Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

21 Posts

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Caucasus commemorates victims of the 19th century Russian conquest

•3 min read

The twenty-first May marked the anniversary of the symbolic end of the 1817–1864 Russian conquest of the Caucasus, which resulted in the Russian annexation of the North Caucasus and the ethnic cleansing of Circassians, the majority of whom were either killed or deported to the Ottoman Empire. Memorial events were held in the capitals of Adygea, Karachayevo-Cherkessia, and Kabardino-Balkaria — the Russian republics which made up most of historic Circassia. In Nalchik, the capital of Kab

Chechnya

Georgia denies asylum to escapee of Kadyrov’s Chechnya

by Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

•3 min read

Tbilisi City Court has upheld the decision of the Ministry of Refugees to deny political asylum to Chechen man Tumso Abdurakhmanov, who had fled Kadyrov’s regime in the bordering Russian republic of Chechnya. According to the court, the decision was made because due to ‘significant circumstances [granting asylum] contradicts the interests of the country’. Abdurakhmanov fled Chechnya after receiving death threats from the nephew of Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov. Gela Nikolaishvili, a lawyer wh

Beslan School Siege

European court fines Russia for Beslan school siege

by Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

•2 min read

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia should pay €2,955,000 ($3,100,000) in compensation to the victims of the 2004 Beslan school siege and their families. The full text of the court’s verdict was published on its website on 13 April. Russia is must now pay €10,000 to the relatives of those killed and €3,000–€7,000 to those injured during the siege as well as €88,000 in court costs. ‘In the case of Tagayeva and Others v. Russia, the Court found several violations of

Education

Georgia’s booming Indian student community

by Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

•4 min read

A large number of Indian students come to Georgia every year to study at Tbilisi State Medical University. OC Media talked to a number of them about why they come and their lives in Georgia, including the discrimination they face. A majority of foreign students studying in Georgia’s higher education institutions come from India — followed by Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. The vast majority of Indians in Georgia study at Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU), in English.

Tulip tree in the Black Sea. Photo via GDS TV.

Adjara

Ivanishvili’s tree collecting hobby

by Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

•3 min read

Georgia’s billionaire ex prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has been ripping up ancient and rare trees from across the country and transporting them to his private arboretum in Ureki. While the government claims it is for their own protection, activists continue to challenge the move. ‘It’s my hobby and I really love big trees, giant trees are my entertainment’, the billionaire businessperson and godfather of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, explained in one interview. He w

Feature Stories

New law to discourage smoking could threaten Georgia’s public budget

by Sulkhan Bordzikashvili

•4 min read

The Georgian Parliament is considering tough new laws against smoking. However, with excise duty on cigarettes going up, smoking is becoming even more profitable for the government’s budget. People have marked Georgia Without Tobacco day on 29 March every year since 1996. Usually the events planned on this day every year is dedicated to raise people’s awareness about the importance of a tobacco free environment. This year, the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) i

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