Queer rights are vital, not optional

by Shota Kincha

• 2 min read

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OC Insider

Georgian Dream hides its anti-Western course behind EU flags

by Mariam Nikuradze

•4 min read

As Georgia’s Independence Day approaches, construction has begun in Tbilisi to prepare for the celebration. Commemorated on 26 May, the day usually consists of conscripts swearing the traditional oaths in a ceremony on Freedom Square — attended by government officials and their invited guests — as well as various concerts and events across the city and similarly across the country. In addition, the Georgian Parliament building is adorned with banners, decorations which usually include the EU f

OC Insider

Armenian authorities are choosing the wrong role model

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

Armenian authorities are taking steps to introduce new restrictions on media and freedom of speech ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. At the end of April, Armenia’s Justice Ministry released a series of draft legislative amendments, which, if adopted, would require media outlets — as well as individual social media users — to not only publicly refute or publish a response to insulting or defamatory content, but also to remove such expressions or even the entire publication. The authori

OC Insider

Russia’s cynical distortion of Victory Day

by Nate Ostiller

•3 min read

On Friday, Russia will hold a grand spectacle in Moscow to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. The official holiday — arguably the most important non-religious holiday in modern Russia — will feature a parade, and will be attended by several leaders from the Caucasus, including Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Abkhazian President Badra Gunba, South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev, and likely the heads of Russian republics in the North Caucas

OC Insider

Through poetry, Pezeshkian hits back at Azerbaijani irredentism

by Aytan Farhadova

•1 min read

On 28 April, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Azerbaijan, the first such visit by an Iranian president in six years. While only a short trip, the one-day visit was quite eventful. One of the most memorable aspects of the visit was Pezeshkian’s sense of humour. Following his official meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Pezeshkian decided to read a poem by Mahamadhuseyn Shahriyar, an Iranian poet of Azerbaijani descent. As Pezeshkian is also an Iranian from the country’s