Azerbaijan has always been a crucial partner in China’s practical economic cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei stated during the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the China-Europe Railway Express and the reception of the 237th train (Yiwu–Baku) passing through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Azernews reports.
Day: September 9, 2025
Mzia Amaghlobeli, a jailed Georgian journalist and founder of the Batumelebi and Netgazeti online media outlets, has been named a laureate of the Free Media Awards, annual press prizes of Norway’s Fritt Ord Foundation and Germany’s Zeit-Stiftung that honor journalists and media in Central and Eastern Europe working under difficult conditions. She is among six journalists and media outlets to receive the honor this year.
Amaghlobeli was arrested in January after slapping police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during tense protest scenes in the western Georgian city of Batumi and is serving a two-year prison sentence after being convicted in August. Her case has drawn strong local and international scrutiny and is widely seen as politically motivated.
“Journalist and media founder Mzia Amaghlobeli has become the face of independent journalism in Georgia,” the official press release announcing the winners said. “She is receiving a Free Media Award for 25 years of commitment to journalistic integrity and ethical judgment, during which time she has established two of the most popular and trusted news platforms in the country: Batumelebi and Netgazeti. ”
Other 2025 laureates include Ukrainian media platform Gwara Media, Hungarian investigative outlet Direkt36, Russian photojournalist Alexandra Astakhova, the Belarusian Investigative Center, and Azerbaijani journalist Nargiz Absalamova. The award ceremony will be held on November 6 in Hamburg.
In August, Amaghlobeli was also named a finalist for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, alongside Azerbaijani and Ukrainian journalists.
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Azerbaijan–Russia relations have been one of their most turbulent phases in recent memory. Since December 2024, tensions have spiked after an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane was shot down by Russian air defenses, crashing near Aktau, Kazakhstan, and claiming 38 lives. President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that Moscow formally admit responsibility, prosecute those at fault, compensate the victims’ families, and reimburse Azerbaijan state property — demands that remain unmet despite Putin’s partial apology.