In Georgia, protesters honored the memory of an anti-Soviet fighter

On the 424th day of pro-European protests in Tbilisi, participants honored the memory of Mikheil Khelashvili, a poet and fighter for Georgia's independence from Soviet rule, by reciting his poems.

Khelashvili, who led the resistance movement in Mtianeti, was killed in 1925 at the age of 25. His death became a symbol of the struggle against the Sovietization of Georgia, which began with the Red Army's invasion in 1921, replacing the Georgian Democratic Republic that had existed since 1918.

Protesters in Georgia, beginning in November 2024, have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners. During the dispersal of demonstrations, police used force, including tear gas and water cannons, and detained participants. Over the course of the protests, more than a thousand people were subjected to administrative prosecution.

Последние новости
Armenian human rights activists call on the EU to facilitate the return of prisoners from Baku
Human rights
Armenian human rights activists call on the EU to facilitate the return of prisoners from Baku
30 April 2026

Nearly three dozen Armenian human rights and civil society organizations have sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa calling for the release of Armenian prisoners held in Baku. The letter was published on the eve of the 8th European Political Community Summit and the Armenia-European Union meeting, scheduled to take place in Armenia.
In Armenia, members of a pro-Russian party have again been detained on suspicion of vote-buying
Politics
In Armenia, members of a pro-Russian party have again been detained on suspicion of vote-buying
30 April 2026

Armenia's Anti-Corruption Committee has uncovered new cases of vote-buying by representatives of the opposition party "Strong Armenia," led by Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan.
Kadyrov will be re-elected as head of Chechnya – Putin supported him in this
Politics
Kadyrov will be re-elected as head of Chechnya – Putin supported him in this
30 April 2026

Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has received Vladimir Putin's support ahead of the region's latest election. During a meeting in the Kremlin the previous evening, the Russian president praised the republic's successes under the current leader's leadership and expressed confidence that the people of Chechnya will once again place their trust in him in the September 20 elections.
World Press Freedom Index 2026: Things Have Worse in the South Caucasus and Russia
News
World Press Freedom Index 2026: Things Have Worse in the South Caucasus and Russia
30 April 2026

The 2026 World Press Freedom Index, published this morning by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), records the worst deterioration in global media freedom in 25 years. More than half of the world's countries rank the situation as "challenging" or "very challenging," and the average index level has never been lower. A key trend is increasing legal pressure on the media: of the five indicators used to assess press freedom worldwide (economy, law, security, politics, culture, and society), the "law" indicator showed the most significant decline.