Sep 22, 2026, 04:00 PM UTC

Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has released his seventh letter from prison, asserting that his detention is aimed at removing him from public life. Serving a five-year sentence, the former leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed the legal proceedings against him were orchestrated to prevent his return to national politics.

In the message, Garibashvili stated that "my arrest was political from start to finish" and accused his former political allies of leading the country into "continuous chaos and crisis." He further alleged that officials had attempted to blackmail him into confessing to uncommitted corruption charges, comparing the party's current trajectory to the administration of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Sources: JAMnews, OC Media.

The Chechen opposition group NIYSO has alleged that Petimat Makhmatova, the former mother-in-law of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's eldest son, died shortly after being subjected to torture.

According to the activists, Makhmatova was abducted and abused before being brought back to her home late last month. She reportedly passed away soon after her return and was buried without traditional funeral ceremonies.

The claims put forward by the opposition group have not been independently confirmed by other sources, and Chechen authorities have thus far offered no public response or comment regarding the matter.

Sources: OC Media

Azerbaijan has alleged that Armenian forces looted the historic Dadivank monastery, referred to as Khudavang in Azerbaijan, during the period Nagorno-Karabakh was under Armenian control.

The accusation has reignited longstanding disputes regarding the cultural and historical origin of religious monuments across the region. Azerbaijani authorities maintain that the site belongs to ancient Caucasian Albanian heritage rather than Armenian tradition, an assertion that mainstream historians generally reject as pseudohistorical.

The complex remains a primary flashpoint for competing cultural heritage claims between both South Caucasus nations following decades of conflict over the territory.

Sources: OC Media

Public institution transparency and the right to information continue to present significant hurdles for citizens and journalists in Albania, according to the country's data protection authority.

In an interview with media outlet Faktoje, the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data, Besnik Dervishi, emphasized the necessity for state bodies to ensure public information is accessible, clear, and regularly updated. Dervishi revealed that his oversight office handles more than 1,000 formal complaints annually concerning access to information and data privacy rights.

The findings highlight persistent operational difficulties in enforcing freedom of information standards across Albanian public institutions.

Sources: Faktoje

Narek Karapetyan, leader of the parliamentary opposition party Strong Armenia, marked the nation's Independence Day on Monday in the disputed border village of Tigranshen. The area has emerged as a key point of contention between opposition politicians and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has increasingly referred to the settlement by its Azerbaijani name, Karki. During the visit, lawmakers from Strong Armenia announced plans to donate their holiday salary bonuses directly to local residents living in the enclave. The gesture underscores ongoing domestic political friction over border demarcation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Sources: OC Media