Georgia
Israeli ‘Tinder Swindler’ arrested in Batumi
Simon Leviev was the subject of a popular 2022 Netflix documentary and is thought to have scammed as much as $1 billion through various schemes.
Nate Ostiller
Nate joined OC Media as an editor after a year at The Kyiv Independent, where he covered Ukraine, Russia, and the South Caucasus. He has a background in grant writing and reporting on post-Soviet geopolitics, with a focus on conflict-sensitive journalism and human rights.
OC Insider
The US dithers while Georgia’s democracy continues to collapse
The US Helsinki Commission held a hearing yesterday on ‘Georgia’s Anti-American Turn’, which focused on ‘the global consequences of Georgia’s slide into authoritarianism’. Former President Salome Zourabichvili and former Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli testified at the hearing, which also included debates on ‘US policy options, such as the passage of the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act, to assist the people of Georgia as they seek to maintain their independence and longstanding, mutually beneficial
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani member of Putin’s United Russia party withdraws from local election after backlash
Asif Mammadov, who was nominated by the ruling United Russia party, became the focus of ire from pro-Kremlin bloggers and pundits.
Armenia–Azerbaijan Relations
Pashinyan’s plane flies through Azerbaijani airspace, in an apparent first
Baku has long had an unofficial ban on Armenian plans using Azerbaijani airspace.
Azerbaijan
Russia says FSB arrested Azerbaijani over alleged terrorist plot on behalf of Ukraine
Russia’s FSB claimed the individual had ‘proactively joined a Ukrainian terrorist organisation’.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan claims Russia helped India block SCO membership bid
Diplomatic sources told the Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet APA that ‘Russia’s actions should be seen as a sign of disrespect toward China’.
