns in the hands of the West. The events in Georgia are a result of double standards […] They demand a reversal of election results certified as free even by a tarnished organization like the OSCE ODIHR. Why should the results be overturned? Simply because the people’s choice did not please the puppet masters in Washington and Brussels. The U.S. and the EU are trying to force Tbilisi into a false dilemma: ‘with us or against us.'”

On Saturday, December 28, a large-scale “Living Chain of Unity” demonstration took place in Tbilisi and nine other cities. Hundreds of thousands of people joined hands, forming a chain across the entire city. In Tbilisi, the chain connected eight bridges. Video by Levan Tsikarishvili, photos by David Pipia.

Footage by Levan Tsikarishvili captured today’s “Chain of Unity” in #TbilisiProtests from above. Hundreds of thousands of people joined hands, forming a line that connected eight bridges across the entire city. https://t.co/22qOoNSwbm pic.twitter.com/9BZl4PgDqf

— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) December 28, 2024

● “Of course, the Azerbaijani plane was shot down accidentally. Naturally, there can be no question of any deliberate terrorist act. Therefore, acknowledging the mistake, promptly apologizing to Azerbaijan, a friendly country, and communicating this to the public – all these were measures and steps that should have been taken. Unfortunately, for the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except for nonsensical versions,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with AzTV.

● The funeral of the captain of the AZAL airline plane, which crashed in Aktau, the second pilot, and the flight attendant, who died in the tragedy, took place at the II Honorary Alley in Baku (pictured). They were posthumously awarded the title of National Heroes of Azerbaijan.

● The temporary stay period in Azerbaijan without a visa for citizens of the Russian Federation and stateless persons permanently residing in Russia will not exceed 90 days within one calendar year. This decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan. The ruling will come into effect on January 1, 2025. Previously, the stay period for Russians in Azerbaijan was 180 days per year. This is a response to the decision of Russian authorities, who similarly restricted the stay period for citizens of Azerbaijan and some other post-Soviet countries.

● Excluded from the ruling “Civil Contract” party amid scandals, Ovik Agazaryan is founding a new political party. The former MP announced on social media that it will be called the “United National Socialist Party.”

● Several flights to Yerevan had to land in airports in other countries due to fog and low visibility.

● A horrific chain car accident occurred on Sunday morning in the Ararat region: more than 100 cars collided on a 2-3 km stretch of the Masis-Marmarashen road, according to a crime news website. Additionally, two people were hit, one of whom died on the spot. The cause of the accident is cited as fog and icy roads.

The Charents Arch in the village of Vokchaberd is located between the pagan temple of Garni and the Christian monastery complex of Geghard. Photo by Artur Adilkhanian.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 23-27 December, 2024