Media monitoring in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, 14-18 August, 2023

● Today is the birthday of Georgian National Hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze, who died during the 2008 Russian-Georgian war. He would have turned 39 years old today.
Senior Sergeant Giorgi Antsukhelidze, 41st Battalion of the IV Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces, was captured in Tskhinvali, where he was tortured and shot – all of this was filmed on video.
Antsukhelidze was posthumously conferred the title of National Hero and awarded the Vakhtang Gorgasali Order of the First Degree, the highest military honour. He is survived by his wife and two children.

● “Switzerland will not recognise passports issued by Russia in the occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia.” This is a statement published on the website of the Federal Council of Switzerland.

● US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan: “It matters what the Georgian people say, and it’s very clear – they want to go to Europe.”

● The death toll from a landslide in the mountain resort of Shovi has risen to 27. The search for six more people continues.

● Against the backdrop of the Shovi tragedy, the Georgian opposition is demanding monitoring of construction works on another dangerous section – the Rikoti pass linking eastern and western Georgia.
According to Lasha Parulava of the United National Movement party, work on the expansion of the motorway and the construction of other infrastructure projects is being carried out in violation of construction norms.

● A Turkish citizen has been detained, the Investigative Service said. After a quarrel with a Georgian girl, he sent nude photos of her to mutual acquaintances. He faces prison.

●  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan travelled to Syunik by Yerevan-Kapan plane. He toured the Kapan airport after which he announced that they are ready to launch a Kapan-Yerevan domestic flight.

●  China is against external interference in Armenia’s internal issues. This was stated by Ambassador Fang Yong.
“Some countries and individuals do not want to see the stable and healthy development of relations between China and Armenia and create obstacles. But we are determined to continue friendly relations and strengthen ties,” he said.

●  The humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh due to the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the ways to solve the problem as soon as possible were discussed in Yerevan by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar.

●  The Prosecutor’s Office initiated public criminal prosecution against the driver of a ZIL truck over a road accident near the village of Lanjik that killed 11 people. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the lorry drove into the oncoming lane, which led to the accident.

● In the disaster zone of the mountain resort of Shovi, the bodies of 26 deceased individuals were discovered, with 23 of them having been identified. The search for 7 more missing individuals is currently underway.

● The entire area at the epicenter of the natural disaster has been thoroughly inspected. Heavy equipment is scheduled to enter the riverbed tomorrow.

● Passenger traffic at Kutaisi International Airport experienced a 123% increase in comparison to 2019.

● Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of the opposition United National Movement, emphasized the necessity of establishing a special investigation commission for the natural disaster in the mountain resort of Shovi. He stated, “We should all unite in making this demand.” Irakli Kobakhidze, the leader of the ruling party, also mentioned the potential for forming a commission.

● Kobakhidze personally extended an apology to David Dzheladze, who not only survived at the epicenter of the disaster but also rescued his niece (photo). The head of the ruling party publicly acknowledged that such an act was indeed possible, which stirred significant public discontent. Kobakhidze praised Geladze’s actions as “remarkable” and expressed deep regret for having hurt him with his words.

● The controversy surrounding the American band The Killers continues, following their invitation of a Russian drummer onto the stage during a concert in Georgia. The band declared that all their fans are like brothers and sisters. A portion of the audience left the concert, chanting slogans such as “Russia is an enemy and an occupier!” As a consequence, The Killers’ music videos are being removed from radio and TV channels in Georgia. The band issued an apology.

The leader of the ruling party affirmed his respect for those who reacted strongly to the incident. He also reminded everyone that Russia has occupied 20% of Georgia’s territory. Simultaneously, he urged restraint in avoiding the escalation of artificial excitement.

● In Batumi, a man lost his life after being struck by a scooter that went into the sea.

● “We ask for the support of the United Nations,” Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. He said “hunger is the invisible weapon of genocide and unless action is taken, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh will be wiped out.”

● OSCE Head Bujar Osmani personally instructed his representative Andrzej Kasprzyk to visit the Lachin corridor and report on the current situation after telephone conversations with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

● A rally was held outside the UN office in Yerevan. People threw photos of a man over the fence who died in Stepanakert due to malnutrition.

● The Armenian Defence Ministry published footage showing Azerbaijani soldiers detaining an Armenian reservist.

● The family of Elen Dadayan, who was killed in a major road accident in Shirak region, appealed to the International Criminal Court to ensure the transport of her body to Nagorno-Karabakh for burial. The entire family of the 21-year-old girl is living under blockade.

● The discussion surrounding the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council concluded without any results. No documents were adopted as a result of the meeting.

● Following the UN Security Council meeting, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated, “Armenia’s attempt to employ the UN Security Council for its blackmail campaign has failed. Such manipulative efforts by Armenia to exploit this important body are not only unproductive in terms of advancing the agenda for normalizing relations in the post-conflict period but also highly destructive.” The ministry further added, “Azerbaijan hopes that Armenia will come to realize that the path to resolving issues lies in constructive interaction and the sincere adherence to international legal norms and obligations.”

● Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar engaged in discussions about the process of normalizing Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. Bayramov emphasized that “Armenia’s recent escalation of military-political provocations in the region, along with baseless claims about blockades and the precarious humanitarian situation, are counterproductive to peace and stability.”

● Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade responded to OSCE Chairman Buyar Osmani’s call for “free passage” between Armenia and the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan by stating, “In Azerbaijan, border crossings are strictly regulated, and ‘unrestricted passage’ is not granted anywhere.”

● The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported the apprehension of an “Armenian saboteur.” The ministry’s statement read, “Around 11:15, a reconnaissance and sabotage unit from the Armenian Armed Forces attempted an incursion into Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijani units successfully thwarted the Armenian military’s provocation. One of the saboteurs was apprehended and wounded, while the others retreated.”

● Azerbaijani grandmaster Nijat Abasov advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup held in Baku. In the semifinals, Abasov will face former world champion Magnus Carlsen. Abasov’s performance has also secured his participation in the contenders’ tournament for the world champion title.

● The Azerbaijani parliament has appealed to the parliaments of foreign countries “because of Armenia’s attempts to manipulate and mislead the international community in connection with the situation in Karabakh”. Azerbaijani MPs called on their colleagues “to show an impartial and fair position, reject Yerevan’s propaganda and demonstrate behaviour based on objectivity, truth and international law”.

● Azerbaijani and Russian Foreign Ministers Ceyhun Bayramov and Sergey Lavrov called. “The sides discussed the agenda and the need to implement previously agreed steps aimed at the earliest de-escalation of the situation around Karabakh. They also stressed the irrevocability of implementation of the entire set of trilateral agreements of leaders Aliyev, Putin and Pashinyan to achieve normalisation between Baku and Yerevan,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

● A mass grave has been discovered in Shusha. The remains of 17 people were found during excavations near Shusha prison.
“Another mass grave has been discovered near Shusha prison, where civilians and prisoners of war were held, inhumanely treated, tortured, killed and thrown into mass graves,” Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev wrote on social media.

● Spain’s Charge d’Affaires in Baku has been summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Baku demanded from Patricia Serrano Sanchez explanations about “provocative post on platform ‘X’ in support of the so-called separatist regime”.
She, in turn, said that Spain has consistently supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and there have been no changes in this position.

● Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of Diamed pharmaceutical plant in Pirallahi district of Baku. The plant’s annual production capacity is 20 million litres of infusion drugs.

● In Baku, a famous blogger committed a serious road accident. The Porshe driven by Nijat Shakirli (known as Nikosayagi) lost control and crashed into a lorry. The blogger’s right arm was amputated and the passenger died on the spot. The other passenger is in serious condition.

● Baku hosted the opening ceremony of the World Shooting Sport Shooting Championship, which will award licences for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The team from Armenia refused to participate in the tournament.

● The UN Security Council meeting on the “situation around Lachin Road” will be held on 16 August, the US mission to the UN said.

● Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded to the tweet of the Spanish Embassy in Russia. Spain’s embassy in Russia has announced aid to Karabakh Armenians. “It is strange to see how a country fighting separatism on its own territory simultaneously supports separatism in other countries. Spain’s encouragement of the illegal separatist regime established by Armenia on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is unacceptable. We strongly condemn this unconstructive approach,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
Thee Spanish Embassy in Russia has now deleted its tweet.

● “Armenia’s 30-year devastating occupation has led to the complete disappearance of eight towns and hundreds of villages in Azerbaijan. “But the unprecedented and state-funded reconstruction process is reviving the liberated territories,” AR presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said in a social media post.

● “Azerbaijani Armed Forces prevented a provocation by the Armenian side. Around 19:25 Armenian Armed Forces units tried to conduct engineering works in front of the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Kelbajar direction with a sabotage purpose. The Azerbaijani side took urgent measures to immediately stop the ongoing work,” the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said. According to Armenia, a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces was seriously wounded.

●  It has been 31 years since the Azerbaijani manat was put into circulation. According to statistics, the three banknotes most often counterfeited in Azerbaijan are the 1, 5, and 10 manats. Only 200 manat banknotes and banknotes with a new design, introduced in early 2021, have not been counterfeited according to official statistics.

● Three people have been detained for trying to smuggle diamonds and gold, worth about $150,000, to Baku from the UAE.

● 11 people were killed in a road accident on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway. Another 6 people are in hospital. The people in the minibus, which crashed, were returning from the medieval Armenian capital of Ani on the border with Turkey.

● The EU Mission to Armenia denied the statements of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry about the accumulation of Armenian troops on the border. “We monitor the military and security situation on a daily basis from 4 operational bases patrolling along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border zone. Based on information on the ground, we do not see any unusual movement or accumulation of troops, especially at the entrance to the Lachin corridor,” the Ministry said in a statement.

● A year after the Surmalu Mall bombing, relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the tragedy with wreaths, candles and incense to pay tribute to the untimely departed. They lament that there is still no memorial plaque at the site of the blast. Read more about the tragedy here

● Cash collectors and employees of one of Armenia’s banks stole 1.6bn drams (over $4m) while refilling ATMs, according to the state’s Investigative Committee.

● Yerevan residents are dissatisfied with the water supply. With the +42 degree heat wave, water is being cut off more often than ever before. While this has been attributed to old pipes, campaigners say the number of emergency water shut-offs has recently exceeded the norm.

● An adviser to the Ukrainian ambassador to Armenia drowned in Lake Sevan.

● Another body has been found in the disaster zone in the mountain resort of Shovi. The death toll has now risen to 25. Another 8 missing people are still being searched for.

● The main part of the disaster zone has already been checked, about 25-26% of the territory remains, which will be fully investigated within two days, according to the Head of Emergency Management Service Temur Mgebrishvili.

● Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili: “We see how much desire there is to blame (Shovi) on the government.”

● Mari Jeladze, one of the survivors of the Shovi disaster, called the words of the Georgian Dream party chairman who questioned the accounts of those who were trapped but managed to escape on their own “disgraceful”. “Kobakhidze’s statement simply destroyed us, the people who miraculously escaped. We were drowning in the mud for four hours. God worked a miracle and we survived.” Read more here:

● Opposition United National Movement summoned Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri to Parliament to answer questions on the Shovi disaster.

● “Studies do not confirm that the construction of the road in Shovi has affected the condition of soil and slopes,” according to Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Irakli Karseladze.

● In Samegrelo, due to the risk of landslides, traffic from Mukhuri village to Tobavarchkhili Lake, a popular tourist route, has been temporarily stopped.

● Two aircrafts of Russian Red Wings were out of service at the same time: currently causing delays to the Ekaterinburg-Antalya and Antalya-Yekaterinburg routes. Red Wings started selling tickets for direct flights to Georgia in June this year.

? Photo: Shovi, disaster zone / Interpressnews

● 31 years have passed since the beginning of the war in Abkhazia. Fighting in Abkhazia began on 14 August 1992, when Georgian armed forces entered its territory to protect the railway. The first shot was fired in Ochamchira, near the village of Ohurey. 27 September 1993 is considered the end of the military phase of the conflict. The war ended with the defeat of the Georgian armed forces. According to various sources, more than 13 thousand people died on both sides, about 300 thousand people became refugees and IDPs. Most of them are ethnic Georgians, who can still not return. Read an explainer of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict here

● “We have equipment so rescue helicopters could fly at night , but flying at night is a very big risk. If there is no immediate threat to people’s lives at this very moment – pilots should not take risks, it is unacceptable.” Twenty-four bodies of the dead have been found, 9 more are still missing. Read more here

● “If you have the opportunities to fly at night and you don’t use them – it’s a crime” – opposition politician and businessman Mamuka Khazaradze criticised the head of the Interior Ministry.

● Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili on the briefing of the Interior Minister: “The main question now is who made the decision to stop the rescue operation?”.

● 60% of the territory in the epicentre of the natural disaster in Shovi has already been checked, according to Head of Emergency Management Service Temur Mgebrishvili.

● Newly appointed director of the House of Literators Keti Dumbadze said she took the post because she is “obsessed with literature”.
Writers, directors and filmmakers are vehemently opposing her candidacy, with hundreds of signatures on their petitions. Dumbadze voted in favor of the ‘foreign agents’ law back in March. Read more here: https://jam-news.net/filmmakers-oppose-ketevan-dumbadzes…/

● In Marneuli, the driver of a passenger minibus died of a heart attack while driving. The passengers managed to stop the car, and no one else was injured.

31 years have passed since the beginning of the war in Abkhazia. The fighting in Abkhazia began on August 14, 1992, the armed forces of Georgia entered its territory to protect the railway. The first shot was fired in Ochamchire, not far from the village of Okhurei. September 27, 1993 is considered the end date of the military phase of the conflict. The war ended with the defeat of the Georgian armed forces. According to various sources, more than 13 thousand people died on both sides, about 300 thousand people became refugees and internally displaced persons. Most of them are ethnic Georgians, most of them still cannot return. Here is the chronology of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, which was compiled by experts from both sides

● “We have equipment for night flights of rescue helicopters, but flying at night is a very big risk. If there is no immediate threat to people’s lives at this very moment, the pilots should not take risks, this is unacceptable,” Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri answered the harshly critical questions of journalists for the first time since the tragedy in the mountain resort of Shovi. Found 24 bodies of the dead, another 9 missing continue to search. The entire speech of the minister is here

● “If you have the opportunities to fly at night and you don’t use them – it’s a crime” – opposition politician and businessman Mamuka Khazaradze criticised the head of the Interior Ministry.

● Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili on the briefing of the Interior Minister: “The main question now is who made the decision to stop the rescue operation?”.

● 60% of the territory in the epicentre of the natural disaster in Shovi has already been checked, according to Head of Emergency Management Service Temur Mgebrishvili.

● Newly appointed director of the House of Literators Keti Dumbadze said she took the post because she is “obsessed with literature”.
Writers, directors and filmmakers are vehemently opposing her candidacy, with hundreds of signatures on their petitions. Dumbadze voted in favor of the ‘foreign agents’ law back in March. Read more here

● In Marneuli, the driver of a passenger minibus died of a heart attack while driving. The passengers managed to stop the car, and no one else was injured.

? Photo by Mike Goldwater: Georgian population leaving Abkhazia on foot through the Kodori Gorge in September 1993

● Orkhan Zeynalov, a food delivery courier and member of trade unions (pictured) claimed to be on the run due to harassment by law enforcers. The Interior Ministry issued a statement that there was no harassment against Zeynalov and his post was “part of a campaign.”

Three members of trade unions were arrested earlier. Afieddin Mammadov was sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest, and criminal cases were opened against two other activists under the article on illegal drug trafficking. In early August, trade union members held a protest demanding a revision of the new rules requiring moped couriers to have a driver’s licence and state registration of the vehicle.

● Mukhtar Babashov, a veteran of the second Karabakh war, committed an act of self-immolation (setting himself on fire) in front of the Military Prosecutor’s Office in Baku, MeydanTV reported. The 35-year-old man was taken to hospital. The motives for his actions have not been reported.

● Azerbaijan has doubled swap deliveries of Turkmen gas via Iran. “According to the agreements, we carry 4.5-5 million cubic metres per day of swap supplies to Azerbaijan. Now swap supplies have increased to 7-7.5 million cubic metres,” Iranian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Gholam Abbas Arbab Khales said.

● Azerbaijan has become one of the three largest producers of persimmon in the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The main persimmon suppliers in the world market are China (3 million 429.4 thousand tonnes), South Korea (200.6 thousand tonnes), Azerbaijan (192.4 thousand tonnes), Japan (187.9 thousand tonnes) and Brazil (170.2 thousand tonnes).

● In Azerbaijan, liver, kidney, bone marrow or haematopoietic stem cell transplants are included in the package of services under compulsory health insurance. This coverage applies to insured persons who have medical indications.
The annual limit for liver transplantation operations is set at 100, kidney transplantation at 150, and bone marrow or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation at 20.

● Azerbaijan took fourth place in the medal standings at the II CIS Games in Belarus, winning 62 medals: 10 gold, 17 silver and 35 bronze. The next, III CIS Games will be held in 2025 in Ganja.

● Yerevan has appealed to the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The appeal notes that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a comprehensive humanitarian catastrophe and “in the current circumstances, the Armenian government requests the intervention of the UN Security Council”.

● Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I proposed that Yerevan creates a single diverse negotiating body. He said that it is necessary to create a structure of representatives of the government, opposition, diaspora, persons with rich political and diplomatic experience to build a negotiating line with Baku.

● 13 parties and 1 bloc will take part in the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan and the post of the capital’s mayor.
Campaigning will start on 23 August, while the elections themselves will be held on 17 September.

● The feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, also called Khakhokhornek, was celebrated in Armenia. On this day, a Divine Liturgy is served, after which grapes are distributed to the faithful. The vine symbolises the Virgin Mary and the fruit on it symbolises Christ.