The Region in Brief

Armenia

Russia has suspended the supply of dairy products imported from Armenia as of April 5. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, said that there is a “risk of low-quality and unsafe products” entering Russia from Armenia. Rosselkhoznadzor made the announcement after it inspected two Armenian dairy producers. Armenia’s Food Safety Inspectorate said that the Russian inspection did not find “any problem threatening people’s lives and health. The ban on Armenian-produced dairy follows Armenia’s decision to ratify the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Russian authorities warned Armenia of the “extremely negative” consequences of ratifying the Rome Statute. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on allegations of deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. Russia has previously imposed bans on food imports to obtain political leverage over its trade partners.

Georgia

The Georgian opposition has rallied around Lazare Grigoriadis, the first person detained after anti-government protests in early March. The 21-year-old was taken into custody on March 29 on charges of attacking a police officer and destroying public property. He faces up to 11 years in prison for reportedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at two police officers and setting a car on fire. Georgian law enforcement was criticized by international human rights groups for deploying water cannons and pepper spray against tens of thousands of protesters mobilizing against the foreign agent bill. Grigoriadis’ supporters have said that he was selected as the first defendant in order to villainize the protesters. Georgian authorities have publicly scrutinized Grigoriadis’ appearance and personal life, including his sexuality. Pro-government TV channels have widely shared a picture of Grigoriadis wearing makeup and jewelry. Irakli Kobakhidze, chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said that Grigoriadis has “every kind of orientation messed up” and that “these kinds of people use violence against police officers.”

Turkey

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos toured ruins this week from the devastating February 6 earthquake that struck Turkey. The Greek Defense Minister’s visit is part of an ongoing effort to reduce tensions between the neighboring countries. Greece was one of the first countries to offer Turkey humanitarian assistance after the earthquake. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar expressed his “hope and expectation” that the “positive constructive atmosphere we experienced after the earthquake will continue” and the “doors of dialogue will remain open.” Panagiotopoulos added that the aid can “act as a lever to reduce tension and create the circumstances to facilitate better communication between the two sides.”

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Lillian Avedian

Lillian Avedian is the assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly. She reports on international women's rights, South Caucasus politics, and diasporic identity. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Democracy in Exile, and Girls on Key Press. She holds master's degrees in journalism and Near Eastern studies from New York University.