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OC Media

Opinion | Accepting our past is the only way we can move forward

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Javid Agha is an Ankara-based writer and social media observer focusing on Armenia and Azer­bai­jan, whose writing has been featured across the web including on the BBC. He is editor of Azer­bai­jani art and culture platform, VarYox.

In Azer­bai­jan, as in Armenia, remem­brance of the victims of past atroc­i­ties often takes on a one-sided nature. Despite attempts to twist and politi­cise such events to serve nation­al­ist causes, a more com­pas­sion­ate approach is needed to move forward, and a remem­brance that above all, innocent victims are always sacred.

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Rustavi 2 journalists attacked by far-right group for joke about Jesus and Ivanishvili

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Coverage of the attack on Rustavi 2.

Far-right group the March of Georgians attacked three jour­nal­ists from Rustavi 2 on Monday afternoon in Tbilisi. The attack was in response to an on-air joke by anchor Giorgi Gabunia about former Georgian Prime Minister, bil­lion­aire Bidzina Ivan­ishvili, his tree-col­lect­ing hobby, and Jesus Christ. [Read more…]

Russia’s war on Circassian national consciousness

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A group heading for the prayer at the site of the 1779 battle near Psykhurey was stopped at a police cordon (/Kavkaz.Realii)

The Cir­cass­ian national movement in the North Caucasus has for years been under pressure from the author­i­ties. Facing detention, pros­e­cu­tion, or outright violence, Cir­cass­ian activists, scholars, and young people all feel the pressure, but there is much dis­agree­ment as to why they are being targeted.

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Women’s march in Tbilisi after far-right rape threats

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Women’s March on 19 July in Tbilisi (Luka Pertaia/OC Media)

Around 150 people gathered on Tbilisi’s Agh­mashenebe­li Avenue on 19 July, in sol­i­dar­i­ty with a woman who was threat­ened with gang rape after crit­i­cis­ing a far-right march in the city. Agh­mashenebe­li was recently host to the ethno-nation­al­ist, male-dominated ‘March of Georgians’.

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Leaders of Tbilisi far-right march threaten woman with gang rape

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The March of Georgians in Tbilisi on 14 July (Luka Pertaia/OC Media)

Police in Georgia have opened an inves­ti­ga­tion into organ­is­ers of the recent far-right March in Tbilisi, after a number of them threat­ened a woman who crit­i­cised their movement with rape.

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Who was in and who was out in Tbilisi’s far-right March of Georgians [Analysis]

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March of Georgians (Luka Pertaia/OC Media)

Hundreds took to the streets in Tbilisi on 14 July, in a xeno­pho­bic, ethno-nation­al­ist rally. The ‘March of Georgians’ railed against ‘illegal immi­grants’, meaning anyone not Christian and white. But some on the far-right dissented against pro-Russian sen­ti­ments within the movement.

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Unambitious state-backed Circassian groups hide a growing nationalism in young Circassians

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Activists at the memorial to the Cir­cass­ian victims of the Russian–Caucasian War.

Offi­cial­ly sanc­tioned organ­i­sa­tions in what was once his­tor­i­cal Circassia work almost exclu­sive­ly to promote Cir­cass­ian language and culture. Beneath the surface, however, young people espouse more radical ambitions — recog­ni­tion of the Cir­cass­ian Genocide, and creation of a united Circassia.

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