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

● Germany has imposed an entry ban on high-ranking Georgian officials responsible for suppressing protests, the German Foreign Ministry announced on X. “For nearly three months, the Georgian people have been fighting for their future in the European Union and protesting against the government’s course. Intimidation, arrests, and violence continue,” the statement reads.

● Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze made an aggressive statement against U.S. Senators Jim Risch (Republican) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat), the initiators of the Megobari Act. This legislation proposes strict sanctions against Georgian Dream leaders for actions undermining democracy and steering the country away from a pro-Western path. “These people are fighting against Georgian statehood,” Kaladze said, referring to the senators. The U.S. Senate will review the Megobari Act on March 27.

● A parliamentary investigative commission, created by Georgian Dream to “examine the activities of the previous government,” has summoned opposition Lelo party leaders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze to today’s session. The case involves the Magnat company, with owner Jemal Leonidze, his lawyer, and the two politicians invited to testify.

● Fifth President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili announced she is visiting the Baltic states, starting with Lithuania. “We are grateful for your support in our fight for new, free, and fair parliamentary elections,” Zourabichvili wrote on X.

● Journalist Nino Zautashvili plans to attend the Public Broadcaster council meeting on March 27 to counter accusations against her and several other journalists. At the previous session, council members suggested involving prosecutors over critical statements journalists made against the channel’s leadership and the government. Zautashvili is considering legal action against the council.

● Activist Giorgi Okmelashvili, arrested during protests against the “foreign agents” law, has been reclassified as a “high-risk” detainee, leading to his transfer from a semi-open to a closed penitentiary. His lawyer, preparing an appeal, said the court provided no explanation for this decision.

● Jailed activist Temur Katamadze was fined 2,800 lari (around $800) after a complaint from Vivamed clinic director Nino Nadiradze, who accused him of physical assault. Katamadze, recovering from a prolonged hunger strike, claims he faced inhumane treatment. He stated the dispute with Nadiradze was over improper medical care and accused authorities of subjecting him to psychological pressure.

● Imprisoned businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze, on the 13th day of a hunger strike, says he has lost mobility, feeling in his leg, and vision in his left eye. He urges prison authorities to ensure his presence at trial “even if in a wheelchair or on a stretcher.” Once an ally and now an opponent of Georgian Dream’s honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, Chikvaidze was arrested for allegedly embezzling large sums, a charge he denies, calling it political persecution.

● Georgian Dream-backed President Mikheil Kavelashvili withdrew a constitutional lawsuit filed by former President Salome Zourabichvili to annul the “foreign agents” law. “This law is based on transparency and accountability and aims to fully inform the public about the sources of funding for organizations advancing foreign interests,” Kavelashvili stated.

● Georgian fighter Nadim Khmaladze, who fought alongside Ukraine against Russia, was sentenced to 14 years in Russian-occupied Donetsk, according to Russian state media citing prosecutors.

● The reconstruction of Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi has been postponed until 2026. Mayor Kakha Kaladze cited research revealing the need for “extensive underground work, which would take significant time and cause major disruptions in the capital.”

● Mehriban Rahimli, a former advisor to the U.S. Marshall Fund (GMF) on Azerbaijan (pictured below), has been detained in Baku as part of a criminal case against several local and international NGOs. The charges include large-scale money laundering, abuse of power, and document forgery, carrying sentences of up to 12 years, according to Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani service.

● Hafiz Hasanov, head of the “Law and Development” public association, has also been placed under house arrest in connection with the case. He was detained on March 14, accused of misclassifying donor funding as service contracts instead of grant agreements. Other detainees include Mamed Alpay (Mamedzade), executive director of the Election Monitoring Alliance, and Bashir Suleymanli, head of the Civil Rights Institute, both sentenced to nearly four months of pretrial detention. An arrest warrant has also been issued for Subkhan Hasanli, head of the Social Rights Center, who is currently abroad.

● In total, around 50 individuals are under investigation in the “NGO case,” including staff from donor organizations that provided grants in Azerbaijan, reports Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani service.

● The opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) announced that party member Kenan Basgal, a bodyguard of its chairman, has been sentenced to four months of pretrial detention on charges of stabbing someone. Party leader Ali Karimli called the charges fabricated, citing previous similar cases against opposition activists, including Agil Gumbatov (10 years), Zamin Salaev (4 years), Samir Ashurov (6 years), and others.

● The National Interest published a detailed article on detained Azerbaijani journalist and economist Farid Mehralizade, who was arrested last summer as part of the AbzasMedia case. Nearly all staff members of the outlet, including its director and editor-in-chief, have been detained on charges of “smuggling” and “money laundering,” which they deny, calling it political persecution for their investigative reporting on government corruption.

● Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan that Moscow highly values the progress in finalizing the peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku. This was their second phone call in four days.

● 18 Azerbaijani sailors who had been imprisoned in Eritrea since November 2023 have been repatriated. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry thanked Turkey’s embassy in Eritrea for its assistance.

● The bodies of Azerbaijani servicemen Ali Imanov and Rustam Hamidov, who were caught in an avalanche while returning from duty in the Gadabay region, have been recovered. Hamidov had only 10 days left to serve.

● At least 10 journalists were detained in Istanbul and other Turkish cities during mass protests against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Among those detained was an AFP photographer. The Association for Media and Legal Studies reported that police have beaten more than 20 journalists during protests in the past four days.

● A photo exhibition on landmine issues in Azerbaijan has opened at the UN headquarters in New York. The exhibition, marking International Mine Awareness Day on April 4, features around 40 images from Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency. Official sources claim that during 30 years of occupation, Armenian forces planted over a million mines on Azerbaijani territories.

● Armenia’s parliamentary commission on European integration has approved in the second reading a bill to initiate the country’s EU accession process. The issue is on the agenda for today’s plenary session.

● The European Commission declined to comment on reports that Baku is demanding the closure of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia as a condition for signing a peace treaty with Yerevan. “We do not comment on bilateral negotiations. Our mission in Armenia is a civilian mission with a two-year mandate. The EU has observed many attempts to discredit the mission,” said EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anita Hipper at a press conference in Brussels.

● The foreign ministers of Armenia and Russia discussed progress in finalizing the peace treaty during a phone call. Ararat Mirzoyan and Sergey Lavrov also addressed key bilateral, regional, and global issues, emphasizing the importance of political dialogue between the two countries.

● Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Yerevan, where he was welcomed by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan. He later met with his Armenian counterpart for discussions over a working dinner.

● 80 tons of humanitarian aid from Armenia have arrived in Aleppo, Syria, according to local media.

● “Decentralized cooperation between France and Armenia is expanding across the country. The city of Meghri, located on the banks of the Aras River at the Iranian border, became a sister city of Bron, France, a few months ago,” wrote French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies on social media.

● Georgia’s 5th president, Salome Zourabichvili, apologized to the Armenian people for the behavior of some Georgian fans who threw various objects at the stands where Armenian supporters were seated after the Armenia-Georgia match in Tbilisi. “As the legitimate president, I would like to apologize to our neighbors for the disgraceful actions of some of our uncivilized citizens. We are and will remain friendly nations, peoples of ancient Christian faith, living together in a peaceful European Caucasus,” Zourabichvili said.

● “This is an unprecedented pressure on media freedom and a direct threat to journalists who are fulfilling their professional duties and exposing the leadership of the Public Broadcaster and the Ivanishvili regime for their anti-Western propaganda and violence against protesters,” stated the Media Rights Protection Coalition, which unites 17 organizations, in response to the Public Television Board meeting. At the meeting, critical remarks made by channel employees Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, Nino Zautashvili, Kaha Melikidze, and Gia Imnaishvili regarding the channel’s policies were discussed. The channel has been widely accused by the public of bias and loyalty to the authorities. Board members demanded the intervention of the prosecutor’s office and an investigation against these journalists.

● Today marks the 117th day of large-scale pro-European protests in Georgia, demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of detained protesters. Over the weekend, a massive march took place in Tbilisi with Georgian and American flags in support of the Megobari Act—a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill that proposes strict sanctions against officials of the “Georgian Dream” for actions undermining democracy. The U.S. Senate will review the Megobari Act on March 27. Here are more details on what the bill includes.

● Opposition leaders and the 5th president, Salome Zourabichvili, will travel to the Baltic states for high-level meetings to discuss support for Georgian protesters demanding a change of government through early parliamentary elections.

● Following a Sunday meeting between opposition leaders and Salome Zourabichvili, a working group was created to meet daily and take steps to support protesters and find a way out of the political crisis. At a joint press conference, it was emphasized that “the opposition must have a unified position on all existential issues.”

● The Georgian and Armenian national football teams met again at the “Dinamo Arena” stadium in Tbilisi. The Georgian team won again, this time with a score of 6:1. After the match, an incident occurred— a group of young people began throwing objects toward Armenian fans, and in response, thousands of spectators chanted “Shame!” at the attackers. The incident sparked outrage in Georgian social media, with hundreds of posts apologizing to Armenia and calling for those responsible to be identified and punished. This was the second leg of the playoff. On March 20 in Yerevan, Georgia defeated Armenia 3:0. The two teams have faced each other nine times in history, with Georgia winning five times, Armenia winning twice, and two matches ending in a draw.

● The Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage confirmed that recent heavy rains damaged the roof of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, an 11th-century church considered one of Georgia’s main religious sites and a UNESCO World Heritage landmark. Authorities stated that “minor water infiltration” occurred and that there is no serious threat to the cathedral or its frescoes. However, TV channel “Pirveli” released a report claiming the risk to the unique frescoes is much higher than officials admit. The video is below.

● In the U.S., a trial is underway against Polad Omarov, a Georgian-born criminal figure accused of plotting to assassinate Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad on behalf of the Iranian government. Omarov is originally from Dmanisi, Kvemo Kartli. The assassination attempt took place in New York in 2022. According to local media, Omarov is the cousin of Nadir Salifov (“Lotu Guli”), a criminal boss from Dmanisi who was killed in 2020. Omarov previously lived in Ukraine and later in the Czech Republic, where he was arrested in 2023 and extradited to the U.S. If found guilty, he faces life in prison. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on the case, vowing to “hold the Iranian regime accountable.”

● Armenia lost 1:6 to Georgia in the second leg of the UEFA Nations League playoffs in Tbilisi. After the match, a group of young people started throwing objects toward Armenian fans. In response, most of the crowd chanted “Shame!” (as seen in the video). The incident sparked widespread condemnation not only in Armenian but also in Georgian social media. “Armenians beat us 10:0 in hospitality, culture, ethics, and humanity. The national team or the federation must speak up and apologize to the Armenian side,” wrote hundreds of people online.

● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met in Tbilisi, highlighting the positive development of bilateral relations and the strategic nature of their partnership. The two leaders later watched the football match together.

●  Iran’s Foreign Minister is set to arrive in Yerevan today, confirmed the ministry’s spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, in a conversation with journalists.

● Armenian gymnast Artur Davtyan won gold at the third stage of the World Cup in Antalya, Turkey. He scored 14.650 in the vault event, securing his second gold in the series and maintaining his lead.

● The wife of Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, who is currently in custody in Azerbaijan, recorded a short video message at his request. In the video, Veronika Zonabend thanked those supporting their family and shared a touching story about how Vardanyan overcame his fears through high-risk deals and skydiving.

● Pope Francis welcomed the completion of negotiations on the text of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. “May this be a sign of hope, and may other conflicts also find a path to resolution through dialogue and goodwill,” Vatican News quoted him as saying.

● Baku reacted strongly to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s statement that “global climate conferences like COP have paid insufficient attention to the needs of developing countries.” Mirzoyan made this comment in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha, as Brazil will host this year’s COP summit. Last year, the conference was held in Baku. “All COP forums have made important decisions supporting developing countries in the fight against climate change. In particular, COP29 in Baku adopted the Baku Climate Finance Ambition, tripling developed countries’ climate finance commitments from $100 billion to $300 billion annually, with total funding from all sources reaching $1.3 trillion. COP29 also made history by launching the carbon market mechanism of the Paris Agreement, a decision that had been delayed for nearly a decade,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated.

● Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “The liberation of Karabakh after nearly 30 years of occupation has opened a new chapter in the region. The greatest value for the Turkic world is unity […] Together, brotherly nations will build a new world order centered around the Turkic world.”

● President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar: “For every citizen of our republic, Azerbaijan is just as significant as Turkey. We are deeply grateful and highly appreciate President Ilham Aliyev’s attitude toward the people of Turkish Cyprus.” He made this statement during the closing ceremony of the Turkic World Novruz Festival.

● A court has ruled to keep Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in custody during the investigation. He was arrested on March 19 on charges of corruption and fraud. Over the weekend, large demonstrations in support of İmamoğlu took place in Istanbul and Ankara, with clashes reported between protesters and police.

● The Novruz holiday celebrations have ended, but public holidays for Ramadan will continue until the end of the month. Azerbaijan has non-working days from March 20 to 31. Here is a beautiful video report on how Novruz is celebrated in Baku.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 17-21 March, 2025