Delimitation, division, and discontent in Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

• 2 min read

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OC Insider

What freedom of speech means in the North Caucasus

by Elizaveta Chukharova

•2 min read

Dear reader, You have the opportunity to read this newsletter, as well as the freedom to read any news in Telegram or use it to communicate with friends. But in the North Caucasus, the use of the social media messenger Telegram is already a luxury. Since November, residents of Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Daghestan have reported problems accessing the messaging app. The authorities, without blinking an eye, replied that any issues were the work of ‘foreign agents’, accusing such ‘agents’ of makin

OC Insider

Independent media is just one step away from disappearing

by Aytan Farhadova

•1 min read

A few days ago, the chair of a regional media outlet called me with the following message: ‘Aytan, our employees in Azerbaijan refuse to work with us for fear of being arrested. For their own safety, they say they’d prefer to change their profession altogether, and we need new employees.’ In my country, almost every day begins with bad news, so this update did not shock me. But then, I heard that the media outlet itself was at risk, due to the situation in Georgia and the new FARA law in parl

OC Insider

Hey, Trump! Game on.

by Dominik K Cagara

•2 min read

Dear reader, Trump, Orbán, and Putin’s war on the media has entered a new era. When they failed to destroy us with their big lies, accusations in the mirror, or false balances, they struck where we are most vulnerable — our near-total dependency on philanthropy. My favourite part of founding OC Media was feeling connected to all the brave, uncompromising journalists in the Caucasus. I loved brainstorming stories with our Daghestani journalists, refining conflict-sensitive terminology, or trave

OC Insider

Azerbaijan’s first independent media outlet closes after 35 years

by Aytan Farhadova

•2 min read

On 13 February 2025, Turan closed its offices. It was the first independent media outlet to emerge in Azerbaijan, working consistently for 35 years. ‘Founded in 1990, in the final days of the Soviet Union, we have endured the challenges of transition, war, and reform while remaining committed to journalism that serves the public interest’, Turan’s director Mehman Aliyev wrote in a statement addressing the outlet’s closing. In his letter to the readers, Aliyev explained the reason Turan was clo