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

●  Mzia Amaghlobeli and the Georgian Resistance Movement were awarded the Forum 2000 Prize in Prague. This international award, established in 2021, is given to individuals and groups for exceptional civic courage and responsibility.

●  A march-performance was held in Tbilisi under the slogan “They can’t imprison Georgia!” (pictured). Thousands of people dressed in striped prison-style clothing, as a sign of solidarity with political prisoners, marched through the city center. Family members of arrested protesters were among the active participants. Upon reaching Parliament, the marchers joined the ongoing protest on Rustaveli Avenue, which has been continuing for more than 300 days.

●  45 people were arrested in Tbilisi on charges of attempting to seize strategic facilities and committing group violence on October 4. The case is linked to an attempted takeover of the presidential administration. A fence was broken, and police used tear gas and water cannons. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream said that “the number of detainees is expected to increase.”

●  Shalva Papuashvili, speaker of the parliament, claimed that the street protests in Tbilisi are backed by Brussels. “They (the participants) call it a ‘peaceful project,’ but it increasingly resembles a ‘military project.’ EU leaders should discuss this,” Papuashvili wrote on Facebook. His remark came in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s statement announcing a petition drive “against Brussels’ military plans.”

●  The organizers of the October 4 mass rally calling for a “peaceful revolution” — Paata Burchuladze, Murtaz Zodelava, Irakli Nadirashvili, Lasha Beridze, and Paata Mandjgaladze — have been denied visits, letters, and phone calls from prison, according to their lawyer. They are charged with organizing group violence, attempting to seize a strategic facility, attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, and calling for the overthrow of the government.

●  Tamar Chergoleishvili, one of the leaders of the opposition Federalists party, was summoned by police for questioning in connection with the attack on the presidential administration. She later told the Formula TV channel that she had “information” suggesting the action was “planned at Bacho Akhalaia’s house.” Akhalaia, a well-known politician and former defense minister under President Mikheil Saakashvili, spent nine years in prison after Georgian Dream came to power in 2012. His name has frequently been mentioned by pro-government sources as one of the alleged organizers of the October 4 events.

●  Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the Georgian government will decide how to respond to “such a catastrophic phenomenon as gender change among minors,” which, he said, is widespread in the European Union. Kobakhidze was responding to a question from a journalist on a pro-government TV channel about the EU’s new LGBT+ Strategy 2026–2030, which simplifies gender transition procedures.

Photo: Interpressnews

●  President Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Egypt to participate in the Middle East Peace Summit at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The Egyptian president’s office announced that the Peace Summit will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, with leaders from 20 countries invited to attend. The Prime Minister of Armenia is also among the invitees. The Georgian authorities did not receive an invitation to the summit.

●  Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on his recent meeting with Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the CIS summit: ““I wouldn’t say that we had a crisis in interstate relations. If it had been a real crisis in interstate relations, we wouldn’t have seen such growth in our trade and economic ties. I’d say it was more likely a crisis of emotions. I very much hope that we’ve turned this page, that we’ll move forward, and that we’ll continue to develop our contacts and carry out the major plans that both sides have. Let me remind you that Azerbaijan is practically a Russian-speaking country – the Russian language is studied almost everywhere there. I very much hope that this will continue in the future. Emotions are unavoidable, but it’s always better to keep them under control so they don’t interfere with our work and progress. I believe – and I hope – that all of this is now in the past.”

The crisis between two countries began after an Azerbaijani passenger plane was shot down by Russian air defenses in December 2024. Since then, Baku has repeatedly demanded that Moscow issue an official apology, hold those responsible accountable, and pay compensation to the families of the victims. Tensions rose again in June, when Russian special forces conducted an operation against local Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg, during which two people were killed and about ten were detained with excessive use of force. Soon after, many members of the Azerbaijani diaspora were arrested, and some were deported. A sharp turn occurred on October 9, when Putin and Aliyev unexpectedly held a meeting in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the CIS summit — during which Putin publicly apologized for the downed aircraft. Read more here

●  Russian presidential aide Dmitry Peskov: “Contacts between Moscow and Baku have never been interrupted. To be fair, it must be said that this has not been the best period in the history of bilateral relations. However, despite that, the volume of our trade and economic cooperation has continued to grow. Contacts have also continued, including at the level of administrations and aides.”

● The 67th General Assembly of the International Association of Judges is taking place in Baku, with about 300 judges from 71 countries participating. Deputy Chairman of the Union of Judges of Azerbaijan, Sanan Hajiev, stated that Azerbaijan “won the right to host this event last year in Cape Town through a secret ballot after a tough competition and despite objections from several countries.”
President Ilham Aliyev addressed the forum’s participants, noting that “Azerbaijan is taking large-scale measures to further strengthen the role of the judiciary as the main guarantor of human rights protection.”

It is worth recalling that since November 2023, more than 30 journalists and civil activists in Azerbaijan have been arrested on charges of smuggling and other serious crimes. They deny the accusations, claiming that their arrests are politically motivated and connected to their professional activities. According to lists compiled by local human rights organizations, there are currently more than 370 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons. International human rights groups and many Western politicians continue to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect human rights.

● A film by Azerbaijani director Arzu Urshan, “In Pursuit of a Dream,” has won in the Documentary – Individual Sport category at the FICTS International Sports Film Festival in Milan. The film, produced with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, tells the story of mountaineer Elmira Aslanova’s journey to the summit of Mount Everest.

Photo by JAMnews: A shoemaker in Baku

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 6-10 October, 2025