Stories from Quick Reads and Governance
In Azerbaijan authorities remain silent over the murder of a trans woman
In general, for many LGBTQ+ individuals who face discrimination and violence, there is little recourse through the police or any official judicial channels in Azerbaijan.
Lotteries, dressed-up figures, and other peculiar entertainment at the Putin's sham elections
Current regime needs people to come to the polls in order to show the regime's legitimacy inside the country. Authorities find ways of 'entertainment' that would attract people to vote.
In Georgia, a new political alliance looks to the future
The new political alliance was announced at a turbulent time. Since the previous parliamentary election in 2020, Georgian domestic politics have been engulfed in a political crisis.
Will President Erdoğan really stop running in Turkey's elections?
Months after the general elections, with the local elections just weeks away, President Erdoğan's remark about not running again ring hollow.
Women in Moldova are better educated but earn less and marry earlier
Some National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova's data about women living in Moldova today
Uzbekistan's recent anti-religious measures present a worrisome trend for its Muslims
This is not the first time Muslims in Uzbekistan, who make up 94 percent of the population, face persecution due to their beliefs.
Natural disasters in Mongolia grow worse and threaten the future of nomadic way of life
Although it is animals that die during dzud, these disasters affect the entire nation.
Presidential election in Azerbaijan show old habits die hard
This election was business as usual in Azerbaijan with manipulation and violations, including carousel voting, ballot stuffing, and aggressive behavior toward independent observers and journalists throughout the day.
In Moldova, asylum was denied to five representatives of the LGBTQ+ community from Russia
In all five responses published this week, Moldovan imigration agency claims that 'some individuals have certain obligations to protect their country, and their avoidance of military service in Russia does not pose a risk of persecution.'
Uzbekistan’s repression survivors tell their harrowing stories in a new documentary
This is one of the first attempts to tell the story of more than 18,000 people who were jailed on trumped-up charges and labelled “extremists” by Uzbekistan's Karimov government.
Uzbekistan is finally starting to address its air pollution problem
In December 2023, Tashkent recorded the second-highest air pollution levels, coming behind only India’s Delhi.
Kyrgyzstan’s self-proclaimed ‘new God’ and former presidential candidate found dead in prison
Abdyldaev’s death is another incident of the alarming trend that has been unfolding under the rule of the current president Sadyr Japarov.
Between four walls: The suppressed voices of peace in Azerbaijan
It’s a landscape where the very act of speaking out often comes at a steep cost, both in terms of personal sacrifice and the relentless pressure they face.
Head of Azerbaijan's Presidential Security Service implicated in corruption scandal
Baku's InterContinental hotel has a suspicious history. When the land around the hotel was put up for auction, the details of the land's address and size were purposefully blacked out.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament approves changing the national flag
The president has provided eyebrow raising explanations for changing the flag.
In Turkey, even the head of the Central Bank cannot afford the skyrocketing rents
The high inflation, declining purchasing power, and other factors continue to make it difficult for average income earners to find suitable housing.
Kazakhstan’s ex-president releases a controversial memoir
Nazarbayev confirmed the long-stading rumors and admitted having an extramarital affair with Asel Isabayeva.
Members of Belarusian band behind 2020 protest songs receive draconian sentences
"We are not cattle, cattle and cowards, we are a living people, we are Belarusians!" sang the Tor Band. Now their member are in prison with sentences up to nine years.
The number of Indigenous people of Sakhalin island in Russia is drastically decreasing
The indigenous people of Sakhalin are now present in small numbers, they are named Nivkhs, Ainu, Uilta. A documentary shows one of the dying villages, Rybnoe, where Nivkhs live.
The Other Moldova project portrays small towns outside of Chişinău
Residents of Chişinău or people outside Moldova know little about other cities in the country. Local news outlet explores life outside the capital.
In Turkey, another festival is cancelled as censorship runs rampant
In recent years, countless cultural events and concerts have been canceled in Turkey due to the ruling government's censorship and increasingly conservative views.