Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of August 2026

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

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First hearing held in historic criminal case against Catholicos Garegin II

The trial of Catholicos Garegin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, began on August 7, marking the first time in Armenia’s modern history that criminal charges have been brought against the head of the Church. As OC Media reminded, Garegin II and six other senior church officials are standing trial on charges of deliberately obstructing the enforcement of a lawful court decision through abuse of power. If convicted, they can face up to two years in prison.

The case relates to the Church’s refusal to reinstate Bishop Gevorg Saroyan. Saroyan, a cleric who had publicly supported Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to reform the Church, was dismissed in January, but a court had already ordered his reinstatement.

Judge Hakob Manukyan announced his recusal at the opening hearing at the Vagharshapat Court of First Instance. Defence lawyer Ara Zohrabyan said the judge explained that he had previously worked as a lawyer and believed this could raise doubts about his impartiality, despite Zohrabyan arguing that it did not constitute legal grounds for recusal. The case will now be reassigned to another judge, who will schedule a new preliminary hearing. “I welcome the judge’s decision from the standpoint that he refused to become part of this shameful process,” Zohrabyan told reporters after the hearing.

Following the hearing, Garegin II left the courthouse and walked to the Mother Cathedral to join a joint prayer with clergy and supporters gathered in Vagharshapat. The trial has prompted mounting criticism from senior Armenian Church institutions and some international organisations. In the days leading up to the hearing, Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, the Armenian Diocese of Canada and several bishops from Europe and the Middle East called on the Armenian authorities to end the prosecution, arguing that disputes over Church governance should be resolved under canon law rather than through the criminal justice system. On the day of the hearing, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem also issued a statement warning that state intervention in the Church’s internal canonical affairs creates a dangerous precedent for relations between the state and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Opposition lawmakers walked out of the Armenian parliament on August 24 after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan derided Catholicos Garegin II and accused him of obstructing peace with Azerbaijan.

On August 1, Garegin II was also visibly absent from the inauguration of Armenia’s new parliament, a break from his tradition of attending such inaugural sessions. It was later reported that he had not been invited. Parliamentary Speaker Ruben Rubinyan told reporters he did not recognise “any Catholicos at the moment”, referring to Garegin II instead by his birth name, Ketrich Nersisyan.

The proceedings come amid escalating tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Relations have deteriorated since 2025 over the government’s calls for reforms within the Church and criticism of its leadership, while Church officials have accused the authorities of interfering in religious affairs.

Sources:

  • GHULINYAN Ani, OC Media, “First hearing held in historic criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II”, https://oc-media.org/first-hearing-held-in-historic-criminal-case-against-catholicos-karekin-ii/

  • Caucasus Watch, “Catholicos Karekin II to Face Trial Over Bishop Reinstatement Case”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/catholicos-karekin-ii-to-face-trial-over-bishop-reinstatement-case.html

  • ADAMYAN Siranush, Civilnet.am, “Armenian Catholicos appears in unprecedented criminal trial as judge recuses himself”, https://civilnet.am/en/news/1013484

  • Stepanian Ruzanna, Azatutyun.am, https://www.azatutyun.am/amp/33837315.html

Russia pressures Armenia through trade restrictions as foreign policy shift strains bilateral ties

Russia’s state product labelling system, “Chestny Znak”, has suspended the sale of more than 70.000 bottles of drinking water and soft drinks imported from Armenia in early August. The decision followed an order by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor).

According to the Centre for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT), the operator of the “Chestny Znak” system, the measure was introduced to “prevent possible harm to the life and health of Russian citizens” after authorities identified violations of mandatory product requirements. The CRPT stressed that the suspension affects only products manufactured on specific dates and does not apply to the companies’ other products.

“The sale of the batches identified by Rospotrebnadzor is currently prohibited in retail stores and online sales channels until all necessary inspections are completed,” the CRPT said.

On August 17, Russia outlined conditions for lifting restrictions on agricultural imports from Armenia following talks between Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut and Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Russian Agriculture Ministry set key requirements, including ensuring product safety, using producers’ own raw materials, controlling pesticide use, ensuring supply traceability, and complying with other mandatory requirements. Lut said compliance with the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EAEU) veterinary and phytosanitary standards was an “absolute priority” for Russia. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the seventh meeting of the EAEU Council for Agro-Industrial Policy.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has warned that Russia’s economic restrictions on Armenian exports could pose a problem for the EAEU by preventing its market from “functioning properly”. Pashinyan’s remarks came during a Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. Later, on August 13, Pashinyan claimed that Armenia needs both the EU and the EAEU evenly and equally until it fulfils its commitment to form alternatives, and Armenians make a choice in favour of one of them.

At the same time, on August 6, Russia’s permanent representative to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and Ambassador-at-Large of the Foreign Ministry, Viktor Vasiliev, said that the CSTO may discuss suspending Armenia’s participation rights at the November summit. Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Vasiliev said Armenia has failed to meet its obligations for more than two years.

The organisation can suspend a member state’s right to nominate candidates for quota-based positions and its voting rights in CSTO bodies if the state fails to meet its financial obligations to the organisation’s budget for two years, he said. Any decision would require consensus among the organisation’s members, he added.

Armenian government, in its turn, proposed a 2026–2031 programme that appears to downgrade its description of relations with Russia, shifting away from the previous language describing their ties as a “strategic alliance” to calling it a “transforming and deepening” partnership.

It outlines the future of Armenia–Russia relations in a brief paragraph. The programme states that the government intends to continue dialogue with Russia “aimed at mutually beneficial multi-sector cooperation”, “toward transforming, developing and deepening relations under the new conditions of established peace in the region and within the framework of a balanced and balancing foreign policy”.

This marks a notable departure from the Armenian government’s previous programmes, including those adopted under Nikol Pashinyan since he came to power in 2018, which traditionally described Russia as a “strategic” partner and envisioned the development of “strategic-allied relations” across various fields.

Sources:

  • GHAZANCHIAN Siranoush, Armradio.am, “Russia suspends sale of over 70,000 bottles of Armenian water and soft drinks”, https://en.armradio.am/2026/08/04/russia-suspends-sale-of-over-70000-bottles-of-armenian-water-and-soft-drinks/

  • TESLOVA Elena, AA.com, “Russian envoy says CSTO may discuss suspending Armenia’s participation rights at November summit”, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/eurasia/russian-envoy-says-csto-may-discuss-suspending-armenias-participation-rights-at-november-summit/4020210

  • GHULINYAN Ani, OC Media, “Pashinyan says Russian economic restrictions on Armenia could ‘become problem for EAEU’”, https://oc-media.org/pashinyan-says-russian-economic-restrictions-on-armenia-could-become-problem-for-eaeu/

  • News.am, “Armenia premier: We need the EAEU, the EU equally until alternative is formed”, https://news.am/en/news/1055200

  • Caucasus Watch, “Russia Sets EAEU Requirements for Armenian Agricultural Imports”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/russia-sets-eaeu-requirements-for-armenian-agricultural-imports.html

  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Armenia downgrades relations with Russia in new government programme”, https://oc-media.org/armenia-downgrades-relations-with-russia-in-new-government-programme/

Firebird opens region’s largest AI data centre in Armenia

Firebird officially opened the largest artificial intelligence data centre in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region on August 8 2026, marking the multibillion-dollar project that Armenian officials say will position the country as a strategic hub in the global AI economy.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev, and US Chargé d’Affaires David Allen attended the ceremony in Hrazdan, along with foreign ambassadors, investors, and officials.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pashinyan said the launch demonstrated how Armenia’s investment environment had evolved in recent years and argued that political stability, international partnerships and technological cooperation had helped create conditions for large-scale projects. He noted that when Firebird co-founders Razmig Hovaghimian and Alexander Yesayan, together with NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, first proposed building the facility within a year, the timeline appeared highly ambitious. The project’s completion, he stated, demonstrates how rapidly developments in Armenia’s technology sector were advancing.

NVIDIA has announced plans to invest directly in Firebird, following an earlier investment from CoreWeave. Meanwhile, Dell Technologies will supply the servers that will power the facility. The company Perplexity has been named as one of Firebird’s first customers, using the infrastructure to power its AI answer engine. Hrazdan Mayor Sevak Mikayelyan called it “an important and historic day” for the city, adding that the project would put Hrazdan “on the global technology map”.

The total investment across all phases of the project is estimated at 5 billion USD, and Firebird says the completed campus will eventually employ 300 people. Part of Firebird’s computing capacity will be reserved for Armenian universities, startups, and government-supported research programmes.

However, although the project is estimated to have a positive impact on the country’s economy and establish Armenia as a player in the AI industry, public discussion in Armenia has raised questions about its potential environmental impact on the country’s water resources and the ability of the power grid to support the work of the data centre.

Sources:

  • Caucasus Watch, “Armenia Unveils Major Firebird AI Center in High-Tech Development Push”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/armenia-unveils-major-firebird-ai-center-in-high-tech-development-push.html

  • GHULINYAN Ani, OC Media, “Firebird opens region’s largest AI data centre in Armenia”, https://oc-media.org/firebird-opens-regions-largest-ai-data-centre-in-armenia/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Pashinyan reshuffles army leadership amidst scrutiny over non-combat deaths

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that personnel changes will be made in the Military Police and in the Defence Ministry’s morale department following the latest death recorded in the army. Pashinyan said at a press briefing that he had discussed the situation with Defence Minister Suren Papikyan earlier in the day and that personnel changes would soon be made in the bodies directly responsible.

“I have already made a decision according to which there will be changes in the Military Police, as well as personnel changes in the Moral and Psychological Support Department. We will conduct a detailed analysis of why the efforts we have made in this area are not producing the desired results and will draw conclusions. Yes, there must be individual accountability. My assessment is not that, in this situation, the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defence are failing to make sufficient efforts to resolve this issue,” the Armenian prime minister explained.

The debate over the high number of non-combat military deaths intensified in mid-August when an MP from the opposition Armenia Alliance, Anna Grigoryan, announced in parliament that there have already been eight non-combat deaths in the first seven months of 2026. According to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, 30 soldiers died in non-combat conditions in 2025, 27 in 2024, and 54 in 2023.

Sources:

  • GHLINYAN Ani, OC Media, “Pashinyan reshuffles army leadership amidst scrutiny over non-combat deaths”, https://oc-media.org/pashinyan-reshuffles-army-leadership-amidst-scrutiny-over-non-combat-deaths/

  • Armenpress,  “Pashinyan orders military police reshuffle following latest non-combat death in army”, https://armenpress.am/en/article/1257919

     

Armenia, Azerbaijan, US release joint statement on anniversary of Washington summit

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the US have released a joint statement marking the one-year anniversary of the Washington summit, which brought together Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The anniversary statement highlighted the progress made since the summit towards closing the chapter on more than three decades of armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In a joint statement, the three countries said the August 2025 summit had “ended decades of conflict” and put the region “on a path towards a more prosperous future. “True peace is never achieved in just one day,” reads the statement. “Azerbaijan and Armenia’s steps toward a lasting peace are a model for the world.” The statement said Armenia and Azerbaijan had maintained stability along their border and were taking steps to normalise relations, delimit the border and build confidence.

The countries also highlighted progress on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a planned multimodal transit corridor through Armenia that links Azerbaijan to regional and international trade routes. The three countries also support construction of an electricity transmission line along the route.

Baku also lifted transit restrictions involving Armenia, according to the statement, thereby enabling the transport of 60.000 tons of goods to and from Armenia through Azerbaijan over the past year, while Azerbaijan supplied Armenia with 20.000 tons of oil products.             The sides also cited an agreement between Armenian and Azerbaijani telecom operators aimed at diversifying regional internet connectivity and strengthening telecommunications infrastructure.

The statement comes a year after Trump hosted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House, where the two leaders signed a joint declaration on peace. The three countries said they were determined to build on the progress achieved over the past year. “Promises made, promises kept,” the statement quoted Trump as saying.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a separate interview with local media that preparations are underway for a project to build a power transmission line through Armenia as part of the TRIPP connectivity project. The president also stressed that the railway being built in Azerbaijan as part of TRIPP will reach the border with Armenia next year. According to him, the Horadiz-Aghband highway is practically complete.

Sources:
  •  OSTILLER Nate, OC Media, “Armenia, Azerbaijan, US release joint statement on anniversary of Washington summit”, https://oc-media.org/armenia-azerbaijan-us-release-joint-statement-on-anniversary-of-washington-summit/
  • TESLOVA Elena, AA, “US, Armenia, Azerbaijan hail progress toward lasting South Caucasus peace a year after Trump summit”, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/eurasia/us-armenia-azerbaijan-hail-progress-toward-lasting-south-caucasus-peace-a-year-after-trump-summit/4023695
  • Armenpress.am, “Aliyev says preparations underway for TRIPP power transmission line through Armenia”, https://armenpress.am/en/article/1257776

Azerbaijan

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Azerbaijan arrests another 9 TikTokers for “immoral behavior”

Azerbaijan intensified its arrests of local TikTokers in July and August, accusing them of violating moral values on social media — an act criminalised under Azerbaijan’s administrative offences code in early 2026, OC Media reported. On July 27, Magsad Bagirov (known online as “Chevik”) was detained and sentenced to 10 days in jail for “offending public morality”. Bagirov is known for “sharing anti-religious calls” on social media, according to OC Media.

On the following day, another TikToker, Uzeyir Abbas, got short-term administrative detention for insulting religious beliefs. On July 30, Muzhgan Mammadzada and Murad Gasymov (known as “Murad Sade”) were targeted by Azerbaijani security forces. 39-year-old Murad Gasimov was jailed allegedly “for showing disrespect toward society and for posting material on social media that demonstrated unethical behaviour and contradicted moral values”. He was sentenced to one month in prison.

Muzhgan Mammadzada, another TikTok vlogger, was sentenced to 10 days, with Unikal claiming that she was jailed for “engaging in acts that offend public morality and openly express disrespect for society” and specifically “immoral expressions, making gestures that convey such content, or displaying parts of the human body in a manner contrary to moral norms and to national and spiritual values”.

In the next two days, detentions of Sanur Azizov and Alikram Heydarov. An administrative protocol was drawn up against both men for unethical behaviour on the internet. The wave of arrests against TikTokers began in April 2024. At the time, the Interior Ministry told OC Media that dozens of content creators had been arrested for creating “immoral content”. In December 2025, parliament discussed amendments classifying “immoral activity on social media directed against society and the national morality” as petty hooliganism. These amendments were signed into law by President Ilham Aliyev in January 2026.

Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov told OC Media that the new rules do not provide a clear definition of what exactly constitutes “immoral activity” that contradicts accepted values. He stressed that they will contribute to strengthening the government’s control over society and to self-censorship on social media.

Sources:

  • FARHADOVA Aytan, OC Media, “Azerbaijan arrests 9 TikTokers for ‘immoral behaviour’”, https://oc-media.org/azerbaijan-arrests-9-tiktokers-for-immoral-behaviour/

  • Caucasian Knot, “Another TikToker has been arrested in Azerbaijan for unethical behaviour”, https://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/77422

Bahruz Samadov’s eyesight deteriorates in maximum-security Azerbaijani prison

Imprisoned researcher and peace activist Bahruz Samadov has reportedly been denied access to an eye examination despite repeated requests for medical care. The information was shared on social media by civic activist Gulnara Mehdiyeva. According to Mehdiyeva, Samadov’s requests for a medical examination regarding his worsening eye condition have gone unanswered. “Bahruz Samadov has said that his eyesight has significantly deteriorated and that he is experiencing serious eye problems. Despite submitting repeated requests, he has not been provided with a medical examination. The Office of the Ombudsman has also failed to respond to the appeals submitted on his behalf,” she wrote.

Mehdiyeva said that Samadov’s deteriorating vision has made it difficult for him to read books. “Bahruz is already being held under a strict prison regime. He is not allowed to have a television. By denying him access to a medical examination, the authorities are subjecting him not only to physical suffering but also to psychological torture,” Mehdiyeva added.

Samadov, a PhD candidate at Charles University in the Czech Republic, was originally arrested in August 2024, with authorities accusing him of cooperating with Armenian intelligence, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison on treason charges the following year. Before his arrest, Samadov was an outspoken advocate for peace with Armenia.

Sources:
Aliyev suggests Azerbaijan could supply Armenia with electricity

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has stated that his country can supply electricity to Armenia, noting that Yerevan cannot indefinitely extend the operation of the Metsamor nuclear power plant. Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijani state television that Azerbaijani specialists have conducted preliminary studies in Armenian territory and identified potential locations for electricity transmission pylons. This is part of a plan to connect Azerbaijan’s electricity grid with Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.

„Today, their (Armenians’) main source of energy is the nuclear power plant. If that source is closed, Armenia may face a serious energy crisis,“ Aliyev said, adding that having an additional source of electricity is in Yerevan’s own interest.

In a press briefing, Pashinyan commented on Aliyev’s statement, saying that Armenia used to have an electricity surplus, but now the country might develop new demands. “In terms of building new AI factories in Armenia, we are forced to think that we need to reconsider our energy strategies to have the capabilities to meet these new conditions and expectations.” Earlier in January, Pashinyan announced in parliament that Armenia and Azerbaijan will eventually have a joint power grid.

Sources:
Baku summons Russian ambassador as rift deepens again

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russian ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov on August 18 to protest what it called provocative, insulting and threatening statements against Azerbaijan, its people and leadership circulating in Russian media, a day after the Prosecutor General’s Office placed three Russian citizens on an international wanted list.

The latest spat comes as Azerbaijan’s relations with Russia have appeared to be on the upswing, with President Ilham Aliyev saying in July that ties had been “fully normalised” after almost a year of unprecedented tensions. The fallout was ignited after Russia mistakenly targeted an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) jet in 2024 with anti-aircraft missiles, causing the plane to crash and 38 of its passengers and crew to die.

On August 17, Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s office announced it had submitted an international arrest warrant against three Russian nationals — Moscow 24 journalist Ivan Knyazev of the TV channel Moscow 24, media expert Semyon Uralov, and Aleksei Chadayev, a journalist and adviser at Russia’s Transport Ministry. It accused the three of calling for a “forcible change to Azerbaijan’s constitutional order and the undermining of its territorial integrity, as well as inciting inter-ethnic hatred and hostility”.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the three had made the remarks on the YouTube show Chistota Ponimaniya (Clarity of Understanding) in mid-July — which is no longer available online. The Prosecutor General’s Office also claimed that “they openly called for terrorism” in another Chistota Ponimaniya episode on August 13, and they expressed “views advocating the use of violent methods against Azerbaijan”, including “direct threats of physical destruction and the targeted elimination of specific individuals”.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded that the views of the individuals named do not reflect Russian government policy, saying Russian-Azerbaijani relations should continue to develop on the basis of the existing bilateral legal framework, including the Declaration on Allied Interaction signed in Moscow on February 22, 2022, according to a report by NEWS.ru cited by Report.

Nevertheless, at the same time, Bakhtiyar Hasanov, head of Moscow’s Azerbaijani diaspora organisation, was deported from Russia. Russian authorities stripped Hasanov of his Russian citizenship in 2025. In June 2026, they detained him and placed him in a temporary detention centre for migrants.

Azerbaijani and Russian authorities have been targeting each other’s citizens since the summer of 2025, when members of Azerbaijani diaspora communities across Russia were swept up in mass raids. Azerbaijan, in turn, arrested several employees of Russian propaganda outlets and 11 Russians detained at random — tourists and Russians who had relocated to Azerbaijan. The media workers were released several months later, while the others were sentenced to prison terms, writes Meduza.

Sources:

Georgia

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Gharibashvili claims government pressured him to confess to crime he didn’t commit

Jailed former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has accused Georgian Dream honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili and the current government of blackmail. In a statement released from prison on August 17, 2026, the former Prime Minister claimed he was being pressured to plead guilty to new corruption charges and permanently withdraw from politics at Ivanishvili’s demand. It is the first time that a former close ally of Ivanishvili has openly spoken out against the founder of the ruling party.

A photograph of a printed letter dated August 17 was posted on the Facebook pages of Gharibashvili and his wife, Nunuka Tamazashvili. Only four paragraphs of the letter were made public. It is unclear who wrote the letter or how it was delivered.

According to the published document, the government is offering the former prime minister a compromise. Under the proposed terms, Gharibashvili would have to plead guilty to a new corruption-related charge.

The letter sets out the proposal in detail:

“They are offering me the option of pleading guilty in one case, where everything would be arranged by agreement, including a confession, witness signatures and so on. They are offering a plea bargain while retaining the same five-year sentence: that is, as it has been explained to me, the sentences would be combined, but the final term would remain five years.”

According to the document, a corruption conviction would serve as a form of “insurance” for the government, aimed at preventing the former Prime Minister from returning to politics, writes JAM News.

In a widely anticipated statement published on August 18, jailed former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili alleged that the “anti-corruption battle” launched last year sought his “political destruction,” noting that Mamuka Mdinaradze was the one who sent him a “letter” about confessing to a corruption case. Gharibashvili announced his intention to fight.

Speaking to journalists, Mdinaradze said he had never sent a letter to Gharibashvili or anyone else, adding that he had only communicated through messages. “I did not send a letter to Gharibashvili, or to anyone else, except for messages. In fact, I have never sent any kind of letter to anyone in my life – never,” Mdinaradze said.

In his third letter from prison, Gharibashvili claimed that his colleagues from the ruling Georgian Dream party had twice hinted at the arrest of his father. He has also accused the party of organising a “dishonest and defamatory campaign” against him.

Gharibashvili addressed the government directly in the letter, accusing it of setting him up with what he called a “dirty provocation” and an “inhumane trap”. He claimed that authorities had raided the homes of his family members and said he had endured the situation in silence because of his long-standing relationship with Ivanishvili. “I have endured all this terrible pain and tragedy, all with patience and silence, in my heart, because of my 20-year relationship with Bidzina Ivanishvili”, Gharibashvili wrote.

He also said he had endured the situation because of what he described as his loyalty to his “political family”, team, and country. He has also claimed that a specific group within the Georgian Dream team had turned against him because of “envy, fears, and suspicions”. He said this pressure was accompanied by “immoral blackmail” and claimed that authorities had again hinted at arresting his father.

“This is the second time you have hinted at the arrest of my 75-year-old father”, he wrote. Gharibashvili did not provide further details about the alleged threat or identify who he claimed had made it.

He also accused the government of trying to portray him as a traitor to Georgia, Georgian Dream, and Ivanishvili. ”You are trying in vain and feebly to make me a traitor to the country, the team, and Bidzina Ivanishvili”, he wrote. On August 24, Gharibashvili, currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in a money laundering case, was charged with taking a bribe.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia announced that Gharibashvili had been charged with accepting a particularly large bribe as a public official and by a group of persons acting on a prior agreement. The scheme allegedly resulted in total losses of up to 7 million GEL (2,7 million USD) to public funds, with the ex-PM facing 11 to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The charges stem from a Defence Ministry procurement case that has already led to several arrests and convictions, including those of ex-Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, over an alleged scheme involving the purchase of medical inventory at an artificially inflated price to secure a cash payment from the company. According to prosecutors, the charges are based on testimonies from Burchuladze and his brother-in-law, Vasil Mkheidze. According to prosecutors, Gharibashvili also participated in the deal and secured a bribe of 750 000 GEL (about 290 000 USD).

Sources:
Georgia to make state university tuition free — with conditions

Students at Georgia’s state universities will receive free tuition under a new government funding model, but from their third semester onwards, half of their funding will depend on their academic performance. To keep the merit-based half of their funding, students will need to have earned at least 80% of the credits that make up a full semester workload, based on their performance in the previous semester. A full semester workload is typically 30 ECTS credits.

The changes are part of a wider overhaul of the higher education system announced by the ruling Georgian Dream party in late 2025, which, among other measures, pledged to make tuition free at all public universities while excluding private institutions.

Full tuition fees at public universities range from 2 500 GEL (826 EUR) to 3 500 GEL (1157 EUR) per year for bachelor’s programmes and from 2 750 GEL (909 EUR) to 3 600 GEL (1190 EUR) for master’s programmes.

The model has drawn criticism from government opponents, who pointed to the GD’s initial pledge to make studying at public universities completely free without specifying any conditions.

Georgian Dream Education Minister Givi Mikanadze pushed back against the criticism at an August 1 briefing, saying students would only need to pass their courses with at least 51 points to earn the ECTS credits required for half of their funding. Marks above the passing threshold would not matter, he said.

Sources:
Georgian President Kavelashvili Pardons 226 People

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili has granted pardons to 226 people, including Pridon Bubuteishvili, who was serving a five-year sentence following his arrest in connection with the 2024 protests against the foreign agents law. According to Kavelashvili’s office, the August pardons covered 217 convicted individuals serving custodial sentences and six others serving non-custodial sentences. Three others had their criminal records expunged. The names of those pardoned are not released, as is customary.

Bubuteishvili was arrested in spring 2024, during the protests against Georgian Dream’s reintroduction of the foreign agents law, on allegations of causing  500 GEL (around 180 USD) worth of damage to the gate of the Parliament building and throwing a stone at a firefighter, resulting in injury. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison in January 2025.

“The President of Georgia’s exercise of the exclusive power granted by the Constitution is based on the principles of humanism and the national interest,” the President’s Administration said in its press release. According to the constitution, pardons are an exclusive power afforded only to the president. Traditionally, Georgian presidents issue pardons on specific holidays, usually ahead of the New Year or the Assumption of Mary. Under the current rules, the president can release a convicted person from serving the remainder of their sentence, reduce their sentence, or replace it with a lighter sentence.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “Kavelashvili Pardons 226 People, Including Jailed Protester Pridon Bubuteishvili”, https://civil.ge/archives/749272

  • KOKAIA Lana, OC Media, “Georgian President Kavelashvili pardons 226 people, including nine anti-government protesters”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-president-kavelashvili-pardons-226-people-including-9-anti-government-protesters/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Mamuka Mdinaradze resigns from minister’s post, quits politics

Mamuka Mdinaradze, a prominent Georgian Dream figure and former State Security Service chief who most recently served as Minister of Regional Development, announced his resignation from the post and his decision to quit politics. While he did not give a specific reason, he said the decision was his own and that he wanted to devote more time to his family.

“I decided to quit both my post and politics. I will not elaborate, but I will say that these 10 years in politics for me were years of work, commitment to the homeland, and, alongside my friends, 10 years of doing great deeds for the country. It is a pleasure to be in service with the Georgian Dream team”, said Mdinaradze, extending his gratitude “to each warrior of the Georgian Dream, each member and leader, starting with Bidzina Ivanishvili and ending with an ordinary soldier, as we call them in our big family”.

The surprise announcement came during a briefing on August 27, despite earlier plans for Mdinaradze to assume the yet-to-be-created post of “State Minister for Regional Policy.” The decision also follows recent allegations by jailed former Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili that Mdinaradze was involved in efforts to pressure him to stay out of politics by forcing him to take the blame in a corruption case.

Mdinaradze, who had served as a Georgian Dream lawmaker from 2016 to 2025, held several prominent positions in parliament over the years, including as leader of the ruling party’s parliamentary majority, before being appointed Head of the State Security Service in September 2025.

He left the State Security Service post in April 2026 to assume the specially created position of State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies. Months later, in July, it was announced that he would serve as State Minister for Regional Policy, a yet-to-be-created position that would entail abolishing both his current post and the Ministry of Regional Development.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “Mamuka Mdinaradze Resigns From Minister’s Post, Quits Politics”, https://civil.ge/archives/749205

  • 1tv.ge, “Mamuka Mdinaradze resigns as Regional Development Minister, quits politics”, https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/mamuka-mdinaradze-resigns-as-regional-development-minister-quits-politics/

Tbilisi confirms ‘business’ supplied fuel to de facto Abkhazia from Georgia proper amid shortages

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze confirmed on August 12 that fuel had been supplied to occupied Abkhazia by “business” from Georgia proper amid a continuing shortage that has prompted the region’s de facto authorities to impose restrictions and prioritise supplies for essential services.

Asked at the press briefing by a TV Pirveli reporter about the reports that fuel had recently been transported into occupied Abkhazia from Tbilisi-controlled territory, Kobakhidze confirmed that the shipment indeed had taken place, but by a “business.”

“Yes, we did not supply it; the business did,” he replied, without specifying the company or the volume of the shipment. Kobakhidze affirmed that such measures are permitted under Georgian legislation, including the Law on Occupied Territories, which governs business activities in the occupied regions. The comments followed earlier reports that day that fuel had crossed the Enguri Bridge, the main crossing point, into occupied territory, Civil.ge wrote.

At a subsequent press briefing held on August 18, Irakli Kobakhidze said 680 tonnes of petrol had so far been delivered to Abkhazia. He described the move as an effort to address a humanitarian shortage and restore trust with Abkhazia, dismissing opposition criticism that the fuel was aiding Russia.

The deliveries have prompted criticism from some quarters over whether the fuel could indirectly ease Russia’s own fuel crisis. Shortages have continued to wreak havoc across Russia following a bombing campaign by Ukraine targeting refineries and other oil infrastructure. During his press briefing, Kobakhidze dismissed what he called a “hysterical campaign” against the deliveries, and rejected suggestions that the fuel could meaningfully contribute to Russia’s own energy needs.

The shortage comes as Russia, known to be Abkhazia’s supplier, has faced domestic fuel-supply pressure amid repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries and other disruptions affecting the sector. Local reports and social media posts have shown long lines at gas stations in the occupied region amid the shortage.

On August 10, Abkhazia’s de facto leader, Badra Gunba, convened a meeting on fuel supplies, attended by other de facto officials. Local outlet Apsnypress cited Gunba as saying during the meeting that disruptions to fuel supplies were caused by “circumstances” beyond Sokhumi’s control and that the de facto authorities were “doing everything possible to normalise the situation as soon as possible.” Gunba also ordered that existing supplies be prioritised for security and law enforcement agencies, as well as medical, social, and municipal services.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “Tbilisi Confirms ‘Business’ Supplied Fuel to Occupied Abkhazia From Georgia Proper Amid Shortages”, https://civil.ge/archives/747613

  • KOKAIA Lana, OC Media, “Georgian fuel deliveries to Abkhazia to continue despite backlash”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-fuel-deliveries-to-abkhazia-to-continue-despite-backlash/

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