Georgian opposition ‘march for freedom’
Thousands marched through central Tbilisi calling for the release of Nika Melia and for snap elections to be called.
Leak targets prominent Azerbaijani feminist in run-up to Women’s Day
The private Facebook conversations from Gulnara Mehdiyeva were published amidst an online campaign targeting women’s rights activists.
Leak targets prominent Azerbaijani feminist in run-up to Women’s Day
The private Facebook conversations from Gulnara Mehdiyeva were published amidst an online campaign targeting women’s rights activists.
Political crisis in Armenia continues
Armenia remains in a tense political stand-off after the country’s top military brass called for Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.
Political crisis in Armenia continues
Armenia remains in a tense political stand-off after the country’s top military brass called for Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.
Georgian activist arrested ‘for shouting anti-government slogans’
An activist from the Shame Movement was fined $600 after being arrested while shouting anti-government slogans from a pavement outside parliament.
Georgian activist arrested ‘for shouting anti-government slogans’
An activist from the Shame Movement was fined $600 after being arrested while shouting anti-government slogans from a pavement outside parliament.
Health workers in Azerbaijan protest ‘exploitation’
Health workers from a state-run COVID-19 hospital in Baku demanding unpaid salaries.
Health workers in Azerbaijan protest ‘exploitation’
Health workers from a state-run COVID-19 hospital in Baku demanding unpaid salaries.
N!DA activist imprisoned ‘for post targeting Aliyev’
Abbasov was charged with illegal use of narcotic substances while allegedly tortured and threatened with rape.
N!DA activist imprisoned ‘for post targeting Aliyev’
Abbasov was charged with illegal use of narcotic substances while allegedly tortured and threatened with rape.
South Ossetia crisis becomes constitutional
The crisis in South Ossetia reached new heights after the 2021 budget was adopted dispite not enough MPs being present to achieve a quorum.
Protests and Western condemnation after Georgia opposition raid
The US Embassy said they were ‘dismayed by the polarising rhetoric from Georgia’s leadership at a time of crisis’.
Features & Analysis
Abkhazia seeks to revive its rail link to the outside world
With transport links poised to reopen following the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Abkhazian politicians are pushing to reopen their own dormant railway line.
New policies threaten Armenia's press freedom
One new proposed law would penalise ‘insult or slander’ of government officials with up to 2 years in prison.
New policies threaten Armenia's press freedom
By Ani AvetisyanOne new proposed law would penalise ‘insult or slander’ of government officials with up to 2 years in prison.
Five months in, crisis in South Ossetia shows little sign of abating
After months of protests, threats, and boycotting of parliament, the crisis over the death in custody of Inal Dzhabiev is continuing unabated.
Five months in, crisis in South Ossetia shows little sign of abating
By Zarina SanakoevaAfter months of protests, threats, and boycotting of parliament, the crisis over the death in custody of Inal Dzhabiev is continuing unabated.
Georgia’s Trump-loving alt-right begin broadcasting on TV
Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are now receiving Trump worship, conspiracy theories, and homophobic and xenophobic hate directly on their screens.
Georgia’s Trump-loving alt-right begin broadcasting on TV
By Shota KinchaHundreds of thousands of Georgians are now receiving Trump worship, conspiracy theories, and homophobic and xenophobic hate directly on their screens.
‘I thought I was invincible’ — the Georgian teenagers gambling online
Loopholes in the age verification process and pervasive advertising have led to an addiction epidemic among young Georgians.
‘I thought I was invincible’ — the Georgian teenagers gambling online
By Tata ShoshiashviliLoopholes in the age verification process and pervasive advertising have led to an addiction epidemic among young Georgians.
Abkhazia moves to shut down cryptomining as blackouts escalate
While the authorities blame cryptocurrency miners for the blackouts, experts say the problem goes much deeper.
Abkhazia moves to shut down cryptomining as blackouts escalate
By Marianna KotovaWhile the authorities blame cryptocurrency miners for the blackouts, experts say the problem goes much deeper.
Opinion
Opinion | Georgian democracy on life support
A democratic deficit risks Georgia descending into autocratic rule and beginning to reproduce the worst elements of it’s northern neighbour.
Opinion | Feminism in the South Caucasus cannot succeed without queer rights
The exclusionary nature of mainstream liberal feminism in the South Caucasus has rendered it utterly impotent.
Opinion | Azerbaijan’s new reality
After the war, Ilham Aliyev’s rule seems unassailable, but already this new order of things is showing cracks in its foundation.
Voices
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.’
In Pictures
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
-
![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.
