Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of June 2026

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

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Armenia PM’s ruling party wins parliamentary elections

On June 7, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling party, Civil Contract, won parliamentary elections. Pashinyan has sought to loosen Armenia’s dependence on Moscow, while forging closer ties with the West.  His ruling Civil Contract party got 49.8% of the vote, comfortably ahead of the 23.3% of the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia alliance, after all electoral precincts declared results. Two other opposition forces – ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s “Armenia” alliance and the Prosperous Armenia party – also cleared the electoral threshold to enter Parliament, winning 9.9% and 4% of the vote, respectively. The turnout was 59%.

Pashinyan hailed his party’s “historic victory that will ensure Armenia’s eternity and development.” He pledged to “continue the course of rapprochement with the West” while also developing Armenia’s relations with Russia. His opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, called the elections “shameful” and denounced violations and repression, saying dozens of his campaign staff had been arrested.

Russia claimed on the same day that Armenia’s parliamentary election was held amid Western interference and “unprecedented pressure” on the country’s opposition. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasised that preliminary results show a significant decline in support for the country’s ruling Civil Contract party. Zakharova said there is a “clear demand” in Armenian society for closer ties with Russia and for Yerevan’s continued participation in Eurasian integration structures. As for Moscow’s future relations with Armenia, she said: “We intend to formulate our course taking into account the actual steps taken by the Armenian leadership.”

As the OC Media stressed, plans to change Armenia’s constitution — a precondition for finalising the peace agreement with Azerbaijan — remain uncertain after the ruling Civil Contract party failed to secure a constitutional majority in parliamentary elections, and they failed to secure the seats required to approve a referendum motion — a two-thirds majority. According to the preliminary results, the ruling Civil Contract party is set to receive 64 seats in Parliament, Strong Armenia 29, and the Armenia Alliance 12.

“We will assess the situation, discuss it, and draw conclusions”, Pashinyan said one day after elections, in response to a question on whether constitutional reform remains on the agenda after his party failed to secure a majority of seats, or whether there are alternative ways to hold a referendum. Pashinyan and his party previously announced their intention to hold a referendum on a new constitution after the parliamentary elections. Although Armenian authorities have officially expressed their desire to change the constitution, they insist that they were not doing so based on Azerbaijan’s demands.

Azerbaijani officials, including President Ilham Aliyev, have repeatedly stated that Armenia’s constitution contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan and demanded that it be changed, making it one of the biggest roadblocks to the signing of the peace treaty initialled in Washington in August 2025.

Armenia’s constitution references the Declaration of Independence, which, in turn, states that the declaration was “based” on a joint decision by Soviet Armenia’s Supreme Council and the Nagorno-Karabakh National Council on the “reunification” of the two territories.

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Armenian opposition leaders under increasing pressure and scrutiny after the elections

Shortly after the parliamentary elections, which cemented the power of the ruling Civil Contract party, several representatives of the Armenian opposition found themselves under pressure. Businessman and leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, Gagik Tsarukyan, has become the subject of an investigation into large-scale tax evasion just two days after the parliamentary elections.

On June 9, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia announced that a travel ban had also been imposed on Tsarukyan. The prosecutor’s statement followed reports in media outlets close to the Armenian authorities that Tsarukyan had attempted to leave the country on June 9 via Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, but was prevented from doing so.

On the same day, Armenian law enforcement authorities placed under pre-trial detention two of the six wanted parliamentary candidates from the Strong Armenia party. They are suspected of money laundering and voter bribery.

On June 22, Armenia revoked the operating license of Tsarukyans Shangri La Casino, the country’s largest casino. The order cites a State Revenue Committee inspection that, according to the document, identified inconsistencies between the figures recorded by the casino’s gambling machines and the data the company reported to tax authorities.

Just a couple of days later, on June 25, Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office submitted a motion to the Central Election Commission seeking consent to strip Tsarukyan of immunity and initiate criminal proceedings against him, the CEC said.

On June 12, the Strong Armenia Alliance’s lead candidate, Narek Karapetyan, announced in a social media video that he was not allowed to cross the Armenia–Georgia land border and had been placed under a travel ban. Separately, the opposition Prosperous Armenia party has accused the authorities of invalidating votes to block it from entering Parliament.

On June 17, Armenia’s Central Election Commission stripped former president Robert Kocharyan of parliamentary immunity. Kocharyan leads the opposition Armenian alliance, which won seats in Parliament in the June 7 parliamentary election. As a result, the Prosecutor General’s Office can now initiate criminal proceedings against him. The commission held the session behind closed doors and did not allow journalists to attend the discussion.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has not yet disclosed the charges it intends to bring against Kocharyan. According to his lawyer, Aram Orbelyan, prosecutors accuse the former president of abuse of office and money laundering.

In late June, Armenian authorities detained Artur Abrahamyan, a candidate from Strong Armenia Alliance, on money laundering and electoral bribery charges. Abrahamyan and three other party members fled after being charged after the election, with the latter remaining at large. A total of six Strong Armenia members have been charged with election-related wrongdoing in connection with the same case as Abrahamyan.

Ahead of the elections, Armenian authorities launched dozens of criminal cases alleging vote-buying by the main opposition groups. New cases have continued to emerge after the vote, with investigators publishing wiretapped recordings as evidence to support the allegations. In addition to cases involving Strong Armenia candidates, members of Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia and others have been detained in the post-election period.

Sources:

  • Sova News, “Investigation opened against Tsarukyan two days after elections”, https://sovanews.tv/en/2026/06/10/investigation-opened-against-tsarukyan-two-days-after-elections/

  • Civil News, “Opposition tycoon Tsarukyan stripped of casino license”, https://civilnet.am/en/news/1012661

  • ArmenPress, “Prosecutor General’s Office seeks consent to lift Tsarukyan’s immunity”, https://armenpress.am/en/article/1254036

  • JAM News, “Armenian election commission lifts ex-president Robert Kocharyan’s immunity”, https://jam-news.net/armenian-election-commission-lifts-kocharyans-immunity/

  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Narek Karapetyan placed under travel ban after Strong Armenia demands vote annulment”, https://oc-media.org/narek-karapetyan-placed-under-travel-ban-after-strong-armenia-demands-vote-annulment/

  • OSTILLER Nate, OC Media, “Fugitive Armenian opposition figure detained for electoral bribery as arrests continue”, https://oc-media.org/fugitive-armenian-opposition-figure-detained-for-electoral-bribery-as-arrests-continue/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Russia intensifies economic pressure on Armenia

In June 2026, Rosselkhoznadzor expanded the list of import bans from Armenia to include dozens of types of goods. As reported by Caucasian Knot, Rosselkhoznadzor imposed temporary restrictions on the import of flowers from Armenia starting May 22, 2026, and on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and strawberries starting May 30. Furthermore, the import of all batches of Armenian mineral water “Jermuk” and certain cognacs and wines to Russia has been suspended, and the import of fish from Armenia has been significantly restricted.

As of June 2, Rosselkhoznadzor extended the ban to fresh grapes and stone fruits, including cherries, and as of June 3, to potatoes, eggplants, pome fruits, and dried fruits. “The decision was made due to the systematic detection of quarantine objects…,” the agency’s statement reads.

Signalling no letup in their economic pressure on Armenia, Russian authorities blacklisted on June 26 the last two Armenian fish farms that were still technically allowed to export their products to Russia. As Azatutyun noted, fish farming in the landlocked country has grown exponentially over the last 10-15 years, backed by soaring fish exports, almost entirely absorbed by Russia. The latter reportedly imported about 80 million USD worth of Armenian fish last year, sharply up from 3.6 million USD in 2016.

As early as June 2026, the Armenian government adopted a support programme for exporters of products intended for Russia in a bid to “diversify” export markets. The programme covers exporters of greenhouse-grown fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and will run for a one-month period, retroactively applied from June 1, with a possibility of extension. Under the scheme, exporters can receive government support for four products: 770 AMD (1.9 USD) per kilogram of strawberries, 275 AMD (0.69 USD) per kilogram of tomatoes, 400 AMD (1 USD) per kilogram of peppers, and 37 AMD (0.09 USD) per flower.

“The consistent goal of the Ministry of Economy is to diversify markets, reduce dependence on a single market, and position Armenian products in the global market. In this context, there is a need to support Armenian economic operators in diversifying markets and forming new supply chains”, Deputy Economy Minister Arman Khojoyan said during a cabinet meeting.

According to RFE/RL, amid Russian restrictions, the EU is expected to provide financial assistance to Yerevan. According to Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RL’s Europe editor, the EU Commission „announced 50 million EUR in support of Armenia“ and „will import, to start with, 10,000 Armenian flowers that were blocked by Russia“.  The EU Ambassador to Armenia, Vassilis Maragos, confirmed the EU assistance.

Sources:

  • Caucasian Knot, “Rosselkhoznadzor has expanded the list of import bans from Armenia to include dozens of types of goods”, https://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/76047

  • STEPANIAN Ruzanna, Azatutyun.am, “All Armenian Fish Farms Blacklisted By Russia”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33789708.html

  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Armenia offers subsidies to exporters amidst Russian restrictions”, https://oc-media.org/armenia-offers-subsidies-to-exporters-amidst-russian-restrictions/

The Government of Israel unanimously approved a proposal to recognise the Armenian Genocide

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has announced a bill in the country’s Parliament to officially recognise the Armenian Genocide on June 25. “Recognising the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people in the final years of the Ottoman Empire is both a moral and historical duty. We must also firmly condemn any denial, minimisation, or distortion of the historical truth”, Sa’ar wrote on X.

On June 28, the decision was passed unanimously by the government. As the OC Media noted, Armenian Genocide recognition has remained a highly politicised issue for Israel, due to its complex relations with Turkey, which, as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies that the genocide took place. Others have argued that Israel’s recognition would diminish the status of the Holocaust as a historically unique genocide in terms of the number of victims. A third factor is Israel’s close ties with Azerbaijan, which explicitly denies that the genocide occurred and has, along with Turkey, lobbied against its recognition.

There have been previous attempts to pass a bill to officially recognise the genocide in the Israeli Parliament, but they have all failed to be adopted.

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Azerbaijan

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The diplomatic process between Baku and Yerevan continues

On June 14, Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev, one of the most influential figures in the Azerbaijani government, paid his first working visit to Armenia, meeting the Secretary of the Armenian Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, OC Media reported. This marks the second time a high-ranking Azerbaijani official has visited Armenia since the initialling of a peace deal in August 2025.

According to identical statements issued by both sides, the two discussed the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan and exchanged views on confidence-building measures between the two countries’ civil societies. “The importance of sustained bilateral dialogue was underscored in the context of efforts aimed at promoting lasting peace and stability in the region”, the statement read. The two sides also confirmed that the next meeting would take place in Azerbaijan.

The meeting came shortly after Armenia held parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party winning a decisive victory. However, plans to change Armenia’s constitution remain uncertain, after the party failed to secure a constitutional majority.      Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has described Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev’s recent visit to Armenia as an important step in maintaining momentum in the normalisation process between the two countries. “I instructed Armen Grigoryan to discuss with his Azerbaijani counterpart whether there was a need for a meeting or not,” Pashinyan said.

According to the Armenian prime minister, both Armenian and Azerbaijani expert circles had identified trends that could potentially lead to heightened tensions, making continued dialogue necessary. “We observed certain trends, both within Azerbaijani expert circles and within Armenian expert circles, that could have led to an escalation of the situation. As is our responsibility, we are engaged in managing the situation,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leading telecom companies agreed to a joint internet transit project. The major agreement to transit internet traffic through the territories of both states marks a new step in the peace process. The agreement is expected to diversify regional connectivity routes, enhance reliability and resilience in the South Caucasus, and support infrastructure development in Eurasian telecom networks. In nearly identical statements, each operator said that, “being the leading transit operator in the region,” they are “expanding the number and geography of countries supplying international Internet traffic”. Telecom Armenia said it is thus “ensuring transit through its own infrastructure to Azerbaijan,” while AzerTelecom said it “ensures the transit of internet traffic to Armenia using its own infrastructure.”

Both companies said that “such agreements are aimed at diversifying connection routes in the region, further increasing the reliability of telecommunication networks and developing cooperation in the field of telecommunications.”

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Azerbaijan moves to regulate access of youth to social media

New rules approved by Azerbaijan’s Science and Education Minister Emin Amrullayev on the use of mobile phones and electronic devices in preschool groups and general education schools have come into force on July 1. Under the rules, students may not use mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops or other portable electronic devices during lessons.

Students must switch off their devices or set them to silent during classes. Schools will keep them in designated storage areas, such as boxes, lockers, or shelves, until lessons end. Teachers may allow exceptions for educational purposes or in emergency situations, JAM News reported.

Education expert Kamran Asadov argues that mobile phones distract students during lessons, reduce academic performance, affect mental wellbeing and undermine classroom discipline. “The ban will help students concentrate better in class without distractions from social media, games or constant notifications. It could also encourage face-to-face communication and strengthen social skills, while reducing cyberbullying and the spread of harmful content in the classroom. Some schools that introduced similar restrictions earlier have already reported better attendance.

Meanwhile, as BNE Intellinews reported, Azerbaijan’s Parliament is considering legislation that would bar children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms, triggering a debate over child protection, free expression and the practical enforceability of the rules against global technology companies.

The draft amendments to the Law on Information, Informatisation and Protection of Information were discussed at a joint session of the National Assembly’s committees on human rights, family, women and children’s affairs and on legal policy and state building on June 8. The bill was drawn up following a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on February 27 ordering the Cabinet of Ministers to prepare relevant legislation within three months, taking into account international experience.

Under the proposals, children under 16 would be prohibited from opening personal digital accounts on social media platforms, subject to age restrictions. Teenagers aged 16 to 18 would be permitted to register, but only with the explicit consent of a legal guardian. The list of platforms covered by the restrictions would be determined by a body designated by the relevant executive authority. Providers would also be required to submit annual reports to state bodies by January 15 each year.

The bill targets what it describes as manipulative design techniques. Zahid Oruj, chairman of the human rights committee, said that for 16-to-18-year-olds, features such as infinite scroll and autoplay video would be prohibited on their accounts, and that the content and advertising visible to them, as well as their hours of platform use, would be managed by their legal guardian.

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The National Cybersecurity Agency was established in Azerbaijan

The National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) was established within the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan in early June. According to the official statement the NCA is a public legal entity that provides regulation and control in the field of cybersecurity in the country, as well as increasing resilience, including coordinating the activities of information infrastructure entities, conducting preventive measures to identify, investigate and prevent actions aimed at violating the cybersecurity of information infrastructure, informing at the national level about existing and potential cyber threats, public education, state and non-state institutions in the field of cybersecurity and providing them with methodological support, as well as taking measures against the posting of prohibited information on Internet resources and activities in the field of personal data protection.

The NCA will replace the Electronic Security Service, a roughly 30-person body created in 2013 and that operated under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. As the OC Media stressed, the new agency will have “far-reaching powers with few checks and balances”.

The NCA gathers functions that were previously scattered across ministries, courts, and prosecutors: website blocking, traffic filtering, personal data oversight, broadcast protection, and even the blocking of foreign gambling sites, concentrating them within one well-funded agency answerable to the minister and, ultimately, to the president. And in the fine print, the agency’s data-protection mandate is drawn so that the security services that actually surveil journalists and activists fall outside its reach.

“In ordinary circumstances, a court order is required for a block to be enacted. In Azerbaijan, however, where the authorities deem the content to pose a danger to the state or society, the relevant body may block a site without a court order within eight hours of notifying its owner,” writes the OC Media.

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Georgia

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Georgia criticised by the European Parliament and PACE resolutions

The European Parliament adopted a critical resolution on Georgia on June 17, calling on the EU and its member states to impose “targeted personal sanctions” on Bidzina Ivanishvili and other “key Georgian Dream leaders,” expressing regret that the authorities have not taken any steps to reverse “anti-European course,” and reiterating the “non-recognition of the legitimacy” of the country’s disputed Parliament and authorities.

The report states that Georgian Dream has effectively reversed Georgia’s European integration course and failed to meet the conditions attached to the country’s candidate status. MEPs argued that official claims regarding EU integration as a strategic priority are contradicted by what they described as a coordinated campaign against the EU, its representatives, and diplomats. The Parliament also maintained that the parliamentary elections of October 2024 were rigged and stated that the ruling party has since accelerated the country’s movement toward authoritarian governance.

Strong criticism was directed at Georgian Dream-affiliated media outlets, including Imedi TV, PosTV, and Rustavi 2, which the report accused of conducting disinformation campaigns against the EU and its representatives. The Parliament noted the United Kingdom’s sanctions against Imedi TV and PosTV and encouraged EU member states to consider similar restrictive measures.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a similar resolution on June 24. The resolution regrets that the democratic backsliding in Georgia has continued “unabated,” alongside what it describes as “a crackdown on civil society, political opposition and dissent.” It also says that none of the Assembly’s previous “urgent recommendations” have been addressed by the Georgian authorities.

The resolution on “the functioning of democratic institutions in Georgia,” based on a report by co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Ćudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE), was adopted following a debate, with 83 voting in favour, 5 against, and 4 abstaining. Ten different amendments were considered, but the Assembly ended up adopting only part of them, including the one that raised the issue of deported Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has described both resolutions as a “blatant attack” on Georgia’s sovereignty. He said the documents had crossed the “red lines” set by the Georgian people.        According to Papuashvili, the European Parliament resolution, drafted by Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, sends the political message that the legitimacy of Georgia’s government should be determined not by Georgian voters but by what he described as “Brussels’ political bureaucracy”. He argued that this approach contradicts the fundamental democratic principle that the people are the ultimate source of political authority.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “EU Parliament Adopts Critical Resolution on Georgia, Calls for ‘Targeted’ Sanctions on Ivanishvili, GD Leaders”, https://civil.ge/archives/740089

  • Civil.ge, “PACE Adopts Resolution Noting ‘Continuing Breakdown of Democracy’ in Georgia”, https://civil.ge/archives/742301

Ivanishvili’s former bodyguard appointed Deputy Interior Minister

On June 10, Police Colonel Giorgi Bakhuashvili was appointed as Georgia’s new Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. “Until now, Giorgi Bakhuashvili held the position of Director of the General Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He has many years of experience working within the ministry,” the statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted.

As the OC Media reminded, Bakhuashvili used to be directly responsible for the security detail of the ruling Georgian Dream party founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. According to a biography published on the same page, Bakhuashvili worked in the Special State Protection Service (SSPS) as a senior officer from 2007 to 2017, and then held various positions in the Interior Ministry’s Security Police Department from 2017 to 2026. He also served in the Special Tasks Department — the official name for the riot police — in 2021 and 2023.

Bakhuashvili drew media attention only after being appointed head of the General Inspection Department. Opposition-leaning TV Pirveli aired an extensive report on May 23, noting that Bakhuashvili had worked as security for Ivanishvili and his family for at least a decade. The appointment of former members of Ivanishvili’s security detail to senior positions is not an unusual practice. Anzor Chubinidze, who currently heads the SSPS, previously led Ivanishvili’s personal security team, noted the OC Media. Former Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri has a similar background, having headed Ivanishvili’s security until 2013. He then briefly served as Interior Minister in 2015. He went on to serve as head of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) between 2015 and 2019, before returning as Interior Minister from 2019 to 2025.

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Ivanishvili’s ex-lawyer starts a new party

The Georgia First (“Jer Sakartvelo” in Georgian) initiative, founded by Viktor Kipiani, a think tank figure and former lawyer of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, held a founding congress to become a political party.

“We do not claim to be only an opposition party. We aim for more. We want to be a political party oriented toward change,” he said. Georgia First describes its ideology as “pragmatic right” and seeks to build a “thinking state.”

Kipiani stated that the party rejects dividing Georgians into categories of “patriots” and “the stateless,” and opposes distinguishing between friendly and unfriendly countries in the “civilised world.” Kipiani also noted that the party rejects the “cult of glorification of personalities” as well as political revenge and retribution.

He added that the initiative was shaped by political developments in the country over recent years, which he said had negatively affected the state’s development. The party counts several prominent public figures among its ranks, including former Georgian Public Broadcaster anchor Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, diplomat Valeri Chechelashvili, former Deputy Economy Minister Nikoloz Alavidze, and activist Giorgi Tumasyan.

Viktor Kipiani, as a Senior Partner at MKD Law, represented Bidzina Ivanishvili’s interests as the latter reported facing troubles with his assets in the West following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Kipiani providing lengthy letters detailing Ivanishvili’s concerns.

The two parted ways in March 2023, after Georgian Dream first introduced the widely contested Foreign Agents Law that sparked mass protests. Kipiani publicly criticised the bill and the ruling party, and shortly afterwards, then-Georgian Dream MP Anri Okhanashvili confirmed that he no longer represented Ivanishvili.

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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Elene Khoshtaria to be transferred to a civilian clinic for examination amid health concerns

Elene Khoshtaria, jailed leader of the opposition Droa party, will be transferred to the civilian Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi for examination, officials confirmed after her doctors, lawyer, and family raised alarms over her “noticeably” deteriorating health in prison, reported Civil.ge.

Giorgi Pataridze, head of Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service, told reporters on June 29 that Khoshtaria will be transferred to the clinic in “about two days,” and will undergo examinations under the supervision of her personal doctors. Khoshtaria will be subjected to treatment “in accordance with international recommendations” only after the diagnosis based on “every necessary examination” and “consultations with every specialist deemed necessary,” doctor Maka Ioseliani said after the meeting on June 29.

Zurab Chkhaidze, the clinical director of the Vivamed clinic, later stated that the clinic will not participate in Elene Khoshtaria’s treatment and will only provide infrastructure. “Vivamed provides the infrastructure. If tests are necessary, they will be carried out in the clinic. The patient will have her own attending physician. Doctors deemed necessary by the attending physician may join as consultants. Our medical staff is not participating in the treatment process. It is not yet known when she will be transferred to the clinic. All questions should be addressed to her attending physician,” Chkhaidze stated.

Khoshtaria was detained on September 15, 2025, after writing “Russian Dream” on a campaign banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.  On June 17, Khoshtaria’s defence lawyer said in a briefing that her health has “noticeably” deteriorated in prison over recent months, accusing the penitentiary system of providing only “sporadic, unsystematic, and ineffective” care. The lawyer cited symptoms such as “severe joint pain; difficulty moving, periodically, limited range of motion, due to which she is sometimes unable even to write, and requires a cane when moving,” warning of “irreversible damage” and possible eventual need for a wheelchair.

The Penitentiary Service dismissed the allegations as “disinformation,” arguing her diagnoses predated her incarceration and insisting that she is “provided with all relevant conditions and freely uses all services, including medical services.”

Sources:
  •  Civil.ge, “Elene Khoshtaria to Be Transferred to Civilian Clinic for Examination Amid Health Concerns”, https://civil.ge/archives/742960
  • Sova News, “Vivamed Clinical Director: Clinic Will Not Participate in Elene Khoshtaria’s Treatment”, https://sovanews.tv/en/2026/07/01/vivamed-clinical-director-clinic-will-not-participate-in-elene-khoshtarias-treatment/
Hate speech division flags 170 offences in first month

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said on June 1 that a newly established Division for Combating Hate Speech, tasked with monitoring and detecting alleged hate-speech offences, has begun operating with an initial staff of 10 within the ministry’s Human Rights Protection Department. According to the ministry, “the main function and duties of the division will be to monitor and proactively detect publicly disseminated statements that violate/insult human dignity and contain hate speech, which contain signs of violations under the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia.”

The division is also responsible for identifying alleged offenders, establishing their identities, preparing administrative case materials, drafting offence reports, and forwarding cases to courts in accordance with jurisdictional rules, the ministry said in a statement.

The head of the newly established division will be Tamta Kimbarishvili, a lawyer who represented the Ministry of Internal Affairs in numerous administrative cases related to anti-government protests. In June 2025, she was among a group of ministry lawyers awarded certificates of appreciation by then-Interior Minister Geka Geladze for their “conscientious performance of official duties and high professionalism.”

The establishment of the division follows a May 18 announcement by Mamuka Mdinaradze, Georgian Dream State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies, who said the initiative aimed to combat hate speech while safeguarding freedom of expression. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has detected 170 suspected public order offences related to hate speech between June 1 and July 1, 2026, with 150 cases already referred to the common courts. According to ministry data, of the 150 cases submitted, courts have already reached summary decisions on 33, with fines handed down in 31 instances. The remaining two cases concluded with formal verbal warnings.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Mamuka Mdinaradze, also explicitly linked the new measures to tackling long-standing societal polarisation, aimed at domestic critics and broadcasters. “The urgent necessity to eliminate public abuse and hate speech arose precisely because, for years, these people institutionalised abuse and bullying as a normal standard. They turned profanity on television broadcasts and across media outlets into a commonplace occurrence, which ultimately triggered extreme polarisation within our society,” Mdinaradze said.

In one publicly known case, the Tbilisi City Court fined lawyer Shota Tutberidze for a social media comment directed at ruling-party MP Nino Tsilosani. The ruling against Tutberidze was issued by Judge Davit Makaradze, who imposed a fine of 4.000 GEL (1.500 USD), accusing the former of insulting an officeholder. The decision concerned a June 1 comment by Tutberidze on Tsilosani’s Facebook post announcing a Georgian parliamentary delegation’s visit to Canada. “Should they swear at your mother’s ass there too, Niniko, or you’re just going to visit the zoo and then come straight back?”, he wrote in reference to Tsilosani’s visit, as cited by the OC Media.

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “Interior Ministry’s Anti-‘Hate-Speech’ Division Starts Operating with Ten Staffers”, https://civil.ge/archives/736426

  • 1tv.ge, “Vice PM Mdinaradze: Hate speech division flags 170 offences in first month, Interior Ministry figures show”, https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/vice-pm-mdinaradze-hate-speech-division-flags-170-offences-in-first-month-interior-ministry-figures-show/?__cf_chl_f_tk=_ye3KuMSaS7ox8EjQiq01PX_1ULjCjrzUBOsogSm8Y8-1782978815-1.0.1.1-e6TYczD6PQYnEK1L8cgz26bPWu5OvrzbsrFvrrXn6d0

  • GVADZABIA Mikheil, OC Media, “Georgia’s new ‘scrolling and screenshots department’ sends dozens to court over public remarks”, https://oc-media.org/georgias-new-scrolling-and-screenshots-department-sends-dozens-to-court-over-public-remarks/

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