Month: May 2025

Georgia’s Central Election Commission came under renewed fire after making changes to election day procedures, which critics say effectively admit that voter secrecy was violated in the October 2024 parliamentary elections.

At its April 29 meeting, the CEC decided that a special cover will be placed above the slot where ballots are inserted into the electronic device to better protect the secrecy of voters’ choices during the upcoming local elections in October.

While the CEC says the change is preventive, critics argue that it reinforces the validity of widespread concerns about ballot secrecy, raised after the 2024 general election, the first elections held with electronic voting systems.

President Salome Zurabishvili, who now heads the opposition’s Resistance Platform, said at a April 30 briefing that the CEC’s latest decision “practically admits” that the secrecy of the ballot was violated in the last elections. Irakli Kupradze of the opposition Lelo party echoed the same claim at a briefing today, May 1, saying the CEC “had to admit to a very important, very serious crime,” as he accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of using the breach to pressure voters and rig the vote.

The CEC rejected the criticism, calling it “unfounded” and saying some “interested parties” are trying to “manipulatively interpret” the new rule.

“This decision does not mean that we admit the unfounded accusations of violating the secrecy of the ballot,” the CEC said in its statement today, adding, “With this decree, the election administration has made a preventive decision to avoid [further] speculations circulating in the political agenda.”

October 2024 Elections’ Black Mark

In the October 26, 2024, elections, opposition parties and watchdogs raised alarms about a potential mass breach of ballot secrecy due to the design of the voting process. They argued that the thin paper on which voters cast their ballots made it easy to detect their choices when the ballot was inserted into the machine. Critics noted that the ruling Georgian Dream party, listed as number 41, was at the bottom of the ballot, while the main opposition parties – numbered 4, 5, 9, and 25 – were at the top or in the middle, making it easier for an external eye to identify their choices.

Photos from election day showed visible traces of ink on the backs of ballots – one from test circles and others likely from the marked party choices.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), which monitored the elections, sought to have the district commissions annul the results of all electronic precincts, which covered 90 percent of polling stations. President Salome Zurabishvili also challenged the results in the Constitutional Court, citing violations of both ballot secrecy and universal suffrage. A favorable ruling would annul the results and trigger new elections. But the court – widely seen as influenced by the ruling party – refused to consider her appeal. The GYLA’s appeal also failed.

After the contested elections that handed Georgian Dream a 54% win, Georgians took to the streets. The protests gained new momentum after the ruling party’s infamous November 28 decision to abandon the country’s EU membership course. For over five months, demonstrators have been calling for new elections, though recently that demand has shown signs of shifting toward the GD government’s resignation.

Also Read:

• 17/11/2024 – Amid Brawls and Protests, CEC Announces Final Results, Stamps GD Victory
• 07/11/2024 – Tbilisi Court of Appeals Rejects Alleged Breach of Ballot Secrecy, Upholding Official Results
• 04/11/2024 – BREAKING: Judge Confirms Vote Secrecy Violation, Setting Important Precedent
• 28/10/2024 – Observer Mission Talks of Main Scheme of Large-Scale Election Fraud, Seeks Annulment of Results from 189 Polling Stations
• 27/10/2024 – My Vote Speaks of ‘Large Scale’ Rigging Scheme as Preliminary Results Give Lead to GD

For over 70 years, the Jammu and Kashmir conflict has served as a fault line for serial wars in South Asia. Now, it is attracting a new cast of geopolitical players, reinvigorating an unresolved crisis with global implications.

Azerbaijan will host European Judo Cup for Cadets for the third consecutive year on May 3-4, Azernews reports.

The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. [1] [2] The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which are sometimes collectively known as the Caucasian States.

Trade volume between Azerbaijan and US revealed  AzerNews

In January–March 2025, the volume of trade between Azerbaijan and the United States amounted to 133.7 million USD, Azernews reports, citing the State Customs Committee.

The Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is launching a new project, “Our National Pearls of Opera”, which will feature the best examples of national opera art, Azernews reports.

On April 29, four individuals were arrested on charges of assaulting Tengiz Koberidze, the director of the Shukruti mine, as tensions escalate in an ongoing labor dispute between miners and the management company in Chiatura, a western industrial town in Georgia. The town’s residents have relied heavily on the mining industry for decades and are facing a dire financial crisis as the protests have intensified in recent months.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the suspects are charged with intentionally causing less serious harm to health, an offense punishable by up to six years in prison under Article 118, Part 2 of the Criminal Code.

According to protesters, three of the detainees – Giorgi Neparidze, Merab Saralidze, and Tengiz Gvelesiani – were taken from their protest tent, while Archil Chumburidze was arrested at his home. The arrests sparked protests in Chiatura, where miners called for public support.

Six miners have been on hunger strike since April 28, while one miner, Irakli Jikidze, who has been on dry hunger strike for several days, required medical attention.

The Chiatura Management Company said on April 23 that it planned to begin reorganization and resume production, pledging that the process would be conducted transparently. It promised that current employees would have equal access to new positions through a three-stage internal competition and would be led by “highly qualified manager Mikhail Sotski,” a Russian businessman.

In turn, on April 24, miners published the alleged CMC’s proposed seven-point agreement, which, if signed, would indicate employees’ consent to a restructuring plan. The agreement includes a clause stating that some workers may be laid off, that the company would not guarantee reemployment, and that an eight-hour workday would be introduced.

On April 28, Vakhtang Natsvlishvili, the miners’ lawyer, called the agreement manipulative and said to the media that the workers lack crucial information regarding post-reorganization working conditions, including staffing plans and hiring procedures.

Protesters are demanding direct intervention from the GD government to resolve the crisis and oppose a company reorganization plan. Such pleas have so far not yielded results. Miners announced plans for a large-scale demonstration in Chiatura on May 1, International Workers’ Day.

The current crisis in Chiatura began in November 2024 when Georgian Manganese initially suspended operations. At the time, the company promised to resolve financial issues within four months and to pay miners 60% of their salaries during the shutdown. However, protesters claim these commitments were not fulfilled.

In February, the Georgian Manganese announced the complete shutdown of the mining operations, which has left around 3,500 workers facing layoffs. In March, hundreds of Chiatura miners rallied in the capital, Tbilisi, in front of the Government administration building, demanding nationalization of the mining industry and payment of owed salaries.

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On April 30, defense lawyer Mariam Pataridze said the Prosecutor’s Office had reclassified the charges against the detained miners as more serious offenses. Merab Saralidze and Giorgi Neparidze are now accused of organizing and participating in group violence, while Archil Chumburidze and Tengiz Gvelesiani face charges of participation only. The court hearing to decide on pretrial measures for the detained miners is scheduled for May 1.

The charges fall under Article 225 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which criminalizes organizing, leading, or taking part in group violence and is punishable by six to nine years in prison for organizers and four to six years for participants.

This article was updated on May 1 at 15:45 to include information regarding the reclassification of charges against the detained miners.

Also Read:

• 18/03/2025 – Chiatura Miners Protest Industry Shutdown, Demand Nationalization
• 06/12/2023 – Chiatura Miners Reach Agreement with Georgian Manganese
• 01/12/2023 – Chiatura Miners Go On Strike Over Unfulfilled Promises
• 26/06/2023 – Striking Chiatura Miners Reach Agreement with Employer
• 23/06/2023 – “Georgian Manganese” Declares Readiness to Transfer Chiatura Mines to Miners
• 12/06/2023 – Chiatura Miners Strike, Demand Raise and Improved Working Conditions

On May 1, Russia has launched direct, regular flights to the occupied Abkhazia, drawing condemnation from Tbilisi for violating international norms and Georgian law. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, UVT Aero operated the first flight from Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport to Sokhumi, two days ahead of schedule, “due to high demand.” The flight, originally scheduled for May 3, marks the first official air service between Russia and the occupied Georgian region.

Asked at a press briefing about the Georgian position on the launch of direct flights between Russia and the occupied region and whether GD had reacted sufficiently to this, Georgian Dream Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili commented that the government’s position is “clear,” further stressing that “Georgia condemns the operation of the airport in violation of international norms… This is also supported by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

Davitashvili also noted that flights between occupied Abkhazia and Russia breach both international aviation standards and Georgia’s Law on Occupation.

“In cases where our agency cannot ensure, in line with international norms, the compliance with ICAO safety standards, the ICAO will unequivocally not recognize such operations,” Davitashvili said.

Additional flights are expected from iFly Airlines and NordStar, operating routes from Moscow and Krasnoyarsk to Sokhumi, according to Russian media. All three airlines — UVT Aero, iFly, and NordStar — are under Western sanctions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

When asked whether Georgia would retaliate against Russian airlines flying to Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, Davitashvili said that companies violating the Georgian Law on Occupation are barred from operating in Georgia. “All tools at our disposal have been used,” he added.

Plans for the May 1 flights became public in late February, when Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, announced the move. The first test flight to Sokhumi airport occurred on February 7, when a Russian passenger jet landed there from Moscow — the first aircraft to do so in 32 years.

The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency has stated that no airline can legally operate international flights to or from Sokhumi without the Georgian state’s permission, in accordance with international civil aviation law. Nevertheless, Russia has continued its efforts to strengthen its foothold in the region.

On March 26, the de facto Abkhaz authorities criticized the Georgian aviation agency’s stance that the operation of Sokhumi airport is illegal, urging Tbilisi to “abandon confrontational rhetoric.”

Beyond aviation, Russia has also pushed forward with rail integration in the region. On February 27, the Russian “Lastochka” electric train reportedly completed a test run from Sochi to Sokhumi. The service had before been operating only to Gagra since June 2023. The extension of this route is seen by Georgian authorities as further evidence of Russia’s effort to consolidate control over the occupied territory.

Statement by GCAA

The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency(GCAA) issued a statement reiterating that any international air traffic operated to the illegally opened airport in occupied Abkhazia constitutes a violation of both international aviation standards and Georgian legislation, including the Law on Occupied Territories.

The agency noted that the airport in Sokhumi is not certified by the Georgian authorities and that Tbilisi is unable to monitor safety and security compliance on the ground, as required by ICAO. “Accordingly, operating air traffic from an airport without an aerodrome suitability certificate issued by an authorized body is not only a violation of legislation, but also a threat to aviation and passenger safety,” the statement read.

Georgia, as a signatory to the Chicago Convention, “operates in accordance with the standards set by the organization, as well as adheres to the principles of the applicable bilateral and multilateral agreements,” the agency added, stressing that it has consistently raised the issue of illegal air traffic from occupied territory in all relevant international forums.

According to the agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already submitted a diplomatic note to ICAO, reaffirming that any flights conducted without Georgia’s authorization are inadmissible. However, no official statement has yet been released by the Georgian MFA.

This news was updated on May 1 at 16:45 to include GCAA’s statement.

Also Read:

• 03/03/2025 – Badra Gunba Wins “Presidential Elections” in Occupied Abkhazia
• 18/09/2023 – Sokhumi Wants to Open Airport in 2025
• 02/08/2023 – US State Department: “The United States Considers Sokhumi Airport to be Part of Georgia’s Airspace”