Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of December 2025

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

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EU and Armenia approve new Strategic Agenda

The European Union and Armenia adopted a new Strategic Agenda for the EU-Armenia Partnership on December 2, replacing the 2017 Partnership Priorities. According to the EU Delegation to Armenia, the Strategic Agenda builds on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and outlines a shared vision spanning democracy and rule of law, justice reform, human rights, socio-economic development, energy security, digital transformation, trade diversification, and new security and defence cooperation.

Connectivity is highlighted as a central pillar, with the document calling for strengthened transport, digital, and energy links between Armenia, the region, and the EU. It emphasises strategic investments under Global Gateway and support for Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, aimed at improving regional interconnections, resilience, and mobility. The Agenda includes short-term (3–4-year) and medium-term (7-year) priorities focused on tangible benefits for citizens and on reinforcing Armenia’s resilience amid complex regional dynamics.

Russia has expressed concern over a new policy framework for deepening Armenia’s relations with the European Union, saying that it calls into question the South Caucasus country’s continued membership in a Russian-led trade bloc. “Cooperation is one thing and integration quite another,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told the Izvestia daily in an interview. “What we see in the new strategic agenda for Armenia-EU partnership is precisely integration, as we understand it, which includes harmonising Armenia’s legal framework with relevant EU standards in key areas such as politics, security, economics, energy, ecology, and so on.” “And we are telling our Armenian colleagues frankly and openly that such harmonisation of the legal framework with the EU will inevitably conflict with the relevant norms of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), of which Armenia is a member,” he said as cited by Azatutyun.am.

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The question of Armenian refugees from the former de facto Nagorno Karabakh back on the table

On December 9, Baku expressed concerns over a strategic agenda signed by Armenia and the EU earlier in December, criticising, among others, the classification of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian residents as refugees. According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, such classification was a “vivid example of the bias against Azerbaijan”, asserting that Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians “voluntarily migrated” and “refused reintegration plans proposed by Azerbaijan”. The Ministry claimed that the signed document “distorts the realities” and is against the “peace agenda” between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In his reaction, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed to Azerbaijan that they simultaneously drop the issues of the return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh and the so-called “western Azerbaijan” narrative. Pashinyan emphasised that he sees a situation in which, on the one hand, Azerbaijan continues to use the so-called “western Azerbaijan” narrative, and on the other hand, it complains that the wording “Karabakh Armenians displaced following Azerbaijan’s military operation” was included in the Armenia–EU strategic agenda document.

Pashinyan recalled that he has repeatedly said that the topic of the return of Armenians to Karabakh is a dangerous subject. On December 11, Armenian law-enforcement authorities raided former de facto Nagorno-Karabakh’s permanent representation in Yerevan just one day after its exiled leaders vowed to keep fighting for the Karabakh Armenians’ right to return to their homeland. The Investigative Committee declined to immediately provide a reason for the searches conducted by its officers in the building. According to Karabakh-born lawyer and activist Roman Yeritsian, the raid is supposedly part of a criminal investigation into “presumed economic crimes.”

Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian sharply criticised the prime minister’s remarks, calling them “sensational” and potentially harmful to Armenia’s long-term national interests and security. Oskanian said the proposal could pave the way for future encroachments on Armenia’s sovereign territory, comparing it to Pashinyan’s 2019 statement, “Artsakh is Armenia, and that’s it,” which he argued contributed to the conditions that led to the 2020 war.

He condemned the proposal to Azerbaijan as fundamentally misguided: “It is simply unbelievable what Pashinyan is ‘offering’ Azerbaijanis. He asks them to renounce calling Armenia ‘Western Azerbaijan’ and abandon plans to resettle Azerbaijanis there, in exchange for Armenia dropping the issue of the return of Karabakh Armenians.” Oskanian emphasised that the two issues cannot be equated under any diplomatic, legal or logical framework, citing international conventions and legal precedents affirming the right of peoples — especially those with autonomous status during Soviet times — to return to their homes after forced displacement, and potentially to negotiate autonomy or status arrangements.

He argued that by placing these concepts on the same level, Pashinyan has effectively opened the door for Azerbaijan to legitimise claims on Armenia: “By drawing a false equivalence between the two topics, Pashinyan has achieved only one thing today: he has paved the way for Azerbaijan to bring an internationally baseless territorial claim against Armenia into the formal agenda.”

Sources:

  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, FARHADOVA Aytan, OC Media, “Azerbaijan says it is ‘concerned’ about Armenia–EU strategic agreement”, https://oc-media.org/azerbaijan-says-it-is-concerned-about-armenia-eu-strategic-agreement/

  • ArmenPress, “Pashinyan offers Azerbaijan to simultaneously drop the return of Armenians to Karabakh and the ‘western Azerbaijan’ narratives”, https://armenpress.am/en/article/1237319

  • MKRTICHIAN Anush, STEPANIAN Ruzanna, Azatutyun.am, “Karabakh Office In Yerevan Raided By Armenian Investigators”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33620644.html

  • MINOYAN Hoory, Armenian Weekly, “Pashinyan declares Karabakh movement closed, seeks joint roadmap with Azerbaijan”, https://armenianweekly.com/2025/12/12/pashinyan-declares-karabakh-movement-closed-seeks-joint-roadmap-with-azerbaijan/

Armenia adopts universal healthcare insurance

The Government of Armenia, on December 25, approved a package of decisions establishing the regulatory framework for launching the country’s universal health insurance system during a regular Cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The key resolution sets out procedures for forming and amending the insurance package and approving lists of medical services and medicines subject to reimbursement, including co-payments. Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said the law on universal health insurance has already been signed and published, while the adopted decisions provide the necessary sub-legislative basis for implementation.

At the first stage, coverage will include children under 18, people aged 65 and over, individuals earning more than 200,000 drams, persons with disabilities, beneficiaries of the social security system, and families of deceased servicemen. These groups together account for approximately 1.6 million people.

Prime Minister Pashinyan said the reform has been discussed for years and that it is important to proceed with implementation despite expected challenges. According to some Armenian media, the reform is entering force with significant unresolved issues, raising concerns about governance, capacity, and transparency. As Karen Haratyunyan wrote for Civilnet.am, “at the core of the reform is an integrated operator responsible for managing the universal health insurance system. However, that operator is not yet in place”. According to Haratyunyan, the reform is also being launched without fully defined service standards or a clear picture of system capacity.

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Azerbaijan

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Slovakia to help Azerbaijan develop weapons production

On December 9, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Slovakia, his first visit there since his 2003 election. During the visit, a number of documents were signed, including further cooperation in the defence industry. On December 10, Aliyev held talks with the chair of the National Council of Slovakia, Richard Raši, and Prime Minister Robert Fico. During his visit with Fico, a memorandum of understanding and cooperation was signed covering foreign affairs, culture, defence, food security, and trade and industry. On the same day, Aliyev met with his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini, with both parties sharing their respective comments to the public.

“Today’s meeting took place in a very open and friendly atmosphere, as the Slovak Republic considers Azerbaijan to be a friendly country with which it maintains good relations. Slovakia views Azerbaijan as a country that is a strategic player in the region,” noted Pellegrini. In the defence sector, Pellegrini highlighted the Slovak defence industry and the boom in the production of various types of ammunition, with which the country also wants to cooperate with Azerbaijan. “We want to work in a format of our technology and Azerbaijani financing; that is, to move part of the production directly to Azerbaijan and act as partners and jointly compete for the sale of these products on the market,” explained Pellegrini. “We can use Slovak technologies and financial resources from Azerbaijan, which we can combine to come up with new products that we’ll be able to offer on international markets,” added the Azerbaijani president.

Pellegrini also believes that it will be possible to attract more Slovak investment to Azerbaijan and establish a direct flight connection between Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, and Bratislava. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on concluding peace with Armenia.

Pellegrini also stressed that a Slovak IT company is involved in a smart village project in Azerbaijan, adding that it could be a possible field of future cooperation for other Slovak companies. “The smart village, currently under construction, will become a symbol of Slovakia’s success in the liberated territories”, Aliyev said, referring to Nagorno-Karabakh. Construction of the smart village pilot project by the Slovak company began in the spring of 2024. The Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet Caliber wrote that the Slovak company was involved in building 851 homes in the village of Bash Garvand village, but did not name the company. Azerbaijan and Slovakia first agreed to jointly manufacture weapons back in 2023.

Sources:

  • ANTALIK Marek, TASR, “President: Slovakia and Azerbaijan Friendly Countries and Strategic Partners”, https://newsnow.tasr.sk/president-slovakia-and-azerbaijan-friendly-countries-and-strategic-partners/

  • FARHADOVA Aytan, OC Media, “Slovakia to help Azerbaijan develop weapons production”, https://oc-media.org/slovakia-helps-azerbaijan-develop-weapons-production/

Azerbaijan detains Popular Front Party chair Ali Karimli amidst crackdown on party

In December 2025, Azerbaijani security forces launched a large-scale campaign aimed at eliminating the broader leadership of the opposition Popular Front Party (PFP). On November 29, Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (DTX) detained the chair of PFP, Ali Karimli, along with several other party members. Pro-government media outlets have linked the detentions to the treason case against Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the Presidential Administration and an ally of former President Heydar Aliyev, OC Media reported.

PFP member Mammad Ibrahim was also detained on November 29, during a raid on his house, and the DTX seized his laptop and mobile phones. The pro-government outlet Qafqazinfo reported that Ibrahim was charged under the same criminal article as Karimli on December 1 and remanded to the same period of pre-trial detention. Other members of the opposition movement were briefly detained at the turn of November and December.

The PFP strongly denied any connection to Mehdiyev, who was a longtime ally of the late President Heydar Aliyev, who led Azerbaijan until shortly before his death in 2003. “The government understands that they themselves worked with Ramiz Mehdiyev, and this accusation can’t be pinned on us,” Seymur Hazi, Karimli’s deputy, told RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service. “The purpose of these arrests is clearly to damage Ali Karimli’s reputation. Criticising this government requires risk and bravery — and society sees those who do it as defenders.”

Arrests continued throughout the whole month. On December 12, Vugar Gadirli, another PFP member, was detained and his house was raided by the police. The party’s deputy chair, Seymur Hazi, stated that Gadirli was accused of the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transport, or carrying of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives, and devices, and was remanded into three months of pre-trial detention. Hazi believes that the police planted firearms in Gadirli’s house.

Murad Sultanli, chair of the Control and Inspection Commission of the Azerbaijani opposition PFP, was arrested and sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest on December 18. Hazi told OC Media that Sultanli left his home on Tuesday and was unreachable during that time. “Only on Thursday, it was announced that he is being held in the Binagadi Pre-trial Detention Centre. The reason for his 30-day administrative detention has not been disclosed. Now we are searching for a lawyer to defend his rights”, Hazi said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Azerbaijani prisoners were released in December as part of an amnesty signed by President Ilham Aliyev. According to pro-government media, some of those released as part of the act were serving time for murder or wrongful death. The bill, however, excluded an increasing number of political prisoners.

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Azerbaijan sends first batch of petrol to Armenia

On December 19, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) shipped 1,220 tons of AI-95 motor fuel to Armenia via Georgia, loaded into 22 tank trucks. “Following President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to lift restrictions on cargo transit from Azerbaijan to Armenia, which had been in place since the occupation, cargo shipments to the neighbouring country are continuing,” the Trend news agency reported as cited by Caucasus Watch.

However, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that there are certain problems with the supply of petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia via Georgia. Speaking to reporters on December 18, Pashinyan stated that cooperation with Azerbaijan on fuel purchases could continue, but “there are certain issues related to transit tariffs through Georgia”.

APA has stressed that the petroleum products were being sold to Armenia at international market prices, and that the export was “purely commercial in nature”.

While the pro-Azerbaijani government media outlet stopped short of confirming that the fuel would reach Armenia via Georgia, it cited the Georgian government’s pledge to ensure a one-time, tariff-free transit of Azerbaijani petrol to Armenia through Georgia in early December.

The Georgian announcement followed reporting by the Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet Minval, which at the time suggested that Azerbaijani cargo was being subjected to high tariffs, framing the expensive taxes as an example of Tbilisi “trying to break the peace” in the region.

On Wednesday, Armenian state media outlet Armenpress cited Azerbaijani media reports suggesting that Azerbaijani petroleum shipments were being obstructed by Tbilisi’s tariff policy. Armenpress cited an interview with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, in which he said that Georgia “fully considers the acceptable interests of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides”. “We have our own priorities, and I believe that through negotiations, we will easily find the best way to satisfy the interests of all three countries”, he said.

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Georgia

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Georgian authorities used WWI gas against protesters

The United Kingdom’s public service broadcaster, BBC, informed on December 1 that Georgia’s authorities used a World War I-era chemical weapon to quell anti-government protesters in late 2024. The BBC World Service has spoken to chemical weapons experts, whistleblowers from Georgia’s riot police, and doctors, and found the evidence pointing to the use of an agent that the French military named “camite”.

Camite was deployed by France against Germany during World War I. There is little documentation of its subsequent use, but it is believed to have been taken out of circulation at some point in the 1930s due to concerns about its long-lasting effects. CS gas, often referred to as “tear gas,” was used as a replacement.

That same evening, eight Georgian opposition parties issued a statement calling for an international investigation into the findings presented in the documentary. They stated that “in a country where all state institutions are subordinated to a single political party, an impartial internal investigation is unrealistic”. On December 2, 25 Georgian civil society organisations also responded to the documentary, demanding that the government publicly answer the question, “What chemical substances did the police use against peaceful protests in November–December 2024?”

The Georgian authorities said BBC investigation findings were “absurd” and the police had acted legally in response to the “illegal actions of brutal criminals”. Soon after the publication of the investigation, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) summoned individuals featured in, or whose work was used in, a BBC investigative documentary.

Those summoned included paediatrician brothers Constantine and Davit Chakhunashvili; their father, Giorgi Chakhunashvili; Eka Gigauri, head of Transparency International Georgia; members of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association; and citizen Zviad Maisashvili, who was severely beaten by riot police last year. All were either featured in the BBC documentary or had their work cited in the investigation, which the ruling party has dismissed as “absurd” and “a lie.”

On December 10, SSSG released its preliminary findings into allegations that police used a World War I–era chemical weapon against protesters during last year’s anti-government demonstrations. While acknowledging that a chemical irritant was deployed, the agency insists that it was O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS gas) — a standard type of tear gas widely used in riot control — and not camite, the rare choking agent identified in a BBC investigation.

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Developments in relations with the USA and EU

US Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) blocked the advance of the MEGOBARI Act, which foresees sanctions on Georgian officials, by turning down a request from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in November to include it in the annual defence bill, The Hill reported on December 3, citing two congressional aides. The Hill said this marked the “second time in three months” that Thune had blocked a bipartisan effort to add the legislation to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The Hill also said Johnson’s intervention came as a surprise. “Speaker Johnson’s lobbying was welcome but seemed to come out of nowhere,” one congressional aide told the outlet. “We thought the bill was dead after Thune shot it down in September. We tried hard to get the bill into the NDAA at the last minute at the Speaker’s request, but couldn’t overcome Thune’s opposition.” Thune held firm opposition to advancing the bill. “He just said flat no,” another aide told The Hill. Neither Thune’s nor Johnson’s offices responded to The Hill’s requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has said it will suspend visa liberalisation for Georgian diplomatic passport holders as new European Union rules enter into force at the end of December, while not ruling out targeting the entire population of the South Caucasus country if measures aren’t implemented to strengthen democratic rights and freedoms.

The announcement came as the Commission, on December 19, presented its annual report on non-EU countries whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel for up to 90 days in every 180-day period. The rules apply to entry to most bloc members as well as EU-associated countries such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Georgian citizens have enjoyed this benefit since 2017.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “The Hill: Senate Majority Leader Thune Blocks Push to Advance MEGOBARI Act”, https://civil.ge/archives/713473

  • JOZWIAK Rikard, RFE/RL, “European Commission To Suspend Visa-Free Travel For Georgian Diplomats”, https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-suspend-visa-free-travel-georgian-diplomats/33628067.html

Georgia further tightens protest rules, targets pavement rallies

On December 10, Georgian Dream MPs adopted legislative changes further tightening protest rules, including extending assembly restrictions to pedestrian zones and requiring organisers to submit advance notice of gatherings to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations and the Code of Administrative Offences, introduced on December 8, were rushed through all three readings and rubber-stamped on December 10.

The changes further tighten protest rules, last amended in October, when offences such as “blocking roads” and “covering faces,” along with other protest-related administrative violations, became punishable by immediate detention rather than fines, while repeat offences became subject to criminal liability carrying sentences of up to one year in prison.

The current version expands the offence punishable by administrative detention beyond “blocking roads” to also include blocking “areas of movement of people.” “50, 100, or even 150 people should not be allowed to violate the rights of four million people,” the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on December 10 when asked about the purpose of the further tightened rules. “If you do not have sufficient numbers, you should not create problems for the rest of the population…When you are few in number, you must be satisfied with the circumstances you have and respect the interests of the remaining four million people,” he added.

Under the new rules, protests must not impede not only vehicular traffic but also the “movement of people,” effectively extending the offence of blocking roads to pedestrian zones. Although it was sharply criticised as yet another attempt to further restrict protest rights, some anti-government personalities decided to engage with the authorities through the new legislation. Among them was lawyer Kakha Tsikarishvili, who formally notified the Ministry about daily demonstrations planned at the parliament from December 11 to January 9, specifying the time, location, and format.

On December 19, the Ministry responded to Tsikarishvili with “mandatory instructions for compliance” published on its website for protesters. The Ministry did not fully reject the location but specified that protesters were allowed to stand only on “the steps in front of the parliament and the surrounding area” and “must not obstruct pedestrians on the sidewalk or vehicles on the road”. The instructions issued by the Ministry covered the period from December 21 to January 9. The period prior to December 21, which Tsikarishvili said he had also raised with the police, is not mentioned in the instructions.

Tsikarishvili said he considers the recent amendments unconstitutional and is currently preparing a constitutional lawsuit against them. In the meantime, the lawyer noted, he prefers to “comply with the unlawful laws as far as possible to avoid disrupting continuous protests and focus on how to engage the majority of the population in the demonstrations”.

Before the Ministry issued its instructions, police approached demonstrators at parliament at least twice and told them their protest violated the law for being unannounced. On one such occasion, Tsikarishvili was present at the demonstration and informed the officers that he had submitted a notification to the Ministry, which had yet to respond. “If you want to hold a gathering, you must wait for our permission”, a police officer told Tsikarishvili at that time, using the term “permission” even though neither the old nor the current legislation recognises such a term, while the Georgian constitution guarantees people the right to assemble peacefully “without prior authorisation”. Tsikarishvili argued to the officer that protesters needed a response only if the authorities had any objections to the demonstration, OC Media reported.

Sources:
  •  Civil.ge, “Disputed Parliament Tightens Protest Rules, Extends Restrictions to Pedestrian Areas”, https://civil.ge/archives/714235
  • GVADZABIA Mikheil, “OC Media, Georgian Interior Ministry gives tacit approval to daily protests, but limits their space”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-interior-ministry-gives-tacit-approval-to-daily-protests-but-limits-their-space/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Former Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze charged in high-profile contract killing case

Former Chief Prosecutor of Georgia, Otar Partskhaladze, has been formally charged in connection with the murder of businessman Levan Jangveladze, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on December 29. Speaking at a briefing, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze stated that the investigation into the high-profile killing has now been fully completed. He claimed that the Prosecutor’s Office has issued a formal ruling charging Partskhaladze with organising the premeditated contract murder of Jangveladze for financial gain.

“Based on extensive investigative work, we have established the identity of the individual who led the organised criminal group responsible for the contract killing of Levan Jangveladze,” Darakhvelidze said. “The investigation has gathered sufficient evidence to confirm that Otar Romanov Partskhaladze acted as the organiser of this crime.”

The investigation determined that Partskhaladze personally coordinated the planning of the killing. Acting on his instructions, Davit and Giorgi Mikadze allegedly contacted their associate, Giorgi Jokhadze, and involved him in the planning of the crime. The execution of the murder was carried out by Gela Udzilauri, a former bodyguard of Jokhadze, who was recruited specifically for the contract killing.

Partskhaladze briefly served as Georgia’s general prosecutor in late 2013 and has faced past accusations of violence and extortion linked to Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. In 2023, the US sanctioned him for ties to Russia’s consulting sector and its “malign influence” on Georgia.

The murder of Levan Jangveladze took place in Tbilisi’s upscale Vake district, on one of the city’s main streets, Chavchavadze Avenue, on the evening of March 14.  Levan Jangveladze was the brother of an influential member of the so-called thieves-in-law, Merab Jangveladze. Partskhaladze is the latest former Georgian Dream official to be charged or accused of committing crimes.

Sources:

  • Georgia Today, “Former Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze charged in high-profile contract killing case”, https://georgiatoday.ge/former-chief-prosecutor-otar-partskhaladze-charged-in-high-profile-contract-klilling-case/

  • BARDOUKA Yousef, OC Media, “Georgia charges disgraced former Prosecutor General with ordering high-profile murder”, https://oc-media.org/georgia-charges-disgraced-former-prosecutor-general-with-ordering-high-profile-murder/

Ex-State Security chief Grigol Liluashvili arrested on bribery charges

Former head of Georgia’s State Security Service Grigol Liluashvili has been arrested on bribery charges involving multiple alleged schemes, including those related to Georgia’s infamous scam call centres. He faces 11 to 15 years in prison. The arrest follows a broader series of prosecutions targeting former Georgian Dream officials, particularly targeting figures linked to Liluashvili and former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, who is currently free on bail while facing trial on serious money-laundering charges.

Liluashvili, who led SSSG since 2019 before his resignation in April 2025, has been charged under Article 338, Parts 2 and 3 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which cover taking a bribe “on a particularly large scale” by a prearranged group. According to Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze, who announced the arrest during a December 23 press briefing, the first instance of bribery occurred in October 2022, when Liluashvili allegedly received 1 million USD from Turkish investor Cagatay Ulker. The transaction was mediated by Romeo Mikautadze, who was the first deputy economy minister at the time and is currently in jail on corruption charges, Civil.ge reported.

“The purpose of the payment was to secure lobbying support for the signing of a memorandum of cooperation related to the construction of wind power plants,” Gvarakidze said.

A second episode occurred in February 2022, the general prosecutor said, when Liluashvili, again through Mikautadze, “demanded and received 1.5 million GEL (558.893 USD)” from businessman Giorgi Khazhalia, founder of Expressservice 2008, in exchange for assistance in gasification tenders.

A third set of allegations concerns activities between 2021 and 2023 linked to scam call centres. Gvarakidze said, “a smaller portion of the call centres was primarily protected by Grigol Liluashvili,” adding that the alleged protection was carried out through his relative, Sandro Liluashvili.          Gvarakidze further claimed that many of the call centres were owned by individuals who used the proceeds “to finance various opposition media outlets.” Investigators are examining what he described as a scheme in which Liluashvili and accomplices allegedly ensured that “the existence of scam call centres financing opposition media outlets was not exposed.” In return, he said, those outlets “refrained from covering information about the scam call centres operating under Liluashvili’s protection, despite having knowledge of this information.”

Notably, Liluashvili has faced allegations of shielding scam call centres before, and he sued Formula and Mtavari TV channels back in 2022 over their reporting on his alleged links to the centres. Judge Nino Shamatava ruled in Liluashvili’s favour, finding that the outlets had defamed him.

A fourth episode involves allegations that Liluashvili abused his official position to protect a close associate, Kakhaber Gvantseladze, the former head of Tbilisi City Hall’s Agency for the Management of Preschool Institutions.

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