Climate change conference or authoritarian circus?

by Aytan Farhadova

• 2 min read

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OC Insider

Nine years of pressure

Aytan Farhadova

••3 min read

‘Shirin and the girls were detained’ was a phrase first whispered in 2015 while Meydan TV staff were being trained in Ukraine. I was working with them at the time. The news shocked everyone, and as I remember one of my colleagues arguing with everyone after hearing this news while we were in the office of the Ukraine media outlet Nashi Qroshi. This month, a similar refrain was uttered when Meydan TV journalist Aysel Umudova sent a voice message on Telegram saying ‘Aytaj, Khayala, Aynur, Natig

OC Insider

Cutting the aid of those in need

Arshaluys Barseghyan

••2 min read

Last week brought bad news for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. For a little over a year, the 100,000 refugees who lost their homes have been relying on government aid to cover rent and utilities in Armenia. Rental prices, which skyrocketed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have left Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians with little choice but to pay increased rents, especially in and around Yerevan, where they prefer to stay for work, education, and other opportunities. The aid is modest — just ֏50,00

OC Insider

How police violated my rights as a journalist

Mariam Nikuradze

••2 min read

On Tuesday, police dispersed an opposition-organised protest outside Tbilisi State University. It was the second night protesters were blocking Ilia Chavchavadze, Melikishvili, and Varaziskhevi streets, a major crossroads. Police didn’t issue a warning about the dispersal in advance; they only gave a verbal warning to protest organisers on the site 15 minutes in advance. The dispersal started at around 7:00 in the morning. Thousands of police officers started moving to clear the intersection

OC Insider

From Georgia to Georgia, authoritarianism spreads

Nate Ostiller

••4 min read

As the two Americans on the OC Media staff, Nate and Xandie have been closely watching the US election with an eye for what it will mean at home and in the South Caucasus. Yesterday, we unfortunately watched the US elect Donald Trump in a win for authoritarianism and populism. Just as the US state of Georgia embraced conservatism and a leader with seemingly little interest in democratic values, so did the country of Georgia just a couple of weeks ago, with the ruling Georgian Dream party clai