News Stories
Yesterday, 20 March 2026
Yesterday, 20 March 2026
Georgia
Second Georgian faces criminal charges for minor protest-related offences
Shalva Esartia faces up to one year in jail.
North Caucasus
Chechens again top list of asylum seekers in Germany, but successful cases drop sharply
The report was published as a response to a parliamentary inquiry by the Die Linke faction in the German Parliament.
Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Catholicos Karekin II’s presence at Georgian Patriarch Ilia II’s funeral remains uncertain
Karekin II has been under a travel ban since February.
Kabarda–Balkaria
Court overturns verdict of Nalchik soldier convicted of intentionally blowing himself up with mines
Nikolai Khozumov allegedly blew himself up on a mine at least four times of his own accord.
Armenia
Pashinyan claims Armenia faces war if opposition wins parliamentary election
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has framed the opposition as a ‘war party’.
Ilia II
Huge crowds in Tbilisi bid farewell to Patriarch Ilia II
Ilia II, the long-standing Patriarch, will be laid to rest on Sunday.
Daily Brief
Friday, 20 March 2026
Regional * Yesterday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze, offering his condolences for the death of Patriarch Ilia II. Earlier yesterday, Pashinyan stated that Armenia ‘will participate in the funeral at the highest level’, however the attendance of Catholicos Karekin II still remains unclear, considering he has been under a travel ban since February. Armenia * Yesterday, Pashinyan received EU Enlargement Commissioner
2026 Iran War
At the edge of the war, an uneasy calm: dispatches from the Armenia–Iran border
As civilians trickle across the border, some seeking security others returning home, local residents are feeling the economic consequences.
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Armenia
Pashinyan offers increase in housing aid for Nagorno-Karabakh refugees ahead of elections
Assistance will rise from ֏3 million ($8,000) to ֏4 million ($11,000) per person in each family for communities adjacent to Yerevan.
Azerbaijan
Latvia sentences Azerbaijani national for selling Starlink terminals and weapons to Russia
The court ruled that the group's organizer was Ali Khalilov, who refused the services of a lawyer from the very beginning.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Moscow accuses Yerevan of ‘destroying traditions’ in its confrontation with Armenian Church
Yerevan has yet to respond to the accusations.
Georgia–US Relations
US imposes hefty visa bonds on Georgia
Georgians applying for US visas will soon be forced to post a bond of up to $15,000.
Daghestan
Makhachkala bookshop fined for ‘LGBT propaganda’ in books by Le Guin and Backman
This is the first such protocol in the North Caucasus against a bookshop.
Daily Brief
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Regional * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a letter of condolence to his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze on the occasion of the death of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. Catholicos Karekin II also sent similar condolences. It remains unclear if Karekin II will be able to attend Ilia II’s funeral, considering he has been under travel ban since February. * This morning a total of 488 tonnes of grain were shipped from Baku, bound for Armenia from Russia via Azerbaijan. Armenia * EU Enl
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Abkhazia
Russian court sentences Abkhazian to over 5 years for posts praising Shamil Basaev
The case is linked to Telegram posts about a dispute over a museum exhibition in Sukhumi (Sukhum).
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani man detained on charges of blackmailing Aliyev family
Azerbaijan’s State Security Service claimed that he used footage sent to him by exiled bloggers.
Georgia
Over 70 arrested in Georgian police operation against mafia in Adjara
Among those detained were alleged high-ranking members of the post-Soviet mafia network known as ‘thieves-in-law’.
Armenia
Editor-in-chief of Armenian opposition-aligned tabloid investigated over 2024 editorial
The editorial by Armine Ohanyan was published in Hraparak in December 2024.
Ingushetia
Two Ingush men sentenced to 17 years in prison for brutal murder of Saint Petersburg woman
Murat Ganizhev and Abdul-Malik Buzurtanov inflicted more than 580 stab wounds on the victim.
Ilia II
Obituary | Patriarch Ilia II — the one constant in Georgia’s modern history
Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, has died, leaving behind a troubled legacy after 48 years of leading the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian–Russian man detained for ‘preparing terrorist attack’ in Adygea
The man was allegedly recruited by Ukraine’s Security Service.
Daily Brief
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Armenia * Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi during his official visit to Oman. According to the Armenian readout, they discussed ‘prospects for expanding cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest’. They also signed a memorandum of understanding on holding political consultations between Foreign Ministries of the two countries. * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a Security Council meeting yesterd
Georgia
‘A part of our citizenship is being taken away’: Georgian emigrants on the overseas voting ban
Georgian Dream’s ban on overseas voting has sparked outrage, with members of the diaspora viewing it as an undemocratic attack on a fundamental right.
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
The Georgian Orthodox Church
Patriarch of Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II dies at 93
Ilia II passed away on Tuesday evening after being admitted into intensive care with abdominal bleeding earlier that day.
Azerbaijan
Shiite Muslims arrested in Azerbaijan as authorities reportedly crack down on hijabs in schools
Samir Babayev, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement, told his family that he was tortured by police after being arrested on drug charges.
Georgia
Georgian opposition to contact French authorities to investigate Ivanishvili
The Opposition Alliance vowed to focus on implementing the key recommendations outlined in the recent OSCE report on Georgia.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani journalist Ahmad Mammadli sentenced to six years in prison
Police witnesses in the Ahmad Mammadli case testified at court hearings that they did not see him stabbing anyone.
Georgia
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II hospitalised
The hospital head described Ilia II’s condition as ‘serious’.
