The News in Brief

Georgia Among 50 Countries Condemning Russia's Escalating Attacks on Ukraine at UN

Georgia joined Ukraine and nearly 50 other countries in a joint statement at the United Nations on May 26 strongly condemning Russia's escalating attacks against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The statement, delivered by Ukraine's UN Ambassador Andrii Melnyk, described the May 23-24 combined attack on Ukraine as one of the largest to date, involving hundreds of aerial weapons including ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. It said the attack was among the most devastating recorded for Kyiv, with civilians killed and injured across multiple regions.

The signatories expressed particular alarm over Russia's use of an Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, specifically designed to carry nuclear warheads, against the city of Bila Tserkva, calling it "an unacceptable escalation."

The statement called for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire, the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons, and the return of forcibly transferred civilians, including Ukrainian children. It reiterated the demand for Russia's full withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory within its internationally recognized borders and reaffirmed that Russia's attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory was null and void under international law. The statement also condemned recent Russian threats against diplomatic institutions and embassies in Kyiv.



Deported Azerbaijani Journalist Says Baku Is Blocking Him From Leaving the Country

Afgan Sadigov, the Azerbaijani journalist deported from Georgia to Azerbaijan in a controversial overnight move in early April, said on May 26 that he was barred from leaving Azerbaijan at Baku International Airport, with customs officials telling him the ban was imposed by the Prosecutor's Office and Interior Ministry.

"They did not allow me to leave Azerbaijan. There is no violation of the law, no investigation or criminal investigation against me. Then they say that Afgan Sadigov criticizes this government-bandits, tyrants, murderers, corrupt officials," Sadigov wrote on Facebook from the airport.

Sadigov has been in Azerbaijan since his handover to Baku and has been seeking to leave the country to reunite with his family abroad, having applied for an international passport in late April. His supporters and lawyers have expressed fears for his safety following what they describe as an unlawful deportation.

His wife Sevinc Sadigova reacted to the news on Facebook. "Afqan was not simply handed over from Georgia. There will still be more serious consequences ahead. The Georgian regime signed off not only on Afqan's arrest, but even on his death," she wrote. "They are simply waiting for this issue to drag on for a while and for people to forget about it so that they can carry out their plans."

Sadigov was detained in Tbilisi on April 4 on allegations of insulting a police officer on social media, after which a court ordered his deportation under laws allowing the removal of foreigners who commit administrative offenses. He had lived in Georgia since 2023 and spent over seven months in extradition detention following his arrest by Georgian authorities in August 2024, before being released on bail in April 2025 after the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim ruling barring his extradition to Azerbaijan.

The deportation came shortly after Baku terminated the criminal case against Sadigov, which ended the formal extradition process. Georgian authorities implied the ECtHR measure was therefore no longer relevant. His lawyers and critics disputed the legality of the move, warning he faced "gravest risks" to his life and safety. The deportation took place one day before Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Georgia, during which he met, among others, with Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.