Azerbaijani court transfers opposition leader Tofig Yagublu to house arrest
The sudden reversal came as doctors warned his health was deteriorating due to his hunger strike.
Investors: Georgia’s Nenskra Dam violates Svan rights
The EBRD found the project to be ‘non-compliant’ with its standards.
Investors: Georgia’s Nenskra Dam violates Svan rights
The EBRD found the project to be ‘non-compliant’ with its standards.
Sweeping labour reforms go ahead in Georgia despite opposition from business groups
The amendments are widely expected to pass in the third and final reading in the coming weeks.
Sweeping labour reforms go ahead in Georgia despite opposition from business groups
The amendments are widely expected to pass in the third and final reading in the coming weeks.
Ingush journalist Rashid Maysigov sentenced to 3 years in prison
The former journalist for Fortanga widely covered the Chechen–Ingush land swap dispute.
Ingush journalist Rashid Maysigov sentenced to 3 years in prison
The former journalist for Fortanga widely covered the Chechen–Ingush land swap dispute.
Top Georgian rugby official reportedly shoots player
Ramaz Kharazishvili, the former captain of the national rugby sevens side, has been hospitalised in Tbilisi following the incident.
Top Georgian rugby official reportedly shoots player
Ramaz Kharazishvili, the former captain of the national rugby sevens side, has been hospitalised in Tbilisi following the incident.
New judges for Armenia’s top court, opposition boycotts the vote
One of the three new judges has been widely criticised of judicial malpractice for rulings made before the country’s 2018 revolution.
New judges for Armenia’s top court, opposition boycotts the vote
One of the three new judges has been widely criticised of judicial malpractice for rulings made before the country’s 2018 revolution.
As COVID-19 numbers stabilise Armenia goes back to school
Armenia’s schools open their doors for the first time since March, but under a list of harsh new restrictions.
Azerbaijan seeks arrest of critics abroad
Azerbaijan has applied for Interpol red notices against seven people known for their criticism of the government.
Features & Analysis
Azerbaijanis from Baku to Berlin are demanding freedom for Tofig Yagublu
The arrest, conviction, and subsequent hunger strike of Tofig Yagublu has resonated with many Azerbaijanis both inside Azerbaijan and abroad.
‘My secret life’: Gay and Azerbaijani in rural Georgia
While strides have been made in fighting for queer rights in Tbilisi and Georgia’s other urban centres, queer members of Georgia’s ethnic minorities say they have been left behind.
‘My secret life’: Gay and Azerbaijani in rural Georgia
By Gulgun MamedkhanovaWhile strides have been made in fighting for queer rights in Tbilisi and Georgia’s other urban centres, queer members of Georgia’s ethnic minorities say they have been left behind.
‘I felt I was in prison’: Georgian women in Italy’s shadow economy
Some spend years without seeing their children and many fall victim to gross exploitation.
‘I felt I was in prison’: Georgian women in Italy’s shadow economy
By Teresa Di MauroSome spend years without seeing their children and many fall victim to gross exploitation.
Datablog | Do Georgians think the Prosecutor’s Office is biased?
The impartiality and effectiveness of the Prosecutor’s Office has come into question in recent years.
Datablog | Do Georgians think the Prosecutor’s Office is biased?
By Eto GagunashviliThe impartiality and effectiveness of the Prosecutor’s Office has come into question in recent years.
‘I was too young to become a mum’: Teenage pregnancies in Armenia
In Armenia, social stigma prevents many pregnant teenagers from seeking help and sometimes puts their very lives at risk.
‘I was too young to become a mum’: Teenage pregnancies in Armenia
By Armine AvetisyanIn Armenia, social stigma prevents many pregnant teenagers from seeking help and sometimes puts their very lives at risk.
Armenia’s new education standards under fire for lack of ‘Armenianness’
The proposed overhaul of the education system has elicited harsh criticism and more than a few conspiracy theories.
Armenia’s new education standards under fire for lack of ‘Armenianness’
By Dvin TitizianThe proposed overhaul of the education system has elicited harsh criticism and more than a few conspiracy theories.
Opinion
Opinion | Reflections on Abkhazia — the land of my soul
‘I am from Georgia and 20% of my country is occupied by Russia’ is a ubiquitous form of the Georgian narrative, but is it useful?
Opinion | It’s time for Georgia to challenge its narrative of the August War
Over a decade after the August War, Georgia’s government and society need to reexamine how we look at these conflicts.
Opinion | You can’t counter disinformation without strong media
We’re stuck in a vicious circle of democracy degradation — and the role of the media in solving this tangle is often misunderstood.
Voices
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![Voice | ‘Whether I have a disability or not, I am still me’]()
Voice | ‘Whether I have a disability or not, I am still me’
Jamila Mammadli, 26, talks about love, her passion for the theatre, and the preconceptions about disability that are pervasive in Azerbaijan.
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![Voice | ‘They say Georgia is a tolerant and diverse country; these are just words’]()
Voice | ‘They say Georgia is a tolerant and diverse country; these are just words’
Gulgun Mamadli, 22, talks about experiencing xenophobia and hate speech during the pandemic.
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![Voice | The bitterness of the Kvankhidatli salt — the women salt miners of Daghestan]()
Voice | The bitterness of the Kvankhidatli salt — the women salt miners of Daghestan
In the mountain village of Kvankhidatli, women recall ‘going to the salt’ since the beginning of the 20th century.
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![Voice | Tamara Mearakishvili: ‘If I’m found guilty, I will not run away’]()
Voice | Tamara Mearakishvili: ‘If I’m found guilty, I will not run away’
The veteran activist and journalist reflects on life in Akhalgori, her ongoing prosecution, and the Georgian Government’s approach to South Ossetia.
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![Voice | ‘People should not lose their sense of responsibility’]()
Voice | ‘People should not lose their sense of responsibility’
When Armenia confirmed its first case of COVID-19, Naira Stepanyan, a doctor specialising in infectious diseases, was the first to treat him.
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![Voice | ‘The occupation of Abkhazia makes us occupied too’]()
Voice | ‘The occupation of Abkhazia makes us occupied too’
Nona Bukia tells of the social ills that have been caused by Abkhazia’s closure of crossing points three years ago.
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![Voice | ‘Every afternoon I came home from school broken’]()
Voice | ‘Every afternoon I came home from school broken’
Narek, 29, from Stepanakert, describes how he was tormented at school while teachers often protected the abusers.
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![Voice | ‘I left prison with a double stigma — I was a convict and HIV-positive’]()
Voice | ‘I left prison with a double stigma — I was a convict and HIV-positive’
Tamuna Gakhokidze, 37, is HIV-positive woman from Tbilisi who speaks about her diagnosis, about stigma, as well as how she discovered her diagnosis and learnt to live with it.
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![Voice | The women on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic]()
Voice | The women on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic
Three women employed in women-led fields share their experiences of life and work in a pandemic.
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![Voice | ‘My family urged me to return to Armenia; but I decided to stay in China’]()
Voice | ‘My family urged me to return to Armenia; but I decided to stay in China’
When the coronavirus hit, Emma Petrosyan, 28, from Alaverdi, chose to stay in China, the country she has lived and worked in for a year and a half.
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![Voice | ‘Just give me back my children’]()
Voice | ‘Just give me back my children’
Chechen tradition dictates that children of divorce belong to the man and his family. Jamilya shares her story of being separated from her children.
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![Voice | ‘I’m not a girl, I’m an athlete’]()
Voice | ‘I’m not a girl, I’m an athlete’
Despite all odds, in just one year, Patima Ayshalova has become one of Daghestan’s top boxers.
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![Voice | ‘I did all these things so that the women would not lose hope’]()
Voice | ‘I did all these things so that the women would not lose hope’
Vafa Naghi tells the story of how she left behind a promising career to return to her village and help its women gain their independence.
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![Voice | ‘My part in exposing this system’]()
Voice | ‘My part in exposing this system’
Sasha Kalmakhelidze, 24, was arrested for possession of MDMA. He tells the nightmarish story of his arrest and detention.
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![Voice | ‘Help comes from those who themselves need help’]()
Voice | ‘Help comes from those who themselves need help’
Eighty-six year-old Syrian refugee Shaziya Nukh has found nothing but poverty and isolation in Kabardino-Balkaria, the land of her ancestors.
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![Voice | ‘Life is tough for a young widow’]()
Voice | ‘Life is tough for a young widow’
A woman from Duisi, Pankisi Valley, speaks of being married too young, losing a husband and the hardships of being a widow in a conservative society.
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![Voice from the Georgian–South Ossetian conflict | ‘There is nothing worse than war’]()
Voice from the Georgian–South Ossetian conflict | ‘There is nothing worse than war’
‘When they started setting houses on fire, and burned down my cousins’ houses, we were forced to run away. We were afraid that they would burn us all. So we ran.’
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![Voice | ‘What I hate the most is the injustice of it’]()
Voice | ‘What I hate the most is the injustice of it’
Supermarket cashier Mako Gomuri, 20, is one of several people to lose an eye on 20 June during anti-Russia protests in Tbilisi.
In Pictures
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![In pictures | Borjomi’s year-long winter]()
In pictures | Borjomi’s year-long winter
Residents of the legendary spa town have banded together to try to survive the disappearance of the summer tourism boom.
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![In Pictures | Women’s voices in forestry]()
In Pictures | Women’s voices in forestry
The women who live off Georgia’s forests, and the women who tend to them tell their stories.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s ‘jarti’ collectors]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s ‘jarti’ collectors
A look at Georgia’s uneasy scrap industry shows how Georgia’s present situation reflects in the piles of tin, copper, and brass.
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![In pictures | Strategic object: Baku’s years of transformation]()
In pictures | Strategic object: Baku’s years of transformation
In a four year project, Chloe Borkett captured images of Baku’s metamorphosis in the 2010s from a different angle.
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![In pictures | Rustavi: The city of factories]()
In pictures | Rustavi: The city of factories
Rustavi’s factories have led to ‘alarming’ levels of air pollution in the city — local activists, backed by the city council, are getting fed up.
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![In pictures | Black Lives Matter protest in Tbilisi]()
In pictures | Black Lives Matter protest in Tbilisi
Several dozen protestors gathered in central Tbilisi in support of the ongoing demonstrations in the United States.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s night bus — a shelter on wheels]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s night bus — a shelter on wheels
Tbilisi introduced a night bus two years ago between the city centre and the airport. Now, it serves as overnight accommodation for the homeless.
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![In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri]()
In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri
Hopes for a bumper tourist season in Armenia’s second-largest city have been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
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![In pictures | Ghost apartments and hyperbuilding in Batumi]()
In pictures | Ghost apartments and hyperbuilding in Batumi
Soaring tourism in the popular casino town has brought with it a construction boom — one that seemingly has no end in sight.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s first night under curfew]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s first night under curfew
On 31 March at 21:00, the streets of Tbilisi emptied as the country entered its first night of curfew.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi in a state of emergency]()
In pictures | Tbilisi in a state of emergency
The new restrictions on businesses and freedom of movement have left the streets of Tbilisi eerily empty.
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![In pictures | International Women’s Day at Tbilisi’s largest flower market]()
In pictures | International Women’s Day at Tbilisi’s largest flower market
Despite the panoply of colours and the sweet smells, for some of Tbilisi’s flower sellers, it is not an entirely festive affair.
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![In pictures | Struggle in the open-air: Tbilisi’s Navtlughi Bazaar]()
In pictures | Struggle in the open-air: Tbilisi’s Navtlughi Bazaar
The open-air bazaars of Tbilisi began with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s; they remain a vital lifeline for many.
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![In pictures | Life along the Azerbaijani border regions of Gazakh and Tovuz]()
In pictures | Life along the Azerbaijani border regions of Gazakh and Tovuz
Along the Armenian Azerbaijani border, ceasefire violations occur frequently from both sides.
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![In pictures | The uncertain life of lorry drivers along the Georgian Military Road]()
In pictures | The uncertain life of lorry drivers along the Georgian Military Road
One of the most common sights along the Georgian Military Road, after the mountain views, is the lines of lorries queuing at the Russian border.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s dying evergreens]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s dying evergreens
As the trees on Tbilisi’s periphery turn orange and die, environmental activists say more must be done to save Tbilisi’s last green areas.
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![In pictures | Nowhere else to go: the stories of Yerevan’s homeless]()
In pictures | Nowhere else to go: the stories of Yerevan’s homeless
There is one shelter in the city, with a capacity of 100, but it is not enough to house the hundreds living on Yerevan’s streets.
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![In pictures | Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — the hardships of selling lemons to survive]()
In pictures | Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — the hardships of selling lemons to survive
Selling lemons in the streets at ₾1 for a bag of 5, Tbilisi’s lemon vendors — almost exclusively elderly women — struggle to scrape out a living.
