Day: March 17, 2026

Former Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said on March 17 that he has been summoned by Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) over his “communication” with an expert of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, days after the publication of the critical report that noted “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia.

The summons comes as Georgia’s ruling party officials, including Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, have dismissed the critical findings in the recently published Moscow Mechanism report as “pre-written,” accusing the rapporteur who authored it of “political bias” and concealing “conflict of interest.”

“Last night, an investigator from the SSSG called me and summoned me over my communication with an expert of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism,” Nanuashvili, who has been leading the Democracy Research Center, a civil society organization, wrote on Facebook on March 17. “As I understood, my name was mentioned on television by [activist] Davit Katsarava.”

“Is communication with an OSCE expert now forbidden for human rights defenders?” he said. “It seems the Moscow Mechanism is causing them [Georgian Dream] serious concern.”

On March 16, pro-government POSTV channel circulated a 15-second video from a TV Pirveli interview with activist Davit Katsarava, who says that Nanuashvili told him that he would be interviewed under the Moscow Mechanism, but he wasn’t subsequently contacted.

Nanuashvili’s summons comes days after the March 12 publication of a report under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism, a human dimension tool invoked by 24 participating states. The report, authored by sole rapporteur Patrycja Grzebyk, noted “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia since spring 2024, recommending the immediate release of “all prisoners held for political reasons” and the repeal of a series of restrictive legislation, among other steps.

Also Read:

• 14/03/2026 – Kobakhidze Says Moscow Mechanism Report Was Pre-Drafted, Alleges ‘Conflict of Interest’
• 11/03/2026 – OSCE PA Delegation Concludes Visit to Georgia, Notes ‘Absence of Political Dialogue’
• 07/03/2026 – SSSG Summons Pundits Following Allegations on Iranian Recruitment in Georgia
• 03/12/2025 – Georgian State Security Service Summons Those Featured in BBC Report
  

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has released its “Adversarial Threat” report for the first quarter of 2026, revealing the removal of a coordinated network linked to Iran that targeted Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

Money transfers to Georgia from abroad reached USD 295.32 million in February, marking a 17.1% increase compared to the same month last year, according to data from the National Bank of Georgia (NBG).

The largest share of these inflows came from the European Union and the United States, which together accounted for 63.2% of all transfers, or USD 186.85 million.

Transfers from EU countries alone totaled USD 132.51 million, representing 44.8% of overall inflows and a 19.7% increase compared to February 2025.

At the country level, the United States ranked first with USD 54.34 million (18.4%), followed by Italy with USD 52.85 million (17.8%). Other contributors included Russia with USD 36 million (12.2%), Israel with USD 25.36 million (8.5%), and Germany with USD 24.39 million (8.2%).

China recorded the sharpest year-on-year growth, with transfers increasing more than twelvefold to USD 1 million. Significant growth was also reported from Lebanon, up 67.7% to USD 1.15 million; Armenia, up 48% to USD 1.35 million; Belgium, up 41% to USD 1.53 million; and Spain, up 37.6% to USD 7.77 million.

By contrast, Kyrgyzstan saw the largest decline, with transfers falling 22.1% year-on-year to USD 4.85 million.

Meanwhile, money transfers from Georgia totaled USD 33 million in February 2026, up 14.8% from USD 28.7 million in February 2025.

Personal remittances to Georgia account for 11.9% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the World Bank’s 2024 data.

Also Read:

• 02/03/2026 – Georgia’s GDP Up by 7.9% in January 2026
• 16/02/2026 – EU, U.S. Remain Top Sources as Money Transfers to Georgia Rise 16.6% in January
• 26/01/2026 – Money Transfers to Georgia Rise 18% in December, EU and U.S. Remain Top Sources

A delegation from the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IRIA) has paid an official visit to Chad, aiming to strengthen cooperation in digital development and promote Azerbaijan’s technology exports, AzerNEWS reports.

Israeli officials reported that during overnight airstrikes in Iran, the Israeli Air Force targeted a senior Iranian official — Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, AzerNEWS reports, citing Israeli media outlets.

No influx of Iranian-Armenians, says Diaspora Commissioner  Armenpress

Every year on March 20–21, Azerbaijan celebrates one of its most ancient and beloved holidays – Novruz spring festival, AzerNEWS reports.

Russia may be laying the groundwork for a potential incursion into eastern Estonia by promoting a coordinated propaganda campaign centered on the border city of Narva, according to intelligence assessments cited by Bild, AzerNEWS reports.