Stories about Politics from January, 2025
A small town in Tajikistan continues to live in fear of serial killers
By the end of 2024, a total of 23 people from seven families, including eight children, were killed.
A bill reignites the discussion on same-sex unions in Peru
“The conservative movement’s ability to infiltrate media spaces, particularly after the pandemic, has been truly impressive.“
In Turkey, arrests continue to target opposition mayors
Akpolat’s arrest is the most recent example of the increasing pressure on opposition from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Since the municipal elections, the targeting of the opposition parties has intensified.
The fall of symbols: Toppling Hafez al-Assad’s largest statue in Syria
For decades, statues of Hafez al-Assad symbolized power and repression. Today, they fall as Syrians reclaim public spaces from the shadows of dictatorship.
Belarussian leader Lukashenka reduced his total votes in the ‘elections’ to not surpass the ‘big brother’
“He still did not dare to surpass his ‘big brother’, but came close to his result: Vladimir Putin, according to the official version, gained 87.28% in last year’s elections.”
Pacific nations react to Trump’s order withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement
"There is a moral responsibility by each global leader to think from the global perspective instead of from their own national-interest perspective."
Why Trinidad and Tobago artists are up in arms about the country’s attempt to ‘decolonise’ its coat of arms
"Supposedly, the drive behind it was to push forward decolonisation. That's a necessary and good thing. However, the way they went about it doesn't feel like decolonisation."
Georgian government continues the purge, setting its sights on universities next
Universities are the latest target of Georgia's ruling party. Earlier in January, the Interior Ministry ordered the expulsion of 25 foreign nationals who had allegedly participated in anti-government protests.
Inside Saydnaya: Tales of survival and horror in Syria’s notorious prison
Amid the torture and inhumanity of Saydnaya, stories of survival and unbroken spirit offer powerful testimony to the human capacity for resistance.
A regional protest erupts in Azerbaijan following fatal car accident
The protest over an accident in which four schoolchildren were struck by a police car was met with a heavy-handed response from authorities.
What’s in store for Myanmar in 2025?
"The military is in a state of decline; it is weak and shrinking. The military has seen a wave of desertions, defeats, low morale and loss of dignity."
Kyrgyzstan surrenders its best private schools to Turkey's control
This was a shock to everyone associated with the schools, including leadership, teachers, students, and parents, who were informed of the decision only after it had been made.
In Turkey a fire at a skiing resort hotel once again highlights a history of negligence
Other experts who spoke to the media explained that, given the death toll, the likelihood of the hotel having properly functioning warning, detection and extinguishing system was slim.
Bangladesh interim government’s ‘right’ to uninterrupted internet access is a sham
On December 24, 2025, Bangladesh’s Interim Government approved the Cyber Security Ordinance 2024 draft, replacing the authoritarian Cyber Security Act 2023 Act, sparking discontent amidst leaking of unpublished details and limited stakeholder circulation.
Turkey celebrates 2025 as the ‘year of family,’ even as households struggle with double-digit inflation
When explaining the causes of decreasing birth rate, President Erdoğan did not mention inflation, or the related economic challenges. Instead, he targeted the LGBTQ+ community as being "perverse" and "harmful."
Activist Thai lawyer gets additional years in prison for ‘defaming’ the monarchy
"The fire of struggle has not yet been extinguished. The seeds of freedom have been sown in people’s hearts already. We now wait for them to grow."
What lies behind the raid on the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute by the city's national security police?
PORI was raided on January 13, and its head, Robert Chung, and two staff members were taken to a police station to assist in a national security investigation.
Power, myth, and the personal: A conversation with Iranian-American artist Shiva Ahmadi
"I draw deep inspiration from the narrative elements of Persian miniature painting. This quality inspires me to use metaphor and narrative to reflect on contemporary issues in today’s world."
After decades of campaigning, Jamaicans rejoice over President Biden’s pardon of National Hero Marcus Garvey
"Garvey’s life was dedicated to [a] vision of justice larger than any single race or nation. His wrongful conviction [is] a reflection of the work that remains before us.”
Ten Years After Umbrella Protests: What has changed for Hongkongers?
Global Voices interviewed activists and teachers to find out how Hong Kong's Umbrella movement change its citizens? And how do they view the changes their home has gone through?
After 466 days of war, a ceasefire is declared in Gaza, to begin on Biden’s last day in office
Gaza’s ceasefire brings temporary relief after wide accusations of genocide against Israel, raising urgent questions of justice, rebuilding, and future peace prospects.