The political situation in Azerbaijan is deteriorating following the arrest of Ali Karimli, the leader of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). A Baku court ordered his pretrial detention for two and a half months on charges of attempting to violently seize power.

Following the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines civilian jet, Baku expects Moscow to fulfill a number of key conditions to restore normal relations between the countries. This was stated by Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev in an interview with EU Today.

Ali Karimli, chairman of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, and his adviser, Mammad Ibrahim, have become suspects in the criminal case against former head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev, who is accused of attempting a coup d'état and treason.

In the Republic of Dagestan, an attack by Ukrainian drones shot down over Kaspiysk has been thwarted. This was announced by Sergey Melikov, the head of the republic, on his Telegram channel.

The Nalchik Garrison Military Court found serviceman Khatkutov guilty of evading military service during mobilization. According to the case file, he failed to report to his military unit on December 20, 2024.

Discontent with the leadership of Catholicos Karekin II is growing within the Armenian Apostolic Church. Ten bishops and archbishops have publicly called for his resignation, citing serious managerial miscalculations and unfair decisions that have led to a profound crisis and division among the faithful.

Ruslan Izzetli, a member of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, who was arrested in Baku, complained about the lack of access to necessary medical care in the pretrial detention center. Izzetli, who suffers from gallstones, reported that he had requested an ultrasound a month ago but had not yet received an appointment.

A court in Ingushetia has ordered the forfeiture of property worth over 80 million rubles belonging to relatives of the head of state's property manager. The prosecutor's office and the FSB claimed that the official purchased cars, housing, and land with unverified income.

The Russian Ministry of Justice has added Anzor Maskhadov, son of Aslan Maskhadov, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI), to its register of foreign agents. Novaya Gazeta reported that the younger Maskhadov is a Norwegian citizen.

Armenian media reports that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has identified two potential candidates to replace the current Catholicos of All Armenians. The Zhoghovurd newspaper, citing its own sources, lists Archbishop Terteryan, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the United States, and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, as the main contenders. The newspaper suggests that the government expects loyalty from the future Catholicos, especially given the changing political situation.