Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, top stories this morning

● Ahmed Alizade, the son of MP Arzukhan Alizade, has been remanded in custody for four months in connection with a mass brawl at a cafe in Baku that left one person dead from stab wounds and several others injured. He faces charges including forming a criminal organisation and large-scale drug trafficking. The case was initially due to be heard by Khatai District Court, but the judges recused themselves because Ahmed’s brother, Orkhan Alizade, is a judge at the same court. The case was then transferred to Nizami District Court, which ordered Ahmed’s pre-trial detention.

● Azerbaijani citizen Ibad Huseynov, who was detained in Georgia, has been released with the help of Azerbaijan’s embassy and has returned home. Speaking to journalists at the airport, he said he had not been given a reason for his detention despite asking for an explanation. He thanked Azerbaijani diplomats for their swift assistance.

● Azerbaijan’s parliament has accused France and European institutions of applying double standards on human rights and called on the UN to set up an independent commission to investigate police violence during ongoing protests in France. Azerbaijani MPs said minors had been injured during police crackdowns and thousands of people detained, including around 2,400 on 17 October. The statement accused the EU and the Council of Europe of strongly criticising human rights violations in Azerbaijan while failing to show the same resolve over France.

Context: Azerbaijan and France have long been at odds. Baku criticises Paris for supplying weapons to Armenia and says France focuses on the rights of Armenians who left Karabakh while overlooking Armenia’s more than 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories, missing Azerbaijanis and the destruction of cultural heritage. France, meanwhile, accuses groups linked to Azerbaijan of supporting independence movements in French overseas territories and spreading disinformation on social media about French police actions. Baku denies the allegations.

● The first FIFA U-15 World Cup and football festival opened at Baku Crystal Hall. Teams from 189 national associations are taking part, with more than 3,000 young players and team representatives gathering in Baku. FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened the event, attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. The tournament runs until 30 October.

● A rally was held in Baku in support of young footballers from Kanaky (New Caledonia) and French Polynesia, who are taking part in the FIFA U-15 World Cup and football festival. Fans gathered outside the Athletes’ Village to welcome the players ahead of their matches. Participants expressed solidarity with the peoples of the Pacific and stressed the importance of preserving their national identity, culture and traditions.

● Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestlers Eldaniz Azizli and Sanan Suleymanov won gold at the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Azizli claimed his fifth world title, while Suleymanov became world champion for the first time.

● The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has staged Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot for the first time in 98 years. Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi led the orchestra. Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov sang Calaf, while Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio performed the role of Turandot. Eyvazov called the premiere a historic event, saying that although Calaf is one of his signature roles, this was the first time he had performed it in Azerbaijan.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gianni Infantino – FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)

● Local government elections were held in 21 communities across 10 regions of Armenia. A total of 517 polling stations were set up. Elections in 19 communities were held under the proportional representation system, while two communities, Fioletovo and Shamiram, used the majoritarian system.

● The Interior Ministry received 35 reports of alleged violations during the elections, all of which are being investigated. Throughout the day, videos and posts from polling stations circulated in the media, alleging breaches of ballot secrecy, unlawful monitoring of voters and campaigning. Some footage reportedly showed voters photographing their ballots inside voting booths.

● Voter turnout was highest in Yeghegnadzor, in Vayots Dzor Region, at 62.56%. However, turnout failed to reach 50% at 11 of the 21 polling stations. The lowest figure was recorded in Fioletovo, in Lori Region, at 25.39%.

● Around 20,000 residents of the town of Martuni were unable to vote in local elections because of a new law barring citizens who have not been in the country for a specified period from taking part. Opposition MP Gegham Manukyan, from the pro-Russian Armenia parliamentary faction, accused the authorities of discrimination. He said the issue was particularly serious in Martuni, where many residents travel abroad for work.

● Turkey has completed the tender for the restoration of the historic Ani Bridge on the border with Armenia, the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said. Built in the 10th century on the Silk Road over the Akhuryan River in Kars Province, the bridge once served as an important trade crossing. On 4 May, Armenian and Turkish representatives agreed in Yerevan to restore it jointly, describing the project as a symbolic step towards normalising relations between the two countries.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan condemned a terrorist attack in the French towns of Trappes and La Verrière and expressed solidarity with France in its fight against racism and hatred.

● Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan, an Olympic silver and bronze medallist and world and European champion, won gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. He scored 14.850 points across two vaults in the final, claiming the world title for the second time in his career.

● Thirteen-year-old Armenian singer Naré won the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Malta. Performing her song BOO!, she scored a total of 202 points.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shared a clip from Naré’s music video on his official Instagram page, writing: “Armenia has won Junior Eurovision. Bravo, Naré!”

Naré is the daughter of former Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan, who was detained in February 2024 under Pashinyan’s government. He was charged with alleged abuse of office in connection with a ministry procurement tender.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, attended the opening of a special exhibition at the National Gallery as part of the “We Will No Longer Tolerate” campaign against domestic violence. Hakobyan, who heads the My Step Foundation, leads the campaign. The exhibition features international initiatives to combat domestic violence, including stories from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Finland and other countries.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 19-23 October, 2026