Armenia–Russia Relations
North Ossetian family sues Armenia’s Jermuk waters for $15 million over wrongful death
Jermuk Group called the lawsuit ‘completely groundless’, and rejected the company’s guilt.
News Stories
Today, 21 January 2025
Today, 21 January 2025
Georgia
Georgian Dream vows to ‘transform’ university system
Kobakhidze did not specify what exactly the ‘transformation’ means, but in the past had expressed his dissatisfaction towards opposition-minded professors.
Georgia’s Foreign Agent Law
Georgian court sentences foreign agent law protester to five years in prison
Pridon Bubuteishvili, 20, was convicted of injuring a firefighter and damaging parliament’s gates during May’s foreign agent law protests.
Daily Brief
Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Regional * The family of Vladikavkaz businessperson Oleg Gusov, who reportedly died after drinking Jermuk mineral water, has filed a lawsuit for ₽1.5 billion ($15 million) against the Armenian manufacturer, as well as its representative and distributors in Russia. Armenia’s Economic Ministry told Armenpress that Armenia presented to Russian the relevant proof that the Jermuk mineral water ‘meets the requirements’ and that the lifted restrictions against Jermuk Group CJSC in Russia ‘proves that
Yesterday, 20 January 2025
Azerbaijan
Protests erupt in Azerbaijani village after police car fatally hits 2 children
A police car has hit four schoolchildren in Yalavaj, killing two.
Georgia
Batumelebi and Netgazeti founder Amaghlobeli begins hunger strike while in pretrial detention
Amaghlobeli said ‘freedom is more valuable than life’.
Georgia
Disputed Georgian president pardons 613 convicts
The total number of those pardoned is believed to have exceeded that of previous presidential pardons.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Putin offers ‘comments and assessments’ on Armenia’s EU aspirations
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation on Friday.
The Caucasus Digest
Podcast | Ukraine’s recognition of the Circassian Genocide
OC Media’s Yousef Bardouka and Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko discuss Ukraine’s recognition of the Circassian Genocide.
Georgia
Tbilisi police disperse small rally, detain protesters for violating ban on face coverings
The police detained demonstrators in a suburb of Tbilisi for covering their faces during a protest.
Daily Brief
Monday, 20 January 2025
Regional * Georgian-born MMA fighter Merab Dvalishvili and Daghestani-fighter Islam Makhachaev won their respective matches on Sunday night at UFC 311. Dvalishvili bested Umar Nurmagomedov, from Daghestan, for the title of bantamweight champion. After Makhachaev’s competitor for the title of lightweight champion, Arman Tsarukyan from Armenia, dropped out due to injury at the last minute, he was replaced by Renato Moicano. * Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central A
Sunday, 19 January 2025
North Caucasus
A ‘peculiar PR stunt’: how a fatwa on polygamy caused controversy and confusion in Russia
Multiple marriages have existed in the North Caucasus for centuries, raising the question, why was a fatwa needed in the first place?
Friday, 17 January 2025
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan suspends cooperation with USAID
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that ‘it is time to stop cooperation’ with the organisation.
Azerbaijan Airlines Crash
Deadly Azerbaijan Airlines crash sheds light on twin crises of migrant labour, border closure
The majority of victims were Azerbaijani citizens going to Russia for work.
Georgia’s EU U-turn
Tbilisi City Hall confirms its employees involved in clash with strikers
During the general strike on Wednesday, a group of men, one with a baseball bat, attacked demonstrators.
OC Insider
To many more recognitions of the Circassian Genocide
It finally happened: Ukraine recognised the Circassian Genocide. Some of you may not know this about me, but I am a diaspora Circassian, born and raised in Jordan. I grew up in a Circassian community, and I went to a Circassian school, but had this recognition taken place, say, 20 years ago, I likely would not have batted an eye, and neither would many others, whether my age or older. There was a time where we Circassians — at least in Jordan — were not aware of what had happened to our ancest
Georgia’s EU U-turn
GYLA says Batumi police chief insulted Batumelebi director following arrest
According to RFE/RL, Amaghlobeli’s sentence was brought to the Court of Appeals on Wednesday.
Daily Brief
Friday, 17 January 2025
Regional * Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to the process of delimiting the northern section of the state border. The first stage concerns the point of intersection bordering Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and following this, in the southern direction, from north to south, with Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan and Iran. * Ahead of his first court hearing scheduled for 17 January, the detained former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan published a statement saying that he had
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Ingushetia
Ingushetia fires TV presenter for joking about republic’s head
She recorded the comedy sketch as a reel on her personal Instagram account.
Nagorno-Karabakh
Former Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Army found guilty of deadly negligence
He faces up to 10 years imprisonment for his negligent attitude which led to the deaths of 20 soldiers in 2020.
Afgan Sadigov
ECHR reportedly temporarily bars Georgia from extraditing Sadigov to Azerbaijan
Sadigov has been on a hunger strike for around 120 days in his own form of protest.
Daily Brief
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Armenia * Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan has stated he did not see ‘the grounds for an escalation in the region because Armenia has proposals and solutions in terms of any issue’. * A similar statement was made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who also downplayed the possibility of Azerbaijani escalation. In a Facebook post, Pashinyan noted that Armenia has proposed ‘constructive solutions to all existing issues’ in its relations with Azerbaijan and that ‘all efforts to provoke es
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Georgia’s EU U-turn
Businesses shutter in Georgia amidst 3-hour general strike
Thousands of employees walk out of their jobs demanding new and fair parliamentary elections.
Georgia
Georgian Prosecutor’s Office claims simulations do not prove allegations of election fraud
Local media and observer groups have documented widespread vote rigging by the ruling party and the institutions it controls.
Chechnya
Russia sentences exiled Ichkerian leader to 20 years in prison in absentia
Akhmad Zakaev, the head of the Ichkerian government in exile, was found guilty of ‘terrorism’.
Armenia–US Relations
Armenia and the US sign Strategic Partnership Charter
The signing of the charter has been received unfavourably by Armenia’s traditional ally, Russia.
Georgia’s EU U-turn
Georgian Dream members accused of attacking Gakharia and TI Georgia member in Batumi
Former PM Giorgi Gakharia and Transparency International employee Zviad Koridze were attacked 15 minutes apart in the same hotel.
Daily Brief
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Armenia * Armenia and the US yesterday signed a Strategic Partnership Charter in Washington DC. The document stresses a mutual desire to strengthen relations across the diplomatic, economic, energy, high-tech, educational, scientific, cultural, legal, defence, and security fields. * Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that the charter ‘provides a robust framework and injects greater ambition into our cooperation’. Mirzoyan added that they commenced negotiations on a nuclear coop
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani labour rights activist sentenced to 8 years in prison
Afiaddin Mammadov was convicted of intentionally causing serious bodily harm and hooliganism and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Armenia
Armenian Economy Minister says Armenia ‘not replacing’ Eurasian Economic Union with EU
Russia’s deputy prime minister previously said Armenia’s potential EU aspirations are ‘incompatible’ with its Eurasian Economic Union membership.
8 Years of
Independent News,
Enjoy 50% OFF our annual
membership
Become an OC
Media Member
Support independent journalism
in the Caucasus
Join Todayin the Caucasus
Subscribe to our newsletter