Month: May 2025
Georgian Airways is facing scrutiny after reports emerged that one of its VIP aircraft, typically reserved for government use, was allegedly used to transport former aide to Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Co-Investment Fund chief Giorgi Bachaishvili from Abu Dhabi to Tbilisi under what his lawyers describe as an unlawful cross-border abduction involving blindfolds, secrecy, and the absence of formal extradition procedures.
According to Business Media Georgia (BM.Ge), a Bombardier CRJ aircraft, landed in Abu Dhabi on May 26 at 12:39 GMT. The jet, which is operated by Georgian Airways and regularly used for government-related travel but also available for private charter, allegedly flew with its navigation transponder disabled for most of the journey—only activating roughly 20 minutes before entering Persian Gulf airspace, obscuring the flight’s origin. The aircraft departed again at 18:25 local time (14:25 GMT), again disabling its transponder mid-air, rendering its next destination untraceable via public aviation databases.
The following day, on May 27, Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) announced Bachaishvili’s arrest, stating that it had received “an anonymous tip” claiming the fugitive businessman—who holds dual Georgian-Russian citizenship —had been spotted near the so-called “green border zone” between Red Bridge and Sadakhlo. That segment of the border connects Georgia with Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to the agency, Bachaishvili was apprehended during joint investigative operations involving the Interior Ministry.
But Bachaishvili offered a different account in a May 29 court hearing, alleging he was kidnapped on May 24.
“On Saturday, May 24, they kidnapped me from abroad, blindfolded me, and kept me there for two days,” Bachaishvili told the court. “Without consulting a lawyer, prosecutor, judge, or family member, in violation of all rules. Then, they loaded me directly into an Georgian airways Bombardier plane and, in violation of all laws, brought me back to Georgia,”
His lawyer, Davit Jandieri, confirmed with Interpressnews that Bachaishvili was flown in aboard the Bombardier aircraft. Jandieri described the flight as a “special charter” and stated that his client is capable of identifying several other passengers on board. He declined to name the country where Bachaishvili was allegedly detained, but said with certainty that it was not in the Caucasus region.
“I can tell you with certainty that this was not the territory of the Caucasus and was not consistent with the statement that was made by the State Security Service,” said Jandieri. “I know the approximate location, where it was, however, I cannot talk about such details.”
Jandieri added that no formal extradition process had taken place and no legal documentation had been filed. He said Bachaishvili was moved between multiple locations over a two-day period while partially blindfolded and without access to legal counsel. The defense team plans to formally request an investigation into what it characterizes as a “criminal abduction.”
In response to inquiries from BM.Ge, Georgian Airways declined to confirm or deny the aircraft’s involvement. “People rent private jets every day,” the airline said. “Additional information is personal data and we cannot tell you anything, nor can we comment. As for our government plane, the plane has been abroad for a long time for technical inspection and is not serving passengers.”
Separately, in comments to Formula TV, the airline insisted that all flights in and out of international airports are subject to oversight: “We would like to clearly state that it is impossible for any citizen to board or depart from any international airport on any airline in an illegal manner. This process is monitored by many relevant structures and such accusations are completely baseless and meaningless.”
The SSSG has not responded to the abduction claims.
Bachaishvili fled Georgia on March 9, citing fears of imminent arrest. In an interview with The Guardian published the night before his capture, he claimed that intelligence services from two countries had warned him of an active plot to kill him. On March 10, one day after his departure, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Bachaishvili in absentia to 11 years in prison on charges of embezzling cryptocurrency and laundering funds allegedly linked to Georgian billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Prosecutors say Bachaishvili stole large sums in digital assets and cash during his time leading the Co-Investment Fund. He was ordered to post 2.5 million Georgian lari (approximately USD 900,000) in bail and banned from leaving the country, a restriction he defied by fleeing.
Also Read:
- 01/05/2025 – Court Orders Ivanishvili’s Ex-Aide to Pay Nearly One Billion Dollars in Bitcoins
- 26/02/2025 – Prosecutors Launch New Case Against Ivanishvili’s Former Aide Bachiashvili
- 26/10/2024 – Interview with Giorgi Bachiashvili, Former Head of Ivanishvili’s Co-Investment Fund
- 13/03/2025 – Arrested Businessman Accuses Ivanishvili and GD of Connection with Russian Special Services
- 07/07/2023 – Former Head of Co-Investment Fund Accused of Embezzling $39 Million Worth of Bitcoin
At the ongoing hearing at the Baku Military Court, the victim Vugar Sultanli testified that he was injured during the evacuation of fallen officers—Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev, and others—who were martyred during the Tovuz clashes on July 14, 2020. Sultanli stated that they came under fire from Armenian armed forces during the evacuation and were wounded by the explosion of an enemy shell that landed nearby.
Shelling of Khoznavar village
Last night, Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire once again in the direction of the village of Khoznavar in Armenia’s Syunik Province. According to the Armenian Defence Ministry, a residential house was damaged, but no casualties were reported.
Baku denies this information, claiming that “Azerbaijani army units never fire at civilians or civilian infrastructure.” Moreover, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry accuses the Armenian side of “spreading false information to distort international perception and lay the groundwork for further provocations.” This has already led Armenian experts to suggest that Baku may soon issue more unfounded accusations of shelling from Armenia.
According to ruling party MP Armen Khachatryan, Baku’s goal is to sow panic among residents of the border areas. Meanwhile, opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan believes these deliberate and systematic violations must be taken more seriously.
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- ‘If Trump demands it, Baku will sign peace deal with Yerevan’- opinion of US-based analyst
- ‘Baku rewrites history and threatens Armenia’ – on ‘Western Azerbaijan’ narrative
- ‘There will be no war, there will be peace’ and other statements by Pashinyan in Armenia’s parliament
Armenian Defence Ministry releases statement with photos of damage
The Armenian Defence Ministry reports that Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on the village of Khoznavar on the night of 29 May. This time, the shelling was relatively brief — from 01:00 to 01:15.
“We call on the Azerbaijani side to investigate the shelling of the residential house in Khoznavar and to issue a public explanation,” the statement reads.
Photos released by the Armenian Defence Ministry confirm the shelling of a residential house in the village of Khoznavar. The windows of the house were damaged.
Investigation underway to determine circumstances of the incident
MP Armen Khachatryan from the ruling Civil Contract faction notes that this is not the first such incident. Since mid-March, local residents and the Defence Ministry have periodically reported Azerbaijani fire. According to Khachatryan, the details of the incident will become clearer once the examination results are in:
“A number of forensic and ballistic examinations have been ordered. Criminal cases have been opened to determine the direction of the bullets. It must be established whether this was a targeted attack, an accidental shooting, or due to other circumstances.”
Opposition MP urges greater vigilance
Tigran Abrahamyan, secretary of the opposition “I Have Honour” faction, reminds that for the past 2–3 months, the Armenian public has been hearing optimistic statements from various countries about the imminent resolution of the conflict. He warns that this is merely a façade concealing the real situation:
“In this context, a certain ‘comfort zone’ has emerged. There’s an impression that everything is moving towards peace. However, in reality, for the past 1.5 to 2 months, there have been deliberate and systematic violations by Azerbaijan along various sections of the frontline.”
The MP believes that the frequent shelling of the two villages in Syunik Province — Khoznavar and Khndzoresk — is due to their proximity to the border, suggesting that this has made them “easy targets” for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
At the same time, Abrahamyan calls for attention to warnings from the US and Russia. He appears to be referring to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement about the real risk of armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. A similar warning was issued by Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov, who even pointed to a specific area of potential escalation:
“Tensions remain around Armenia’s Syunik Province.”
Armenia investigates Azerbaijani claims and denies violations — Baku remains silent
In early May, the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office reported an exchange of information with the Azerbaijani side regarding ceasefire violations. Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan stated that Yerevan had reviewed the data received via diplomatic channels from Baku. According to him, the investigation revealed that no such violations had been committed by the Armenian side. He also stressed that Azerbaijan was provided with detailed information on the findings.
“In addition, we shared with Baku information about violations committed by the Azerbaijani side. We expect these findings to serve as the basis for a thorough investigation,” Grigoryan said.
However, Baku has remained silent. There has been no information on whether any investigation into the data provided by Armenia has been launched.
Azerbaijan’s deepening relations with Türkiye and Pakistan continue to underscore its consistent foreign policy course—one built on the foundation of brotherhood, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation. These three nations, united by shared cultural, historical, and geopolitical ties, have emerged as a powerful triad in both regional diplomacy and international platforms. Their solidarity is not only symbolic—it is also being translated into tangible progress across economic, political, and security domains.