Georgia’s (in)human rights strategy
Georgia’s Human Rights Strategy for the next eight years lists many key vulnerable groups, but queer people have been removed.
One dead in attack on Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran
The attack comes amidst rising tensions between Tehran and Baku.
One dead in attack on Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran
The attack comes amidst rising tensions between Tehran and Baku.
Podcast | Sports and ‘the Path of Akhmat’ and the political activists imprisoned in Azerbaijan
Ramzan Kadyrov uses sports to bolster his image and Azerbaijan’s persecution of political activists and figures.
Podcast | Sports and ‘the Path of Akhmat’ and the political activists imprisoned in Azerbaijan
Ramzan Kadyrov uses sports to bolster his image and Azerbaijan’s persecution of political activists and figures.
UNM leadership contender threatens to break Saakashvili out of jail
Levan Khabeishvili made the comments after the former Georgian president was diagnosed with COVID-19.
UNM leadership contender threatens to break Saakashvili out of jail
Levan Khabeishvili made the comments after the former Georgian president was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Court denies bail to Azerbaijani activist despite ‘deteriorating health’
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been on hunger strike for 16 days.
Court denies bail to Azerbaijani activist despite ‘deteriorating health’
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been on hunger strike for 16 days.
EU approves 2-year monitoring mission to Armenia–Azerbaijan border
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs described the mission as ‘a new phase in the EU’s engagement in the South Caucasus.’
EU approves 2-year monitoring mission to Armenia–Azerbaijan border
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs described the mission as ‘a new phase in the EU’s engagement in the South Caucasus.’
Daghestani man dies after police interrogation
According to local media, there is evidence that he was tortured prior to his death.
Georgian officials labelled ‘politically vile’ for welcoming restored flights with Russia
Sergey Lavrov praised Georgia for its ‘courage’ in that, despite pressure from the West, the country had not joined sanctions imposed on Russia.
Features & Analysis
Abandoned high-rises and housing assistance in Abkhazia
Struggling to make ends meet, some families in Abkhazia are demanding that the government help them escape cycles of rental and poverty.
Analysis | How Kadyrov uses ‘the Path of Akhmat’ in sports to cement his rule in Chechnya
Sports is used by the Head of Chechnya to construct the republic’s history, present, and future.
Analysis | How Kadyrov uses ‘the Path of Akhmat’ in sports to cement his rule in Chechnya
By Loujaine LaamalSports is used by the Head of Chechnya to construct the republic’s history, present, and future.
The Abkhaz blogger charged with treason for calling for unification
Daur Buava, a popular TikTok blogger, has been living in Tbilisi since 2021.
The Abkhaz blogger charged with treason for calling for unification
By Tata ShoshiashviliDaur Buava, a popular TikTok blogger, has been living in Tbilisi since 2021.
What can the Caucasus expect in 2023? Our readers and staff give their takes
At the beginning of the year, we asked both our staff and readers to give their predictions of what might happen in 2023.
What can the Caucasus expect in 2023? Our readers and staff give their takes
By OC MediaAt the beginning of the year, we asked both our staff and readers to give their predictions of what might happen in 2023.
OC Media’s 10 best articles of 2022
We look back at the predictions, investigations, and insights of the 10 best articles published on OC Media in 2022.
OC Media’s 10 best articles of 2022
By OC MediaWe look back at the predictions, investigations, and insights of the 10 best articles published on OC Media in 2022.
Food shortages spark creative New Year’s solutions in Nagorno Karabakh
From vegetable bouquets to mayonnaise pancakes, people in Nagorno-Karabakh found ways to greet the New Year despite produce shortages.
Food shortages spark creative New Year’s solutions in Nagorno Karabakh
By Arpi BekaryanFrom vegetable bouquets to mayonnaise pancakes, people in Nagorno-Karabakh found ways to greet the New Year despite produce shortages.
Opinion
Opinion | Russia’s shifting interests are leaving Armenia out to dry
Russia is reneging on its long-term alliance with Armenia, in favour of closer ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey
Opinion | Armenia’s old allies have failed it, new ones have yet to appear
Yerevan’s long-running alliance with Moscow has become increasingly meaningless, but it is unclear what alternatives are available to Armenia.
Opinion | Georgia must continue to welcome those fleeing Russian repression
The US Ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, argues that Georgia must continue to welcome those seeking refuge from Russian repression, and that it is now critical to redouble support for Ukraine.
Voices
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![Voice | Three months in a Georgian Dream troll factory]()
Voice | Three months in a Georgian Dream troll factory
Nino, 17, found that working for the ruling party meant fake social media flashmobs, no contracts, and broken promises.
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![Voice | They slapped me and called me a faggot: my experience with the Tbilisi police]()
Voice | They slapped me and called me a faggot: my experience with the Tbilisi police
Giorgi Mzhavanadze, director of the Shame Movement, recounts his experience in the Ninth Police Department in Tbilisi.
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![Voice | ‘Why I burnt my Russian internal passport’]()
Voice | ‘Why I burnt my Russian internal passport’
At a demonstration in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on 25 February, Anton Mikhalchuk, a citizen of Russia, set alight his Russian internal passport.
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![Voice | ‘I dreamt of freedom’]()
Voice | ‘I dreamt of freedom’
An Armenian-Lebanese repatriate tells the story of her capture by Azerbaijani forces following the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
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![Voice | ‘They love each other very much’]()
Voice | ‘They love each other very much’
Fifty-six-year old Inga Sindeeva told OC Media about the joys and the challenges of being a foster parent in Georgia.
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![Voice | Life with hands of metal]()
Voice | Life with hands of metal
Artyom Arakelyan lost his hands at 12 years old, but this has not stopped him from becoming a linguist, football coach, and amateur pianist.
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![Voice | ‘They did nothing to help, they abandoned us’]()
Voice | ‘They did nothing to help, they abandoned us’
He was promised a decent job and a good salary in Germany, but instead he found lies, squalor, and backbreaking labour.
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![Voice | ‘Women must put an end to the war’]()
Voice | ‘Women must put an end to the war’
Araksia Martirosyan, participated in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, fought during the four day clashes in 2016, and returned to the front in 2020.
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![Voice | ‘I was shot twice in the head and abducted, but I survived’]()
Voice | ‘I was shot twice in the head and abducted, but I survived’
Sufyan had a promising life and career ahead of him until he reported his superiors for a massive fraudulent scheme.
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![Voice | I'm looking for my child]()
Voice | I'm looking for my child
In the wake of the revelations about the trafficking of newborns in Armenia, Haykuhi Khachatryan began to believe that her late newborn was still alive.
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![Voice | ‘I knew from age 6 that I was born in the wrong body’]()
Voice | ‘I knew from age 6 that I was born in the wrong body’
A 42-year-old transgender man shares his story of discovering his real gender identity and the struggle of living in Georgia as a trans person.
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![Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’]()
Voice | ‘I went to war at 17’
Sent to war aged just 17, WWII veteran Vardanush Zakaryan tells how her love for her husband survived both war and death.
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![Voice | ‘In my hands, a weapon has become a work of art’]()
Voice | ‘In my hands, a weapon has become a work of art’
Artak Tadevosyan from Gyumri gives new life to used bullets and casings.
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![Voice | ‘I was kidnapped by my family’]()
Voice | ‘I was kidnapped by my family’
Devran Ibrahimsoy, 25, did not receive his family’s support when he discovered his gender identity; after he fled to Baku, they even kidnapped him.
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![Voice | ‘I’ve been homeless since 2000’]()
Voice | ‘I’ve been homeless since 2000’
The trials, tribulations, and occasional moments of grace in twenty years of living on Tbilisi’s streets.
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![Voice | ‘We are all tired, but we shouldn’t give up’]()
Voice | ‘We are all tired, but we shouldn’t give up’
Georgian doctor Nino Kvirtia talks about fighting both the coronavirus and the accompanying disinformation.
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![Vitali Safarov’s mother: I must know why they killed my son]()
Vitali Safarov’s mother: I must know why they killed my son
The mother is appealing the court’s verdict which said the murder wasn’t a hate crime.
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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.
In Pictures
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![In Pictures | Life in limbo at the Hotel Goris]()
In Pictures | Life in limbo at the Hotel Goris
Unable to return home, residents of Nagorno-Karabakh caught on the Armenian side of the Lachin blockade have temporarily settled near the border.
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![In Pictures | Georgia’s shrinking train lines]()
In Pictures | Georgia’s shrinking train lines
Trains were once among the most reliable methods of transport in Georgia, but closures under the guise of the pandemic have left many cut off.
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![In Pictures | Armenia’s not-so-velvet counter-revolution]()
In Pictures | Armenia’s not-so-velvet counter-revolution
Armenia’s opposition protesters remain steadfast in their demand for Pashinyan’s resignation, though they have few specifics on what happens next.
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![In pictures | Georgians killed in Ukraine receive hero’s welcome in Tbilisi]()
In pictures | Georgians killed in Ukraine receive hero’s welcome in Tbilisi
Gia Beriashvili and Davit Ratiani were killed on the Irpin front, northwest of Kyiv, on 18 March.
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![In Pictures | Fighting to save the art of Borchalo carpet weaving in Georgia]()
In Pictures | Fighting to save the art of Borchalo carpet weaving in Georgia
There are only a few dozen women who still weave the carpets, a unique art practised mostly by Georgia’s ethnic Azerbaijani community
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![In pictures | Education in the shadow of early marriage]()
In pictures | Education in the shadow of early marriage
A few brave Yazidi women in Armenia have bucked tradition and sought a university education, to uplift not only themselves but their whole community.
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![In pictures | Lips sewn shut in Chiatura’s sinking village]()
In pictures | Lips sewn shut in Chiatura’s sinking village
Residents of Shukruti say their houses continue to collapse due to mining underneath, and neither the mining company nor the government is listening.
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![In Pictures | Forgotten by the highway]()
In Pictures | Forgotten by the highway
From hammocks to nazuki sweet bread, the roadside wares that make travel in Georgia such a delight are in danger of disappearing.
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![In Pictures | Bakuriani’s corona freeze]()
In Pictures | Bakuriani’s corona freeze
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought life in Georgia’s most popular ski resort town to a painful standstill.
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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 | 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 | 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 | 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.
