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Former presidents argue over tactics to topple Pashinyan

The opposition Armenia Alliance faction of former president Robert Kocharyan has seemingly accused the newly formed We Are Awake movement of former president Serzh Sargsyan of attempting to “blackmail” their MPs as part of a campaign to impeach Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

In a statement on May 2, the Armenia Alliance appeared to suggest that the movement was using “the language of blackmail”, adding that “such actions cannot go unanswered” and expressing doubts about whether the initiative is actually capable of mobilising street protests in parallel with Pashinyan’s potential impeachment process.

The statement came as a rift between former political allies, Robert Kocharyan, who was President from 1998 to 2008, and Serzh Sargsyan, who succeeded him, continues to grow, writes to OC Media. At the end of April, members of the We Are Awake movement submitted letters to all 107 MPs in parliament, urging them to launch impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan while vowing to launch street protests to secure his removal. While no opposition MP has launched such an initiative, the letters have further deepened the rift between the two main opposition factions, as well as between supporters of Kocharyan and Sargsyan.

Sources:

• BARSEFHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Armenian opposition leaders Kocharyan and Sargsyan split over Pashinyan impeachment”, https://oc-media.org/armenian-opposition-leaders-kocharyan-and-sargsyan-split-over-pashinyan-impeachment/

• Civilnet.am, “Former presidents argue over tactics to topple Pashinyan”, https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/949050/former-presidents-argue-over-tactics-to-topple-pashinyan/

Former president Serzh Sargsyan accused of accepting nearly 3 Million USD in bribes

The former President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is accused of accepting approximately 2.985 million USD in bribes, according to Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee. According to the Committee’s statement, Sargsyan allegedly used his official position to assist the CEO of an unnamed limited liability company (LLC) by not obstructing the sale of 100% of the company’s shares to a non-resident firm. The alleged actions reportedly took place during his presidency. The purpose of the transfers was listed as “charity,” and the funds were reportedly used to pay for the presidential inauguration, balloon rentals at an event held in Yerevan a few days later, and other expenses.

If convicted, Sargsyan could face up to 12 years in prison and the confiscation of property. However, legal experts suggest a prison sentence is unlikely due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.      Sargsyan first went on trial in 2020 for allegedly helping a longtime friend and businessman win a public procurement contract in 2013. He and several other defendants were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2024. The judge who issued that ruling was removed from the bench last October, officially due to his handling of another trial. An appeals court overturned the acquittal last month.

Sources:

• Massis Post, “Former President Serzh Sargsyan Accused of Accepting Nearly $3 Million in Bribes”, https://massispost.com/2025/05/former-president-serzh-sargsyan-accused-of-accepting-nearly-3-million-in-bribes/

• Zartonk, “Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan Charged in $3 Million Bribery Case Dating Back to 2008”, https://zartonkmedia.com/2025/05/26/former-armenian-president-serzh-sargsyan-charged-in-3-million-bribery-case-dating-back-to-2008/

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Yerevan continues cautious policy of de-escalation in relations with Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met on May 16 on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit being held in Tirana. Pashinyan’s office released a short video of the conversation, showing the two men talking face-to-face in what appears to be a lobby of a conference hall, with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers looking on and later joining the conversation.

“Both sides emphasised the importance of the fact of reaching an agreement on the text of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Agreement,” a statement by Pashinyan’s office said, “The parties discussed the current situation and attached importance to the continuity of the process towards its signing,” the statement added. However, Aliyev’s office and news outlets controlled by the Azerbaijani regime did not comment on the talks.

At the same time, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan avoided commenting on Azerbaijan’s border shootings, while Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed the issue in separate remarks regarding the ongoing peace talks and related constitutional concerns between Yerevan and Baku.

Sources:

•  Asbarez, “Pashinyan, Aliyev Meet in Albania”, https://asbarez.com/pashinyan-aliyev-meet-in-albania/
• Caucasus Watch, “Armenian Officials Respond to Azerbaijan Border Shootings, Reaffirm Peace Talks Commitment”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/armenian-officials-respond-to-azerbaijan-border-shootings-reaffirm-peace-talks-commitment.html

Slovakia and Armenia deepen ties in defence, energy, and EU cooperation

During an official visit to Yerevan, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Ministry of Economy State Secretary Vladimír Šimoňák highlighted defence and energy as key areas for cooperation with Armenia. Slovakia, which supplies technology for Armenia’s Soviet-era nuclear plant, offered further support from its nuclear and defence industries.

Fico and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan agreed to strengthen economic ties in these sectors. Fico also backed closer Armenia–EU relations and offered Slovakia’s EU integration expertise. At the Yerevan Dialogue forum, he called Armenia a key regional partner and voiced support for the EU observer mission and peace efforts with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan accepted an invitation to visit Slovakia. Fico also paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-18 in Yerevan.

Sources:

• STVR.sk, “Slovakia and Armenia deepen ties in defence, energy, and EU cooperation”, https://enrsi.stvr.sk/articles/news/403646/slovakia-and-armenia-deepen-ties-in-defence-energy-and-eu-cooperation

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Photo: Shutterstock.com

High-profile arrests and sentences in Georgia: May 2025

May 2025 witnessed a wave of arrests and sentences of high-profile government opponents, including a former Minister of Defence, an opposition leader, and two former businessmen linked to Bidzina Ivanishvili. Businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze, a former supporter and recent critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Tbilisi City Court on May 7 on charges of embezzlement. Chikvaidze denied the charges from the outset, calling them politic.

Chikvaidze, who was involved in the yachting industry, is accused of deceiving Adjara-based businessperson Elguja Turmanidze, for whom he was supposed to bring a yacht from Italy. According to the prosecution’s version, Chikvaidze ultimately neither delivered the yacht nor returned the money paid by Turmanidze. According to a report published in mid-April by Transparency International Georgia, the case against Chikvaidze and his partner, though classified under criminal law, is potentially a civil dispute “with no evidence of fraud or elements of embezzlement”.

Two days before the verdict was announced, a post appeared on Chikvaidze’s Facebook page stating that the businessman had, through his representatives, submitted documents to the US Helsinki Commission. According to the post, the materials” ‘expose a joint operation by Russian and Georgian intelligence services aimed at recruiting senior American officials”. No further details were specified. For years, the businessperson had expressed support for the Georgian Dream, but in 2024, he openly distanced himself from the party, writes OC Media.

On May 14, former Defense Minister under the United National Movement government, Irakli Okruashvili, was sent to pre-trial detention after Tbilisi City Court Judge Nino Tarashvili granted the prosecutor’s request. This follows his non-compliance with paying bail after he refused to appear before the GD parliament’s temporary investigative commission. Okruashvili, who served as Defense Minister from 2004 to 2006 under the United National Movement government, faces charges filed under Article 349 of the Criminal Code for “failure to comply with the request of the temporary investigative commission of the Parliament of Georgia.”

Soon after Okruashvili’s detention, Zurab Japaridze, leader of the opposition party Girchi, was placed in pre-trial detention under the same Article. Japaridze, who featured prominently in the street protests last year, had also refused to pay bail and had been held in contempt by parliament. He has denounced the parliamentary probe as illegitimate and unduly influenced by the ruling party. His lawyer, Irakli Chomakhashvili, told AFP that the court ruling is a “politically motivated decision, an attempt to silence a critical political voice.”

On May 27, Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former aide to Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, was arrested by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG). According to the official statement, “the SSSG received an anonymous tip” on May 26 alleging that Bachiashvili, a convicted dual citizen of Georgia and Russia, wanted under an Interpol Red Notice, has been spotted near the so-called “green border” between Red Bridge and Sadakhlo. This segment of Georgia’s border lies between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The agency stated that Bachiashvili was apprehended during joint investigative and operative-search efforts and thanked the Interior Ministry for its role in the arrest. Bachiashvili’s international legal team issued a statement saying that he was “forcibly returned” to Georgia, where he “faces an immediate risk of torture.” It does not specify where he was “forcibly returned” from.

Bachiashvili, once a close associate of Ivanishvili and former head of the Georgian Co-Investment Fund, covertly left Georgia on March 9, citing fears of imminent imprisonment. He claimed that his life would be in danger if he were imprisoned, alleging that Ivanishvili had threatened to “crush” him in prison. His whereabouts outside Georgia have remained unknown. While in exile, his lawyer cited intelligence from two foreign agencies warning of an active plot to kill Bachiashvili. “Groups from the Northern Caucasus, most likely Chechens,” Bachiashvili told The Guardian in an interview published the night before his arrest.

On May 30, the Tbilisi City Court ordered Nika Melia, a leader of the Akhali party, into police custody after refusing to appear before the parliamentary commission and refusing to pay the bail imposed on him for his absence. As OC Media reminds, Melia had declared that he would not pay the bail and that he was widely expected to be arrested. However, before the court could formally order his detention, Melia — whose deadline to pay bail was set for May 30 at midnight — was unexpectedly arrested by police on May 29 night in Tbilisi as he was on his way to record a podcast episode.

That same evening, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that Melia had been administratively detained on charges of insulting a police officer. The next day, Melia’s court hearing was held regarding his refusal to pay bail. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Irakli Shvangiradze ordered his pre-trial detention. Earlier, during the proceedings, Melia was expelled from the courtroom after splashing water at the judge. This occurred after he demanded that the court address what he described as his “abduction” by a group of police officers the night before. “You are part of a criminal chain, unwilling even to ask how I ended up here, who abducted me, and why”, Melia said to Shvangiradze before reaching out from the defendant’s box and splashing water from a bottle at the judge.

Sources:

• GVADZABIA Mikheil, OC Media, “Former Georgian Dream ally and businessperson sentenced to nine years in prison”, https://oc-media.org/former-georgian-dream-ally-and-businessperson-sentenced-to-nine-years-in-prison/

• GVADZABIA Mikheil, OC Media, “Second Georgian opposition leader arrested within one week”, https://oc-media.org/second-georgian-opposition-leader-arrested-within-one-week/

• Civil.ge, “Former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili Jailed”, https://civil.ge/archives/681281

• SEXTON Karl, DW, “Georgia jails opposition leader amid crackdown on dissent”, https://www.dw.com/en/georgia-jails-opposition-leader-amid-crackdown-on-dissent/a-72639056

• Civil.ge, “Former Ivanishvili Aide Giorgi Bachiashvili Arrested”, https://civil.ge/archives/683774

Situation of Georgian opposition forces: May 2025

In May 2025, the Georgian government passed amendments paving the way for banning opposition parties and reportedly revoked gun permits for Georgian volunteers in Ukraine after a Russian court order. On May 13, the GD Parliament adopted a legislative package amending the Organic Law on Political Associations of Citizens and the Law on the Constitutional Court in its final reading. The changes, pushed by the ruling party’s parliamentary majority leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, are intended to authorise the Constitutional Court to prohibit opposition groups whose leadership, objectives, or activities are identical to those of the previously banned party.

The amendments to the law “On Political Associations of Citizens” specify the conditions under which a party can be banned. The listed reasons include: If its goal is to overthrow or forcibly change Georgia’s constitutional order, Promotion of war or violence, Undermining the country’s independence or violating its territorial integrity, Inciting national, ethnic, religious, or social hatred and Creating an armed formation.

In a March 28 statement announcing the planned legislative changes, Mdinaradze accused opposition parties of acting against the Georgian state, calling them “anti-Georgian, anti-constitutional, anti-national, and criminal.” He argued that parties that are “similar” to the UNM leadership, objectives, or activities – what GD refers to as the “collective UNM” – should be barred from participating in political life.

Critics have condemned the amendments as politically motivated and aimed at stifling dissent ahead of the local elections. The Social Justice Center said that the received changes broaden the grounds for banning political parties, which contradicts the constitution. It argued that introducing vague grounds for banning political parties that disregard the constitution is doubly problematic in conditions where the final decision on banning a party is made by the Constitutional Court, which has long been serving in favour of the regime and “against the spirit of the constitution.” According to the document, the law will enter into force upon publication.

In mid-May, Rati Burduli, a Georgian volunteer soldier fighting against Russia in Ukraine, shared a written order purporting to be from Georgia’s Interior Ministry stating that the country is revoking weapons possession permits for Georgians fighting in Ukraine. The order says that the revocation is in response to a conviction under Russia’s criminal code on the charges of being a mercenary, reported OC Media.

The order, which Burduli posted on Instagram, does not explicitly say who it is addressed to if it pertains to Burduli specifically or all Georgian nationals who have been convicted under the exact charges in Russia. Its veracity could not be independently verified. Opposition-aligned media outlet Publika said it had contacted Georgia’s Interior Ministry for confirmation that the order is real, as well as more details. Still, it said it had not received a response.

Sources:

• Civil.ge, “GD Parliament Passes Amendments Paving the Way for Banning Opposition Parties”, https://civil.ge/archives/681064

• JAM News, “Parliament controlled by Georgian Dream approved a law banning political parties”, https://jam-news.net/parliament-by-georgian-dream-approved-a-law-banning-political-parties/

• OSTILLER Nate, OC Media, “Georgia reportedly revokes gun permits for Georgian fighters in Ukraine after Russian court order”, https://oc-media.org/georgia-reportedly-revokes-gun-permits-for-georgian-fighters-in-ukraine-after-russian-court-order/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Relations between Georgia and the USA deteriorated further

Despite the Georgian government’s efforts, relations between Tbilisi and Washington continued to deteriorate in May 2025. The MEGOBARI Act has passed the US House of Representatives on May 5.  The bill received strong support with 349 votes in favour, including 168 Republicans and 181 Democrats, while only 42 representatives, 34 Republicans and 8 Democrats, voted against it. The bill must now be debated and voted on in the Senate, after which it will go to the President of the United States, who can sign it into law.

The bipartisan bill, sponsored by the Helsinki Commission leaders, would require the US President to sanction members and senior representatives of the Georgian Dream government who are determined to have engaged in significant acts of corruption or acts of violence and intimidation related to blocking the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Their immediate family members will also be subject to these sanctions.

GD Prime Minister and GD Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze, in his reaction, questioned the name of the act, which translates as “friend”. “How can this act be called the MEGOBARI Act, which from the beginning to the end is permeated with a hostile attitude towards the Georgian people and the government elected by the Georgian people. This act is hostile. The battle between Trump and the Deep State continues. If such a decision is made, it means that at that concrete moment, the Deep State has won over the Trump administration… We still have an optimistic expectation that the Trump administration will win over the Deep State.”

On the other hand, representatives of the Georgian opposition welcomed the act. The US House of Representatives, by a large majority, supported the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act, through which our American partners once again expressed their greatest support for the Georgian people and, at the same time, took an important step towards holding Ivanishvili’s usurper, violent, authoritarian, Russian regime accountable. The MEGOBARI Act calls for the freedom of political prisoners and sanctions against those who have contributed to democratic backsliding in Georgia and the increasing influence of Russia, China, and Iran,” wrote Coalition for Change in its statement.

On May 13, Kobakhidze published an open letter he had sent to US President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance, lamenting the lack of high-level communication between the governments of Georgia and the US. According to his letter, Kobakhidze had written to Trump and Vance several weeks before “concerning US-Georgia relations” and had “openly expressed Georgia’s readiness” to renew the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership from a “clean slate”, guided by a “specific roadmap”.

Kobakhidze noted in his letter that he was yet to receive a response from the Trump administration and described this silence as “surprising” and “perplexing” for both the government of Georgia and the Georgian people, arguing that his country has long remained the US’ “most reliable” strategic partner in the “volatile” surrounding region. Kobakhidze went on to point out how Georgia had fought alongside the US in critical hotspots, including Afghanistan and Iraq, allegedly providing the highest number of troops per capita. Lastly, Kobakhidze pointed out the “striking alignment of values and ideology” in the public rhetoric of the incumbent Georgian and US governments, particularly regarding the “criminal activities of the “Deep State”, USAID, NED… the war in Ukraine, gender and LGBT propaganda and many other issues”.

The open letter was apparently brushed aside. On May 21, during a US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party as an “anti-American government” in response to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson. “For 200 consecutive days,” Wilson said, “freedom-loving Georgians have heroically taken to the streets, wrapping themselves in American flags and carrying posters of the president.” He asked Rubio what the US State Department, under his leadership, would do to “impose real costs on the anti-American Georgian Dream on behalf of the people of Georgia.”

Rubio responded: “Going back to what I’ve said earlier in my opening statement, the goal of the United States is our national interest. So we will look at that and say: is it in our national interest to have an anti-American government governing an important part of the world? And if not, we’ll take appropriate actions to impose costs on that government.” He further noted that such steps are “currently under review”.

Sources:

• Civil.ge, “MEGOBARI Act Passes House of Representatives”, https://civil.ge/archives/679853

• Civil.ge, “Political Reactions in Georgia to MEGOBARI Act”, https://civil.ge/archives/679872

• Civil.ge, “U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Calls Georgian Dream an “Anti-American Government”, Warns of Consequences”, https://civil.ge/archives/683115

• Intellinews.com, “Georgian prime minister laments lack of communication in an open letter to Trump”, https://www.intellinews.com/georgian-prime-minister-laments-lack-of-communication-in-open-letter-to-trump-381468/?source=georgia

Interior Minister Gomelauri resigned

On May 28, Vakhtang Gomelauri announced that he was stepping down as Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Vice Prime Minister. In a statement, Gomelauri did not provide a specific reason for his resignation, saying only that the decision “was not easy”. “Of course, being in high-ranking state positions for so many years is a very labour-intensive task and requires a lot of energy.” But, he said that the “calm situation” in the country made it an appropriate time to leave his post and to “ask the team to resign, which will allow me to devote more time to my family – my wife, children and my newly acquired grandchild.”

Gomelauri praised and expressed gratitude to the Georgian Dream founder and honorary chair, Bidzina Ivanishvili, saying, “His trust and example gave me a special incentive to do my job conscientiously and contribute to strengthening Georgia’s statehood.” Gomelauri has held the position for more than a decade. During his tenure, Georgia’s police have faced widespread criticism for the violent dispersal of protests, particularly those against the so-called “foreign agents” law in 2023 and 2024, as well as ongoing pro-European Union demonstrations. Human rights groups have documented hundreds of cases of police brutality and torture against protesters, writes Civil.ge.

Sources:

• Civil.ge, “GD Interior Minister Gomelauri Resigns”, https://civil.ge/archives/684167

• Civil.ge, “Kobakhidze Appoints New Interior Minister”, https://civil.ge/archives/684179