Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from October, 2013
Race Riots Remind Russians About Political Divide
This week’s reactions to a riot that took place outside Moscow are a reminder that the subject of ethnic nationalism deeply divides Russians.
Infant Girl Who Sparked Bosnia's ‘Babylution’ Dies
Seven-month-old Belmina Ibrišević passed away in a hospital in Germany. A lapse in Bosnian passport law prevented her earlier treatment.
Asylum-Seekers Continue Hunger Strike in Hungary
Sixty asylum-seekers went on hunger strike yesterday in a southeast Hungarian detention camp for asylum-seekers, atlatszo.hu investigative journalism site's blog reported in their Blog Action Day post [hu] on human rights. The Office of Immigration and Nationality confirmed that the strike was started by five Malian citizens who were joined by...
On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights
Bloggers around the world, including Global Voices contributors, are highlighting this year's #BAD13 topic: human rights.
Bosnia-Herzegovina's World Cup Qualifying Win Unites Region in Celebration
Bosnia-Herzegovina is headed to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Congratulations are pouring in from Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin fans online.
Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported
Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her family [fr] to Kosovo as illegal immigrants. The Dibrani family fled Kosovo about five years ago because they are Roma. Léonarda...
Russian Muslim Websites Defaced by Hackers During Eid
On Eid al-Adha (Kurban-Bairam in Russian), several websites of the Russian Muslim community were defaced with a photo of a severed pig's head holding the Koran in its mouth.
Can the Kremlin Control Moscow Ethnic Violence?
A poverty-stricken industrial Moscow neighborhood has erupted in ethnic violence last week, after a local man named Egor Sherbakov was stabbed to death by an alleged "migrant."
The Kremlin's Internet Takeover: A Surefire Flop
When it comes to technology, the Russian government makes up in ambition for what it lacks in competence. Earlier this week, state-controlled telecom Rostelecom announced a government-sponsored Internet search engine.
United Russia MP Scorned for Public Debauch
A United Russia deputy and his aide were thrown off an Aeroflot flight, accused of being intoxicated, threatening the crew, and delaying the flight.
Nobel Peace Prize Fails to Pacify
Assad for Nobel Peace Prize 2014? This is one of many reactions after the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was named as this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Russians Remember “The Day Democracy Died”
20 years after Russia's constitutional crisis, many bloggers criticizes Yeltsin's decision to fire on the Supreme Soviet, characterizing the moment in post-Soviet history as a turn for the worse.
For the Russian Opposition Olympic Flames Burn Cold
Over a million people have watched a YouTube video of an Olympic torch being lit with a lighter, after the flame went during the 2014 torch relay.
Czech Republic: Anti-Roma Riots and Attacks on the Rise
The Romedia Foundation, a Romani non-governmental organization based in Budapest, wrote about anti-Roma demonstrations and rising attacks on the Roma population in recent months in the Czech Republic.
Are Russian Pensions Robbing Peter to Pay Paul?
As the Russian government scrambles to boost available short-term funds for pension payments ahead of economic troubles, ordinary Russians have denounced the move as “confiscatory."
Toppled Mayor Leaves Serbia's Capital Without a City Government
The mayor of Serbia's capital city, Dragan Djilas, was fired from his post on 24 September 2013, after a 5-hour debate at which he was present and a secret vote of city councilors that followed. The initiative was backed by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), its coalition partner the...
New Romanian Law Takes Aim at Bucharest's 65,000 Stray Dogs
A deadly dog attack on a four-year-old boy last month spurred Romanian legislators to pass a law legalizing euthanasia after stray animals spend 14 days in public shelter.
The Trouble with Being Elected Mayor in Russia
After a hard-fought campaign in Yekaterinburg, Evgeny Roizman has encountered a new challenge: pesky procedural complications in his confirmation by the local State Duma.
Slovakia, Where Receipts Double as Lottery Tickets
In an attempt to collect more taxes, Slovakia has started a national lottery using purchase receipts to combat under the table deals that skirt around the country's value-added tax.
“Lesbianism” and “War Games”: Russian Internet Censorship Continues
Looo.ch was presumably blocked for hosting an art project: two multimedia "textbooks" titled "Homosexuality for Children" and "Lesbianism for Children," which are meant to be a "satire of Russian homophobia."
Tajik Children in Russia “Should Go to School”
A Russian lawmaker and member of the ruling party recently suggested [ru] that the children of labor migrants should be barred from Russian schools and kindergartens. LJ user prosto_vova explains [ru] why this is a bad idea. His list of reasons for not barring migrants’ children from Russian schools includes the...
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