Opinion

The Rising Divide in Religious and Secular Societies in Kazakhstan

Amidst the news of the Kazakhstani politicians trying to regulate the rise of religious extremists, we spoke with Ayan Oryntay, a religious studies scholar from Kazakhstan, to try to understand the current state of affairs.

31 May 2024

Leila Mekhdi

Opinion

Russia’s Restoration of Sukhumi Airport May Lead to Full Annexation of Abkhazia

Opinion

Russia’s Restoration of Sukhumi Airport May Lead to Full Annexation of Abkhazia

Abkhazia’s separatist government has recently signed public-private agreements with Russian companies for the restoration of Babushera airport, sparking fears in Georgia that Russia may be considering the annexation of Abkhazia.

Opinion

Georgia Awaits EU Decision on Candidate Status

The closer the EU comes to a decision on granting candidacy status to Georgia, the more polarized politics becomes within the country.

Opinion

Words of Wisdom - Armenian Academic and Former Minister Gerard Libaridian Shares His Views on Peace in Karabakh

The Armenians of Karabakh can still sign up to a “manageable” agreement on integrating into Azerbaijan, argues Gerard Libaridian, but they need to stop a sense of self-denial in failing to recognise that they won’t get everything they want.

22 September 2023

Mark Elliott

Opinion

The Rising Divide in Religious and Secular Societies in Kazakhstan

Amidst the news of the Kazakhstani politicians trying to regulate the rise of religious extremists, we spoke with Ayan Oryntay, a religious studies scholar from Kazakhstan, to try to understand the current state of affairs.

31 May 2024

Leila Mekhdi

Opinion

ProTenge’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief Found Guilty of “Spreading False Information”

Investigative journalist, founder, and editor-in-chief of the independent media ProTenge Jamilya Maricheva was fined for her January post on Telegram expressing support for Radio Azattyq’s journalists.

15 May 2024

Leila Mekhdi

Opinion

Kazakhstan: Will The New Amendments to the Law “On Mass Media” Infringe Media Freedom Even More?

RFE/RL’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, a potential ban on foreign media, and discrimination against journalists—Kazakhstani media’s troublesome reality.

27 February 2024

Leila Mekhdi

Opinion

Iranian Protesters Remain Defiant in the Face of Violent and Brutal Regime Oppression

Despite brutal repression by the Iranian regime, the women, life, freedom movement in Iran continues to resist with remarkable resilience, challenging the regime through nonviolent resistance, cultural expression, and acts of defiance such as removing headscarves and dancing in public.

20 June 2023
Opinion

The Protests in Iran and Azerbaijani Turk Civil Rights Activists

What role have Azerbaijani-Turks played in Iran's recent protests? For some of the country's minoritized ethnicities, the issues behind the demonstrations are just a selection of many more.

6 October 2022

Vahid Qarabagli

Opinion

#ManoFarsi – Hashtag Activists Addressing Linguistic Marginalization in Iran

Minoritized groups in Iran have taken to Twitter with the hashtag #ManoFarsi, meaning "Farsi and Me." The campaign is building awareness of ethnolinguistic rights issues and solidarity among non-Farsi speakers.

10 February 2022

Vahid Qarabagli