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

● Day 193 of Georgia’s ongoing pro-European protest has begun. As every evening, hundreds gathered again outside parliament in Tbilisi, demanding snap parliamentary elections and the release of detained protesters. Part of Rustaveli Avenue was once again blocked.

● Today, several court hearings are scheduled against detained activists and journalists. A call is circulating on social media to gather at Batumi City Court from 13:00 – where a hearing will be held in the case of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti. In Tbilisi City Court: 10:30 – Nikoloz Kacia; 13:00 – Anastasia Zinovnikina and Anton Gribul; 14:00 – Saba Skhvitardze, Zviad Tsetskhladze, Nikoloz Javakhishvili, Tornike Moshadze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Vepkhvia Kasradze, Vasil Kadzelashvili, Giorgi Giorgadze, Insap Aliev.

● “Georgia has strictly followed international sanctions since their adoption and thoroughly controls all customs operations at its borders,” said the Georgian Revenue Service. “Regarding the June 7 report by Formula TV, which we view as disinformation, the channel received a full response to its inquiry but aired only a fragment. The customs authority uses 37 risk profiles and round-the-clock sanction checks by trained experts. We remain in close contact with competent authorities from the US, EU, and partner countries on sanction enforcement.”

● The Federalist Party reiterated its decision to boycott the October municipal elections. “Some call it a ‘national referendum’, but what Ivanishvili plans for October 4 is a farce. We’ll run a campaign to explain that Georgia needs new parliamentary elections, followed by reforms, and only then local elections that truly serve the people,” said party leader Tamar Chergoleishvili.

● Should the opposition take part in Georgia’s local elections? Here are two expert opinions with arguments for and against.

● “NATO is concerned about the closure of the NATO and EU Information Center in Georgia, especially at a time when the public needs more factual information about the Alliance and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Since 2005, the center has played a key role in this. The Georgian people have clearly expressed their desire for a democratic, prosperous future within the European and Euro-Atlantic family. This strategic goal is also enshrined in Georgia’s Constitution,” reads the official NATO statement.

● Representatives of Georgian Dream plan to file a complaint with the Ministry of Internal Affairs this week regarding “a large-scale smear campaign, insults, and hate speech on social media, financed from abroad.” “There must be one response to everything: let them protest within the bounds of politeness,” said David Matikashvili, chairman of the parliamentary committee on procedural issues, speaking to journalists. Read more here

● Lawyer of arrested protester Anton Chechin said his client “suffered verbal and physical abuse from penitentiary staff.” A Public Defender’s Office representative visited Chechin and confirmed signs of injury, wrote lawyer Giorgi Chkheidze on social media.

● Activist Luka Natsvlishvili was released from Batumi detention after 12 days on charges of petty hooliganism and police disobedience. His lawyer claims police didn’t identify themselves when they suddenly approached and detained him on the street.

● Georgian UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title by defeating American Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in Newark, USA. After the win, he briefly spoke with and posed for a photo with Donald Trump, who was present (video below). Dvalishvili, 34, now has 20 wins and 4 losses. He first won the title in September 2024 and defended it again in January 2025 against Russian Umar Nurmagomedov.

● MP of the Milli Majlis Razi Nurullayev spoke to journalists about a meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian politicians, held in Vienna at the Austrian National Defence Academy. The format included two participants from each side – one from the government and one from the opposition. “The Armenian opposition accuses Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of making concessions that, in their view, hinder the achievement of a peace agreement. They are trying to bring the negotiation process back to the Russian platform. We reminded them of what Armenia must do: amend its Constitution, officially support the dissolution of the Minsk Group together with Azerbaijan, halt provocative actions by the paramilitary group ‘Yerkrapah’ in border regions, ensure the right of the Western Azerbaijani community to return to their historical lands, and stop the activities of separatist structures within Armenia,” Nurullayev said.

Representing Azerbaijan, alongside Nurullayev, was Arif Hajili, chairman of the opposition Musavat Party. Representing Armenia were Edmon Marukyan, head of the “Bright Armenia” party, and Arusya Yulhaakyan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract party. The meeting was organized by the International Center for European and International Research (ICEUR) and is part of a series of annual discussions.

● Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UK Elin Suleymanov commented on the case of Ruben Vardanyan, a former state minister of the now-defunct, unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic, who is currently under arrest in Baku. He is charged with torture, mercenarism, war crimes, terrorism, and other offenses. In an interview with GB News, the ambassador stated that unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan are being made by individuals lobbying for Vardanyan. Meanwhile, the International Court and the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have already dismissed claims related to his case. “Attempts to portray this case as religiously motivated are baseless. The defendant has access to proper conditions, including a library in prison,” the pro-government outlet AZERTAC reported.

● Over 3,000 applications have been submitted to Azerbaijan’s Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) for starting businesses in Karabakh and other territories liberated from Armenian occupation. Of these, 507 came from foreign companies, including more than 10 from China, according to the pro-government outlet Report, citing agency head Orkhan Mammadov.

● Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR is purchasing a 10% stake in Israel’s Tamar gas field. The deal is valued at around \$1 billion and has already been approved by Israel’s Ministry of Energy, according to the Israeli outlet Ynet.

● At the end of June, a youth forum between Azerbaijan and Georgia is set to take place in Baku. A bilateral summer youth camp is also planned, to be held in Baku, Ganja, and in territories liberated from occupation, according to AZERTAC. In the future, similar camps are planned in various Georgian cities, including on the Black Sea coast.

● The spokesperson for the Armenian prime minister denied media reports about an accident involving Nikol Pashinyan’s motorcade. “The information is false,” Nazeli Baghdasaryan wrote on social media.

● Numerous cases of brucellosis infection among livestock have been reported in the Ashotsk community. Local residents are unsure how to respond, wrote opposition MP Mger Melkonyan (“Hayastan” faction), who recently visited the area. He urged the relevant authorities to intervene urgently, warning that villagers may lose their only source of income.

● Amid tense relations between the government and the church, Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and met with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. “During the conversation, the former president expressed his full support for the patriarch and strongly condemned the unconstitutional encroachments by Armenian authorities on the 1,700-year-old church,” the Etchmiadzin statement said.

● The party of former president Serzh Sargsyan is seeking to initiate a vote of no confidence against Nikol Pashinyan and has even named its candidate for prime minister: Davit Ambarzumyan. The proposal requires 36 signatures to be discussed, but 54 votes are needed to pass it. The two opposition factions (“Armenia” and “I Have Honor”) hold 34 seats together, with four independents. The remaining MPs belong to the ruling “Civil Contract” faction.

● Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre performed in an open-air concert in Yerevan’s Tumanyan Park. Dancers presented Aram Khachaturian’s Spartacus and excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Scheherazade, and Swan Lake.

● Armenia’s national para-armwrestling team returned from the 27th European Championship in Romania with 15 medals: 7 gold, 2 silver, and 6 bronze. They were welcomed with flowers and applause.

Video: A wine festival was held in Yerevan.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 2-6 June, 2025