OC Media

Kobakhidze hints Georgia may reconsider its participation in a treaty against gender-based violence Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement came after a far-right figure’s complaint.

Responding to criticism of the Istanbul Convention against gender-based violence by a far-right personality, Georgia’s PM Irakli Kobakhidze did not rule out that the government might ‘work’ on the issue.

Azerbaijan provides humanitarian aid to Iran The aid comes after Azerbaijan said Iran had attacked its exclave of Nakhchivan with drones.

Azerbaijan delivered 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Iran on Tuesday. According to the state-run media outlet Azertac, the aid was sent by the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev after a phone conversation with Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.

If Iran wanted to strike Azerbaijan, it wouldn’t have missed, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia says Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami also claimed, without citing evidence, that Israeli intelligence is operating from Azerbaijan.

Iran has again denied that it launched drones that struck Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan earlier in March, with Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami claiming there would be no reason for such an attack.

Daghestani man nicknamed ‘Donald Trump’ fined for anti-Armenian comments on Telegram The court ruling does not specify the phrases that led to the Makhachkala resident being found guilty

A man from Daghestan posting under the handle ‘Donald Trump’ has been fined ₽10,000 ($125) for making comments on Telegram containing insults and calls for violence against Armenians.

SOCAR’s Kulevi terminal in Georgia escapes inclusion in EU sanctions against Russia Earlier reports had indicated the EU’s plans to impose sanctions on the refinery.

The Kulevi Oil Terminal in Georgia, owned by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, has narrowly escaped inclusion in the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia. Earlier reports suggested that the terminal would be included in the package.

Georgia proposes expansion of party ban after opposition forms alliance The suggestion came a week after nine of Georgia’s most prominent opposition parties formed an alliance aimed at ending Georgian Dream’s rule.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has suggested that a proposed ban on political parties could be extended to include those who are part of a newly-formed alliance of nine prominent opposition parties.

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Armenia warns of foreign pressure on diaspora ahead of election Armenia is set to hold its parliamentary elections on 7 June.

Armenia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) has detected signs of possible foreign interference ahead of the country’s 7 June parliamentary elections.

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Man from Karachay–Cherkessia detained for criticising war in Ukraine Mukharab Shebzukhov had said ‘Putin sends you like pigs to the slaughter’ — among other comments on social media.

A court in Karachay–Cherkessia has sentenced local resident Mukharab Shebzukhоv to 15 days of administrative arrest after he had made comments on social media saying ‘Putin sends you like pigs to the slaughter’ in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan have all congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader while simultaneously maintaining a somewhat vague position on the ongoing war in Iran.

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Four Georgian banks ‘preparing to join’ Chinese payment system, National Bank head says The payment system is often considered an alternative to SWIFT.

The Governor of Georgia’s National Bank, Natela Turnava, has said that as many as four commercial banks are preparing to join the Chinese Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), often considered an alternative to SWIFT.

Social media users claim Azerbaijan presented drug convicts as Iran-linked terrorists Most of the inmates implicated in the Iranian terrorist plot against the BTC pipeline have a history of drug-related arrests.

Social media users claim Azerbaijan presented drug convicts as Iran-linked terrorists

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The carrot and the stick — the reality behind Russia’s attitudes towards Abkhazia Russian grants appears to be little more than PR exercises, while pressure continues to mount against Abkhazia’s opposition figures.

Russian grants appears to be little more than PR exercises, while pressure continues to mount against Abkhazia’s opposition figures.

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Georgia launches probes over claims of Iranian influence in Tbilisi The investigation followed aggressive condemnation from the ruling party and its allies of those who raised the claims

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) has launched an investigation and summoned several individuals for questioning over statements regarding Iran’s allegedly growing influence and activities in Georgia.

Daghestani lorry drivers stuck in Iran after closure of Azerbaijan border According to the drivers, around 1,500 Russian tracks were stranded at the border.

A group of lorry drivers from Daghestan currently in Iran have recorded a video appeal asking for help, saying they had been unable to leave the country for more than 15 days due to the closure of the border with Azerbaijan amidst the ongoing war in Iran.

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Pezeshkian calls Aliyev, denies involvement in drone strike on Azerbaijan There has been increasing speculation in recent days that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is at odds with more hardline figures in government.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Sunday evening and officially denied Tehran’s involvement in the drone strikes on the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan on 5 March.

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Two men ‘abducted and tortured’ in Chechnya after fight police The Chechen movement NIYSO claimed the abducted individuals were being tortured in an attempt to force them to go to war in Ukraine.

The Chechen opposition movement NIYSO has reported the abduction of two young residents of Chechnya — Adam Bekbulatov from the village of Alkhan-Kala and Magomed Chataev from Grozny.

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📽️ OC Reviews: Malika Musaeva’s film is an uncompromisingly depressing look into how little agency young women in the North Caucasus have in their own lives.

🔗 Read the full review: oc-media.org/review-the-c...

The Armenian government will provide up to ֏250,000 ($670) in financial compensation per person to Armenian citizens who were forced to book new tickets to return to Armenia after their original flights were cancelled amidst the Iran war.

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Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria will headline a historic event on the South Lawn of the White House this June.

Former Karachay–Cherkessia Prime Minister accused of ordering 2001 hit on business partner Prosecutors say Vladimir Kaishev ordered the murder of his business partner to gain control of a mineral water plant.

Karachay–Cherkessia’s former Prime Minister Vladimir Kaishev has been accused of ordering a hit on his business partner, Gennadiy Tanov, in 2001 to get full control of their joint mineral water business.

Azerbaijan says it foiled Iranian terror plot against BTC pipeline, Jewish sites The accusations came just days after Iranian drones struck the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring at least four people.

Azerbaijan’s security service (DTX) has said it thwarted a multi-pronged terror attack plotted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including possible strikes against the critical Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.

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Russia sentences seven Azerbaijanis over decades-old killings Five of those sentenced are part of the Safarov family — two other Safarov brothers were killed by Russian police in custody in 2025.

Five of the Safarov brothers, who are prominent members of Russia’s Azerbaijani diaspora, have been sentenced between 10–21 years in prison for a decades-old murder.

Azerbaijan withdraws diplomats from Iran following drone strike on Nakhchivan Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also said the country’s security measures were at their highest level.

Baku has ordered the evacuation of its diplomatic staff from Iran a day after Iranian drones struck the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan in a major expansion of the US-Israel war against Iran into the South Caucasus.

Former senior Russian Defence Ministry official from North Ossetia detained in corruption case Investigators say that budget funds were embezzled through a structure allegedly created by North Ossetia native Ruslan Tsalikov.

Russian authorities have detained former Defence Ministry Ruslan Tsalikov, a North Ossetia native and a close associate of ex-Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on charges of embezzlement, money laundering, and accepting bribes.

Georgian Dream says discussing Iran sanctions evasion in Georgia is treason Discussions about relations between Iran and Georgia have intensified amid the ongoing regional conflict.

Georgia’s ruling party has reacted angrily to discussions about the presence of Iranian entities in the country and alleged attempts to use Georgia for bypassing Western sanctions.

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Armenians 23% less concerned about national security compared to 2025, survey finds The survey was published by the International Republic Institute (IRI).

IRI survey has found that only 21% of Armenians believed that national security and border issues were a main problem, compared to 44% in June 2025, months before Azerbaijan and Armenia made huge strides towards cementing a peace deal.

Why Georgia’s most vocal university now faces the biggest cuts Reforms that would slash Ilia State University’s student intake by 92% have sparked protests and raised concerns the cuts target a vocal critic.

Reforms that would slash Ilia State University’s student intake by 92% have sparked protests and raised concerns the cuts target a vocal critic.

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Daghestani police detain 68-year-old man for sexually assaulting 13-year-old The man has already admitted guilt and could face up to 20 years in prison.

Daghestani police have detained a 68-year-old man for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old.

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Abkhazia hands over Russian national who organised Navalny memorial to FSB Valentin Karpin had gone missing in Abkhazia before being located in an FSB detention centre in Russia’s Sochi.

After organising a memorial service for the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny in Sukhumi, Russian national Valentin Karpin was reportedly handed over to Russia’s Federal Security Service after being detained by Abkhazia’s security services.

Bank of Georgia to join top 100 companies on London Stock Exchange The bank will become the first Georgian company to secure such a placement.

The Bank of Georgia, part of the Lion Finance Group PLC, is set to become the first Georgian company to secure a place among the 100 leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, a classification known as the FTSE 100 Index.