Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of March 2025

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The Armenian Parliament adopts a bill seeking EU accession

The Armenian Parliament adopted on March 26 the bill on EU integration at the second and final reading. It was adopted with 64 votes in favour and 7 against. The bill’s preamble was amended between the first and second readings. The bill was initiated by several civic organisations through a petition which garnered enough votes to be considered as a bill. It calls on the Armenian government to launch the process of EU accession. The opposition Hayastan faction did not participate in the voting, while the other opposition faction, Pativ Unem, voted against it.

Sources:
Developments in Armenia’s foreign policy

Armenian foreign policy in March 2025 signalled warming relations with Turkey, efforts to improve ties with Moscow and progress in developing relations with India and Belgium.

On March 14, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan gave the Turkish media an “unprecedented” interview. Starting out the press conference with a brief statement, Pashinayn highlighted that “a meeting in such a format has never taken place before” adding that he thought it was good to have such an opportunity to “talk and exchange ideas”.

In the wide-ranging interview, the first topic raised by Turkish journalists was the process of normalising Armenian–Turkish relations. Pashinyan noted that in terms of further progress, he would like to establish diplomatic relations between the two states, for the border to open for rail and road transport, and for business ties to be direct.

Related to Armenia–Turkey relations, Pashinyan also reiterated his government’s stance that the “international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not among our foreign policy priorities today”. The PM stressed that while the Armenian Genocide is an “indisputable truth” in Armenia and among Armenians, this was not the issue his government was discussing. Rather, he stated that the aim was to keep peaceful relations with Armenia’s neighbours and not ruin progress through the perceptions of threats.

Later, Armenian media informed that the Pashinyan’s cabinet approved opening the Margara border crossing point between Armenia and Turkey from March 21 to 30 for humanitarian aid transport to Syria. The border between Armenia and Turkey has been closed since 1993 due to the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict.

Turkey’s decision to open its borders to Armenia caused a swift adverse reaction from Azerbaijan. In an analytical article entitled “Rapprochement between Ankara and Yerevan: Turkey’s steps that disappointed Azerbaijan”, the Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet APA wrote that “the border between Turkey and Armenia, which had been closed for 32 years for known reasons, was opened today under the pretext of transporting humanitarian aid from Armenia to Syria” ‘. APA also criticised Ankara for keeping the decision a secret and called Turkish officials’ silence “suspicious”.

Meanwhile, according to Eurasianet.org, Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in what could be described as a “rapprochement race,” with each striving to repair strained ties with Russia. The “mending of fences” appears connected to manoeuvring by Yerevan and Baku to gain advantages before the signing of a peace treaty.

To increase the pressure on Yerevan following the agreement on the peace treaty, Azerbaijani officials have adopted a belligerent stance, repeatedly accusing Armenia of instigating armed provocations along the border, all of them vigorously denied by Armenian authorities. In addition, Azerbaijan took steps to repair its strategic partnership with Moscow. Bilateral ties had rapidly deteriorated following the accidental shoot-down in late December of an Azerbaijani civilian jetliner by Russian air defences. Azerbaijani officials indicated in early March that the breach in relations had been patched up.

In its turn, the Armenian government has responded with its own rushed effort to ease antagonism between Yerevan and Moscow. Pashinyan opened the charm offensive on March 14, the day after the treaty text was finalised, with an announcement that he would attend Victory Day celebrations on May 9 in Moscow. The very next day, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev confirmed he, too, would attend the Red Square festivities on Victory Day.

On March 20, reports circulated in Russia that Pashinyan had instructed Armenian government agencies to improve ties with the Kremlin. Accordingly, the past few days have featured a bevvy of high-profile contacts between Armenian and Russian officials.

In addition, officials have discussed expanding trade ties, while Armenia has announced that an effort to remove Russian border guards from Armenian frontier posts has been halted. Russian officials have also been invited to Yerevan to discuss the resumption of broadcasts in Armenia by Russian government channels and programs.

On March 10, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan visited India, where he signed two cooperation agreements with his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. One Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute of the Republic of India, while a second MoU was signed to cooperate in drug regulation between each country’s health ministry.

Regarding developing relations with Europe, the Armenian government approved a decision to have a defence attaché in the European Union and Belgium concurrently. This decision reflects expanding cooperation with Belgium and the European Union in the defence, security, and military spheres.

Sources:
European Parliament urges Baku to release Armenian prisoners

On March 12, the European Parliament urgently discussed the resolution titled “The illegal detention of Armenian prisoners, including political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the fabricated trials against them in Azerbaijan.” The resolution was passed with 523 votes in favour, 3 against, and 84 abstentions.

The European Parliament’s resolution calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian prisoners. However, the document is non-binding and carries a recommendation rather than an obligation. Miriam Lexmann, who is also a co-author of the resolution, emphasised that the EU aims for a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. However, she added that “the Baku regime continues to threaten its neighbours and hinder efforts to achieve peace in the region.” She declared that the EU must defend its values, especially in the current geopolitical situation: “Instead of that, we are once again trying to appease the dictator and encourage Aliyev’s actions by expanding trade cooperation. Haven’t we learned the lessons of the past? It is time to end the illusion of strategic partnership, face reality, and act in accordance with our values and principles.”

Azerbaijani media claimed the resolution was filled with “inflammatory rhetoric and outright falsehoods”, accusing some members of the European Parliament of pushing “anti-Azerbaijani narratives, largely influenced by the Armenian diaspora’s financial backing”.

Sources:
  •  Armenian Mirror – Spectator, “European Parliament Urges Baku to Release Prisoners”, https://mirrorspectator.com/2025/03/20/european-parliament-urges-baku-to-release-prisoners/
  • NOVRUZ Akbar, Azer News, “Price of hypocrisy: European Parliament’s motives in shielding war criminals”, https://www.azernews.az/analysis/238948.html

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Karabakh Armenians warn Yerevan against dropping lawsuits against Baku

Exiled activists from Nagorno-Karabakh have threatened to sue the Armenian government if it does withdraw its lawsuits filed against Azerbaijan since the 2020 Karabakh war, reported Azatutyun.am, The government announced plans to do so after accepting Azerbaijan’s proposals regarding the two remaining articles of a draft peace treaty that the two sides had not yet agreed upon. In particular, Yerevan agreed to the mutual withdrawal of international lawsuits the two South Caucasus countries filed against each other. It had previously voiced reservations about such a move demanded by the Azerbaijani side.

Artak Beglaryan, Karabakh’s former de facto premier and human rights ombudsman now based in Yerevan, condemned at the weekend the apparent Armenian concession to Baku as a further blow to Karabakh’s population that fled the region following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive. He said it means that “the Armenian authorities will equally share responsibility for violating our rights and eliminating opportunities to protect our rights.”

Beglaryan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that he and other Karabakh Armenians are, therefore, planning to file individual lawsuits, presumably with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), against Armenia and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in particular. He said they would not do so if the peace treaty finalised by Baku and Yerevan addressed the issues of the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani “war crimes,” the Karabakh Armenians’ right to safely return to their homeland and protection of their properties and cultural heritage.

As OC Media reminded, since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Armenia has filed four interstate complaints against Azerbaijan in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). They include violations of the rights of illegally detained and convicted persons in Azerbaijan and the enforced displacement of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan. A separate complaint is being considered in the UN’s International Court of Justice.

Sources:

  • GALSTIAN Shoghik, Azatutyun.am, “Karabakh Armenians Warn Yerevan Against Dropping Lawsuits Against Baku”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33350779.html

  • KUENNING Xandie (Alexandra), OC Media, “Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians threaten to sue Armenian government if international lawsuits are dropped”, https://oc-media.org/nagorno-karabakh-armenians-threaten-to-sue-armenian-government-if-international-lawsuits-are-dropped/

Armenia eyes Turkmen gas via Iran

Armenia and Turkmenistan are in negotiations over a natural gas deal that would involve purchasing gas from Turkmengaz and transporting it via Iran through a swap system, a senior Armenian official announced on March 26. Artashes Tumanyan, advisor to the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, revealed details of the discussions at the Armenia – Turkmenistan Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation meeting. He confirmed that Iran agreed to the project to supply Armenia with 600 million to 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

“The Armenian side expressed its desire to purchase natural gas from the Turkmengaz state concern. Several phases of negotiations have taken place, during which Armenia’s expectations and all technical criteria of the project were discussed,” Tumanyan stated.

He emphasised that while technical aspects have been settled, price negotiations are still ongoing. The talks also explored the possibility of exporting Turkmen gas via Armenia to Georgia, again using a swap system through Iran. Georgia has already agreed to the idea, Tumanyan noted. “If this plan is realised, it could make Turkmen gas accessible to Black Sea basin countries,” he added. In addition to gas, the negotiations include discussions on importing Turkmenistan’s petroleum products to Armenia and potentially other markets, reported Caucasus Watch.

“The ball is in our court now. We must provide information and advisory support to Armenian companies so they can successfully operate in Turkmenistan’s business environment,” Tumanyan stated.

Sources:
  •  Caucasus Watch, “Armenia Eyes Turkmen Gas via Iran in New Regional Energy Swap Plan”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/armenia-eyes-turkmen-gas-via-iran-in-new-regional-energy-swap-plan.html

Azerbaijan

Photo: Shutterstock.com

A peace treaty was finalised shortly before a new round of destabilisation

On March 13, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced the conclusion of negotiations on the text of the Agreement on Peace and Interstate Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The ministry reiterated that signing the agreement requires Armenia to amend its Constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan and called for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Armenia had accepted Azerbaijan’s proposals on the two unresolved articles of the agreement and proposed issuing a joint statement declaring the finalisation of negotiations. However, it noted that Azerbaijan instead chose to make a unilateral announcement. Armenia emphasised that the peace agreement is ready for signing and expressed its readiness to consult with Azerbaijan on the time and location of the signing.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the agreement on the text as significant, stating that while the signing date has yet to be determined, discussions will be held to align both sides’ positions. Nevertheless, on the same day that Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to sign a historic peace treaty, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave a speech at the 12th Global Baku “full of grievances, conspiracy theories, and attacks on Armenia, France, the EU, and Western media”, reported the OC Media.

The bulk of Aliyev’s speech was dedicated to commenting on the ongoing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan but was delivered before it was announced they had agreed to sign a peace treaty. Aliyev launched into a laundry list of historical grievances against Armenia, concluding that “the level of trust in Armenia is close to zero”. As a result, Aliyev said, “We need documents; we need papers” from Armenia in order to demonstrate that the efforts towards the peace treaty are genuine. At the same time, Aliyev accused Armenia of “preparing for a new war”, reiterating past accusations, including a conspiracy-laden article published by the pro-government media outlet Caliber earlier that week. “Who is pushing [Armenia] to war again? France and its president”, Aliyev said.

On March 14, Elnur Mammadov, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, stressed that Baku expects Armenia to amend its Constitution in the next stage to eliminate territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Both countries would also apply together to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, which had previously been engaged in conflict resolution.

He further expressed concerns about the EU mission in Armenia (EUMA), arguing that it operates under the guise of a civilian mission but is actually engaged in intelligence activities, posing serious risks to regional stability. As it was informed later, two sticking points that continue complicating the signature of the treaty are the “exclusion of third-party forces” on the Armenia–Azerbaijan interstate border, a reference to the removal of EU monitors, and the dropping of lawsuits in international venues.

Armenia opposed both, underscoring the importance of the EUMA in bringing stability to the region, though they did agree to withdraw them only from the delimited areas, which apparently was rejected by Azerbaijan.       Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan said Yerevan will discuss “acceptable and mutually beneficial agreements” with the EU regarding the activities of the EUMA after the signing and subsequent ratification of the peace treaty with Azerbaijan. “At the same time, when the agreement [peace treaty] is signed and ratified and takes effect, naturally, peace and stability will become very institutional along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border”, Mirzoyan said.

In regards to the second sticking point, Mirzoyan said that when the treaty “will take effect, when the sides withdraw the lawsuits, at the same time, the two sides will assume the obligation to not file lawsuits against each other in the future around the issues that had existed between the sides prior to signing the treaty”. “It is assumed that in all disputes that we now have the sides must reconcile”, Mirzoyan said.

An unnamed Western official with knowledge of the topic told the OC Media that, among other things, the issue of enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan that have been occupied by the other side since the fall of the Soviet Union was not included in the agreement. It also reportedly does not include Azerbaijan’s demand for a corridor through Armenia connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan.

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Ceasefire violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border

In March 2025, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of more than a dozen ceasefire violations, which Yerevan has denied. From March 16 to March 21, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire at least 13 times, which Armenia repeatedly denied.

Yerevan then appeared to change tactics, taking the dispute over the alleged ceasefire violations into the public, first by reiterating offers to investigate the claims, including by a joint commission. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s office then explicitly stated it had received no evidence or substantiation of Azerbaijan’s claims, a sentiment that was echoed by the EU monitoring mission.

After Azerbaijani claims continued, Pashinyan took further steps, taking to X to remind the public that the draft treaty had already been agreed upon and saying his “instruction to the Ministry of Defence of Armenia is clear: do not commit any violation of the ceasefire regime. Armenia is heading for peace, not war”.

On March 21, Armenian media started to accuse Azerbaijani troops of opening fire towards Armenian positions in the Gegharkunik region the previous night. A video filmed at night was published by News.am, although the exact date of the filming is unclear. It was reportedly taken in the Syunik.

CivilNet’s journalist Gevorg Tosunyan wrote on Facebook that during their filming on March 24 in Kutakan, Gegharkunik region, he and his colleagues heard shooting several times, with locals commenting that previously they had heard shooting only at night. On the same day, residents of the Sotk and Kutakan villages confirmed to CivilNet that on 21-22 March, shooting was briefly heard at night.

Following the surfacing of footage that purported to show the sound of shooting in the Armenian border villages with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s Defence Ministry said that “sometimes shots are recorded along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border which do not target” Armenia’s territory.

At the end of the month, Baku once again claimed that Armenian forces fired across the southeastern section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border on March 31 at around 11:10 a.m. Yerevan declined these accusations. “The statement by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense alleging that Armenian units opened fire toward Azerbaijani positions in the southeastern part of the border around 11:10 a.m. on March 31 does not reflect reality,” the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also rejected a separate Azerbaijani claim alleging that Armenian forces fired from 5:00 p.m. on March 31 until 4:45 a.m. on April 1 toward Azerbaijani positions along the eastern and southeastern parts of the border. The statement further recalled the Armenian side’s earlier proposal to create a joint Armenia-Azerbaijan investigative mechanism to address ceasefire violations and assess the accuracy of related information. According to the ministry, Baku has yet to respond to this initiative.

Sources:
  • OSTILER Nate, OC Media, “Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on peace — so why do they seem headed for war?”, https://oc-media.org/armenia-and-azerbaijan-agreed-on-peace-so-why-do-they-seem-headed-for-war/

  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Shootings heard in the Armenian villages bordering Azerbaijan”, https://oc-media.org/shootings-heard-in-the-armenian-villages-bordering-azerbaijan/

  • Panarmenian, “Armenia rejects Baku’s claims of ceasefire violation”, https://panarmenian.net/eng/news/320951

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Azerbaijan and Georgia seek to accelerate construction of a Black Sea power line

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, and Romania have sent a letter to the European Union Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson, requesting Project of Mutual Interest (PMI) status for the “Black Sea Energy” project, a major underwater electricity cable initiative. According to the Report.az, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, noted on X that that the recent meeting of ministers and the steering committee for the green energy corridor between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, and Romania had yielded important results.

A joint letter from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary was signed, addressing EU Commissioner Simson to grant the project PMI status. Additionally, essential steps were agreed upon, including the project in the EU’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) and involving Bulgaria in the initiative, as well as the fibre-optic cable component, the minister said.

The project is estimated to cost 3.5 billion EUR and take up to four years to complete. According to Azerbaijani media reports, the European Commission has indicated that it could contribute up to two-thirds of the construction costs. The Black Sea power line would be capable of transmitting up to 4 Gigawatts of electricity annually, a significant portion of which would be generated from renewable sources. In 2024, Azerbaijan launched a major infrastructure drive to develop domestic “green” energy capacity and set an ambitious target of generating 30 per cent of the country’s domestic electricity needs via solar and wind sources by 2030.

In addition, Baku is working with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a Caspian Sea power line project that could be potentially integrated with the Black Sea cable to facilitate the export of “green” electricity from Central Asia to the EU.

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Azerbaijan’s SOCAR secures Israeli gas exploration licenses, expanding market presence

On March 14, Israel awarded gas exploration licenses to a consortium that includes Azerbaijan’s energy conglomerate SOCAR, BP, and Israel’s NewMed Energy for natural gas exploration in Israel’s Mediterranean waters. The three companies jointly submitted a bid in 2023. However, the exploration was temporarily delayed due to the outbreak of war with Hamas on October 7, 2023. The recently granted licenses reactivate the process and mark SOCAR and BP’s entry into the Israeli gas market.

The awarded licenses cover Cluster I, a 1,700-square-kilometer area in the Mediterranean, at the northern part of Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone near the Leviathan field. SOCAR, holding a 33.34% stake in the venture, will serve as the operator of the exploration consortium. The consortium plans to conduct seismic and geological surveys in the initial exploration phase, with drilling scheduled in the second phase based on survey results, reported Caspian News.

Sources:

  • HAJIYEVA Gunay, Caspian Report, “Azerbaijan’s SOCAR Secures Israeli Gas Exploration Licenses, Expanding Market Presence”, https://www.caspiannews.com/news-detail/azerbaijans-socar-secures-israeli-gas-exploration-licenses-expanding-market-presence-2025-3-19-0/

Georgia

Borjomi, spa town in Georgia. Photo: Anton Ivanov/ Shutterstock.com

Georgian government shuts down state media outlet Agenda.ge

The Georgian government has shut down a state-owned English-language news outlet, Agenda.ge, established in 2013. Reportedly, the news organisation has dismissed their employees, including a pregnant journalist, informed Georgia Today. The news regarding the outlet’s shutdown first emerged on February 28, when political editor Gvantsa Gabekhadze revealed in a Facebook post that she, her colleagues, and the outlet’s head had been fired. Gabekhadze, who is currently pregnant, condemned the decision, calling it a misuse of the government’s so-called “reorganisation” efforts, which she described as a tool of repression in the public sector.

Georgian Dream has used “reorganisation” many times to justify dismissals of civil servants who oppose government policies, including the controversial decision to delay Georgia’s EU accession talks until 2028.  “This is not surprising to me,” Gabekhadze wrote, arguing that the government no longer prioritises professional and ethical public sector employees but sees them as a threat. She further criticised the government for dismissing her while promoting “patriotism and religion”.

Source:
  • RAZMADZE Mariam, Georgia Today, “Georgian Government shuts down state media outlet Agenda.ge”, https://georgiatoday.ge/78714-2/
Legislative developments in Georgia

In March 2025, the Georgian government initiated several significant legislative changes. These relate to broadcasting law, “foreign agent law”, criminalisation of treason, gender issues and the role of civil society. On March 3, the GD Parliament approved the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in its first reading. This is an update to the hugely controversial “foreign agents’ law” rammed through the last year despite widespread public protest, which hardens and extends the provisions of the previous legislation, reported Civil.ge.

The foreign agents’ law currently in force, primarily applies to organisations: non-commercial legal entities and media entities. The FARA expands its scope to include all “natural persons, partnerships, associations, corporations, organisations, or other types of entities.” Consequently, the new law will cover relationships that were not previously in the scope of the “foreign agent” relationships: individual service contracts, initiative groups, individuals working remotely, etc. It is still unclear whether the new law will apply retroactively to relationships established in 2024. The laws initiated and passed in 2023 and 2024 included such transitional provisions.

On the same day, the ruling party also approved amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, which imposed stricter regulations on media content and foreign funding. A significant shift would strip broadcasters of self-regulation, granting the Communications Commission (Comcom) the authority to intervene in disputes over factual accuracy or ethical breaches. With the second amendment to the law, foreign funding for broadcasters would face restrictions, with exceptions only for commercial advertising, teleshopping, sponsorship, and product placement.

In the following days, the ruling party and the Peoples Power Party made several U-turns regarding the possible inclusion of online media under the new amendments. On March 3, Archil Gorduladze, chair of the Parliament’s Legal Committee, stated that although the amendments to the broadcasting law would not affect online and print media, “there is an additional challenge with the development of technologies”, emphasising that work in this direction could continue. The following day, Sozar Subari, an MP from the ruling party’s ally People’s Power, proposed extending the regulation of “standards” to “social networks” as well. This was followed on March 17 by a statement from Gorduladze, suggesting that the draft legislation be amended to regulate online media coverage.

Later that same evening, Georgian Dream adjusted its rhetoric, stating that the standards provision would not apply to online media in general but only to websites and social media pages operated by TV channels. Nevertheless, during the parliamentary session on March 19, the issue of potential online media regulation resurfaced — this time in relation to funding.

The abolishment of the word “gender” would come as part of a legislative package proposed by a group of 19 MPs from Georgian Dream and its satellite party, People’s Power. The proposed amendments aim to modify 16 different laws in Georgia where the term “gender” appears in any form. During the session on March 3, the Chair of the Procedural Issues and Rules Committee, Davit Matikashvili, claimed that “for a certain time, the artificial term ‘gender’ was deliberately introduced into Georgian legislation under foreign influence. This was a kind of reflection of the global processes taking place in the world.”

Matikashvili also said that the draft law abolishes the obligation to establish gender equality councils in Parliament, self-governing bodies, and municipalities. “The council, whose very name created a false impression about the council’s activities, naturally no longer needs to exist today. This does not mean that both the Parliament of Georgia and local self-government bodies should not focus on unwaveringly upholding the principle of equality between women and men”, he said.

The exclusion of civil society organisations from public decision-making processes comes as part of amendments to 14 laws. The legislative package’s explanatory note claims that “the participation of non-governmental organisations in the public decision-making process hinders the effective implementation of state governance”. “Based on the above, their actions in the public decision-making process are not based on the interests of the local community, but rather they serve the political and economic agenda of external forces”, continued the note.

The amendments criminalising treason define it as an act that violates Georgia’s territorial integrity and external security. Other acts defined as treason include joining a foreign intelligence service, violating Georgia’s defence capability, disclosure of state secrets, espionage, conspiracy, or rebellion to change the constitutional order by force, sabotage, and assisting a foreign country or organisation in hostile activities against Georgia. “The norm, which is added to the criminal code, consists of only one paragraph, but its significance is much greater for our state”, said Ionatamishvili. “It responds to the spirit of our past heroes when they put loyalty to the homeland above their own lives. It also responds to the needs of our future generations since protecting the state from treason is the obligation of each of us.”

Sources:
  • Civil.ge, “Deeper Look | Foreign Agents Registration Act”, https://civil.ge/archives/667118
  • Civil.ge, “GD Parliament Moves Forward with Several Repressive Bills”, https://civil.ge/archives/666757
  • BARDOUKA Yousef, OC Media, “In a barrage of legislation, Georgian Dream approves new foreign agent law in its first reading”, https://oc-media.org/in-barrage-of-legislation-georgian-dream-approves-new-foreign-agent-law-in-its-first-reading/
  • GVADZABIA Mikheil, OC Media, “Georgian Dream again hints at regulating online media”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-dream-again-hints-at-regulating-online-media/
Georgian Dream vows to ban opposition parties

On March 28, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a key figure in the ruling Georgian Dream party, announced that a bill has been introduced in Parliament to declare the “successor parties” of the United National Movement (UNM) unconstitutional. He made the statement while speaking to journalists at the parliament building. “We have already initiated a draft law that would declare the successor parties of the aforementioned party unconstitutional if the essence of their activities, the personal composition of decision-makers, or their statutory goals are identical to those of the collective National Movement,” Mdinaradze said.

Mdinaradze further stated that opposition parties, which he refers to as the “collective National Movement,” will be declared unconstitutional based on the findings of a temporary investigative commission established by Georgian Dream: “The collective National Movement will no longer be able to participate in local self-government elections or any other elections in this country. As anti-Georgian, anti-state, anti-national, and criminal parties, they will be declared unconstitutional, and their activities will be prohibited.” He also explained that the investigative commission will provide the legal basis for an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

In September 2024, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, declared his intention to dismantle what he called the “collective UNM” in order to block “attempts to impose pseudo-liberal values from abroad.” Ivanishvili claimed such a move is necessary to protect Georgia’s sovereignty and preserve its cultural identity.

Mdinaradze’s statement comes as a Georgian prosecutor launched an investigation into opposition leaders. On March 26, prosecutors opened an investigation into Lelo party leader Mamuka Khazaradze for refusal to appear before the investigative commission, a charge that could lead to a fine or up to a year in prison. Khazaradze appeared in court on March 27 for questioning. The commission also requested an investigation into another Lelo leader, Badri Japaridze, who also refused to appear before the commission.

Sources:

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passes MEGOBARI act

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the MEGOBARI Act, a bipartisan bill reaffirming support for the Georgian people and the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration, TV Pirveli reported on March 27. The legislation also includes provisions for sanctions against officials of the ruling Georgian Dream party. As Civil.ge reminded, the English abbreviation of the bill MEGOBARI means “friend” in Georgian. The full name of the bill is the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act.

The MEGOBARI Act will: Initiate a complete review of the US–Georgia relationship, including all assistance programs; recognise the Georgian people’s support for the country’s constitutionally enshrined commitment to Euro-Atlantic accession processes; require the President to impose sanctions on Georgian Dream officials and their enablers who have engaged in corruption to derail Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, undermined Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, or engaged in other corrupt acts detrimental to stability in Georgia; Bolster people-to-people ties and defence cooperation when Georgia realigns itself with its own Constitutional requirements; Express support for Georgia’s full sovereignty and territorial integrity amid continued and illegal Russian occupation; Support civil society, which has worked to defend the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution from abuses by the Georgian Dream government.

Following the approval by the Committee, the bill will be moved to the full Senate for debate, amendments, and a vote. A simple majority is needed to pass. Next, the bill will be sent to the other chamber, which follows the same process (committee review, debate, and vote). If both chambers pass identical versions, it proceeds to the President.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze claimed the legislative initiative MEGOBARI Act is an unfriendly bill that reflects the Deep State’s intentions. “I will repeat again that the MEGOBARI Act has absolutely no connection to the nation or the people’s interests. The majority of our country’s population supports the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. The radical part of the opposition, fortunately for the Georgian people, remains a minority. Agents and traitors cannot be the majority. You will always remain where you are and even lower. But as the capital’s mayor and a resident of this country, I am, of course, displeased that even one ordinary citizen of my country is in the situation where these radical groups currently find themselves,” the mayor said.

Regarding the specific bill, Kaladze emphasised, “This unfriendly bill represents the intentions of the Deep State. They did not like the Georgian people’s decision in the 2024 parliamentary elections and are fighting our country by every method, with all manner of dirt, lies, and unfair attitudes.”

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes MEGOBARI Act”, https://civil.ge/archives/672207

  • TV Pirveli, “Tbilisi Mayor declares MEGOBARI Act detached from Georgian people’s interests”, https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/tbilisi-mayor-declares-megobari-act-detached-from-georgian-peoples-interests/

Two opposition leaders were investigated for failure to appear before the commission investigating the activities of the UNM.

The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office has launched an investigation into former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili and Mamuka Khazaradze, one of the leaders of the opposition group Strong Georgia, for failing to appear before the parliamentary commission investigating alleged crimes committed by the previous government.

On March 25, the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to local media that an investigation had been initiated against Khazaradze under Article 349 of the Criminal Code, which refers to the failure to comply with the request of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia. If Khazaradze is found guilty, he could face a fine or imprisonment for up to one year. He could also be barred from holding public office for up to three years.

In a post on Facebook on the same day, Khazaradze called the investigative commission a “circus” and said he refused to attend. He said that despite the judiciary being under the control of a “clan” of judges loyal to Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, he had “never fled justice”. “In this case, too, [if you have questions] go to court, and if you have something to resolve, let’s resolve it there”, he said.

The commission also summoned Japaridze, Khazaradze’s party colleague and business partner, concerning the same case, but he also refused to appear. Japaridze wrote on Facebook that he did not consider “this so-called investigative commission to be established on the basis of the law!”.

On March 28, the Prosecutor General’s Office launched an investigation into Okruashvili’s failure to appear before the commission. According to the Parliament, Okruashvili was supposed to appear before the commission on March 26, where the discussion was taking place around the August 2008 War.

As OC Media wrote, During his tenure in office, Okruashvili was vocal in pushing for Georgia to retake control of South Ossetia, threatening to resign from the government if this did not happen. However, in 2006, he resigned from the government anyway, accusing Saakashvili of abusing his power. He said in 2007 that the President had personally ordered him to murder Badri Patarkatsishvili, a Georgian oligarch and opposition figure. He also said Saakashvili had ordered the beating of opposition MP Valery Gelashvili in 2005 and hinted that the death of former Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was not accidental either.

Two days after making these statements, he was arrested at the office of his newly formed opposition party on charges of extortion, money laundering, abuse of office, and negligence. After withdrawing his allegations and pleading guilty, Okruashvili was released and received political asylum in France. Since returning to Georgia in 2012, Okruashvili has remained inactive in Georgian politics. Following the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Okruashvili travelled to fight alongside Ukraine in the International Legion.

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Approximately 3,500 were reportedly laid off as Georgia’s Chiatura Management Company declared bankruptcy

In mid-March, the Chiatura Management Company, the company in charge of mining operations in the Georgian municipality of Chiatura, reportedly filed for bankruptcy and laid off 3,500 of its employees, reported OC Media, citing information from Mtis Ambebi.

 Mtis Ambebi reported that 3,500 employees “were notified via SMS a few days earlier that they had been fired”. They cited the company’s lawyer, Giorgi Kavlashvili, as saying that “the enterprise is currently insolvent”.

The Chiatura Management Company is a contractor for Georgian Manganese, which claims to be operating a dozen mines in the municipality. Georgian Manganese is the largest employer in Chiatura.

On March 13, the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation (GTUC) published a statement written by the Chiatura Management Company and its partners, in which they accused the organisation of bias towards the protesting miners. On March 14, the company’s director, Maksim Mazurenko, said that they chose to declare bankruptcy after reviewing the results of an audit prepared by the German consulting company DMT.

According to Mazurenko, the audit revealed that underground mining yielded ore of lower quality that was less efficient to process. He also cited the stagnation of manganese concentrate prices and market instability, high operating costs, and the ineffective implementation of investments. Mazurenko also cited recurrent protests against Georgian Manganese held by the residents of several villages in the municipality.

Since February 28, thousands of miners from Chiatura have been holding protests demanding that the state protect the rights of the employees of Georgian Manganese. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has commented on the miners’ protest in Georgia’s Chiatura municipality on March 18, saying that the miners’ demand that the state take over the management of underground mineral extraction works would be “in principle wrong”.

Kobakhidze stated that the company’s appeal for bankruptcy in court “is the most negative development of events that we can imagine”. However, he noted that “in general, for the state to take over a private enterprise is fundamentally wrong”.

Hundreds of Chiatura miners brought their protest to the capital and rallied in front of the Government Administration building in Tbilisi on March 24. Protest leader Tariel Mikatsadze addressed the crowd outside the government administration, outlining the protesters’ key demands, including Immediate payment of three months’ unpaid wages and the state’s assistance in resolving banking issues affecting Chiatura workers, including loan payments and financial hardships.

Protesters further required:

The state takeover of manganese extraction and processing will include direct worker participation rather than a new private investor.

Comprehensive health insurance for all Chiatura residents, citing environmental concerns, particularly air pollution levels “exceeding permissible norms by 32 times.”

The removal of Georgian Manganese from operations not only in Chiatura but also in Zestaponi and Vartsikhe, arguing that the company has inflicted “significant damage” on all three municipalities. An investigation into Georgian Manganese’s business activities since 2006, with future operational permits contingent on the findings.

Creation of a dedicated fund for Chiatura that will receive 5% of manganese export revenues to address the financial problems and finance education.

Sources:

  • OC Media, “3,500 reportedly laid off as Georgia’s Chiatura Management Company declares bankruptcy”, https://oc-media.org/3-500-reportedly-laid-off-as-georgias-chiatura-management-company-declares-bankruptcy/

  • OC Media, “Kobakhidze rejects Chiatura miners’ demand for the state to take over management of underground mining”, https://oc-media.org/kobakhidze-rejects-chiatura-miners-demand-for-the-state-to-take-over-management-of-underground-mining/

  • Civil.ge, “Chiatura Miners Protest in Tbilisi”, https://civil.ge/archives/671322

Tbilisi court sentenced Saakashvili in two cases        

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for the large-scale embezzlement of public funds by the Tbilisi court on March 12. The sentence was handed down by Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili of the Tbilisi City Court on March 12 and will be served concurrently with the six-year prison term he is already serving for abuse of power.

Alongside Saakashvili, the court also sentenced Temur Janashia, the former head of the Special State Protection Service. He was handed a fine of 300,000 GEL (106,760 USD) for abuse of power. Both Saakashvili, who was President from 2003 to 2013, and Janashia have consistently denied the charges. Their steadfast denial, echoed by the opposition United National Movement and several other political groups, has garnered sympathy and support, with many arguing the case was driven by political retribution, according to RFE/RL.

On March 17, another judge, Mikheil Jinjolia, handed down another verdict against former President Mikheil Saakashvili, sentencing him to 4.5 years in prison for illegally crossing into Georgia. The sentence extends his imprisonment until at least 2032.

With his latest ruling, verdicts have now been delivered in four out of the five cases brought against Saakashvili — two of which were handed down in absentia as Saakashvili was in exile following his departure from Georgia in 2013, shortly after Georgian Dream came to power and his presidential term ended.

Earlier, Saakashvili had been convicted in absentia on charges related to abuse of power, including granting a presidential pardon to individuals involved in the murder of banker Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of opposition lawmaker Valeri Gelashvili. Saakashvili’s last remaining case pertains to his government’s violent crackdown on opposition protests in November 2007, the police raid on an opposition TV station, and the seizure of property from an opposition MP’s family.

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