On January 17, the first meeting of the Baku Military Court will take place in the case of the former Minister of State of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan. He will be tried for mercenarism, financing terrorism, attempting to seize power, as well as other criminal charges. Vardanyan could face life imprisonment. In the pre-trial detention center, he went on hunger strike twice.

On the eve of the planned visit to Georgia, OSCE PA President Pia Kauma announced its cancellation. “After discussions and careful consideration, I have decided to postpone my visit to Georgia until the moment when the participation of the OSCE PA will be most effective,” Kauma commented on her decision.

Let us remind you that on November 19, the Parliament of Abkhazia accepted the early resignation of Aslan Bzhania, which was one of the demands of the opposition. After this, the ex-head of the unrecognized republic announced his intention to run for office again, but later refused. Subsequently, parliament voted against ratifying the investment agreement with the Russian Federation. Previously, its possible adoption caused mass protests.

The shore of the Caspian Sea in Dagestan is filled with dead seals thrown out of the sea. Their remains on the shore near the Novolaksky district hospital are in the stage of decomposition. In December, specialists from the Ministry of Natural Resources of Dagestan also discovered a large number of dead seals on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Experts stated that one of the likely causes of the death of animals could be underwater earthquakes and gas emissions along their migration path.