Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian from April, 2009
Azerbaijan: Last day of April
Sheki, Azerbaijan comments on today's massacre of at least 13 students at a university in Baku and says that the end of April will now live on in the collective memory of the country as the day when the children of some families never came home.
Georgia: Alternative Eurovision
Following the scandal surrounding Georgia's aborted attempt to enter a song mocking the former Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Moscow, This is Tbilisi Calling says that the country will instead hold its own alternative international song contest.
Azerbaijan: Police
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the continuing saga of Parviz Azimov, a youth activist recently expelled from his university. The blog notes that whereas the police usually concentrate on preventing serious criminals from carrying on their activities, in undemocratic countries they usually focus on youth and political activists...
Armenia: Shooting the Messenger
Security, in the Caucasus and beyond…. comments on the tendency for nationalist voices in Armenia and the Diaspora to shoot down any proposals intended to promote peace and reconciliation with Turkey by discrediting them and preventing any open discussion or independent thought.
Armenia: Joke of the Day
Unzipped says joke of the day in Armenia is news that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) are now calling themselves an opposition political party. Having left the ruling coalition government yesterday in protest at talk of possible reconciliation between estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey, the blog says that...
Armenia: Internal politics and international relations
The pro-opposition tzitzernak2 comments on speculation that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) might leave the coalition government after last weeks announcement of progress made in normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations. The blog says the move is long overdue and blames the nationalist party for many of the problems the country...
Azerbaijan: Blog round-up
Writing on his In Mutatione Fortitudo, Global Voices Online Azerbaijan author Ali S. Novruzov says that Radio Free Europe has started to pay attention to the local blogosphere. However, he notes, the station needs to learn a few important lessons about blogging and citizen media.
Georgia: Cell protest in Tbilisi
A Year in Tbilisi pays a visit to some of the mock cells erected outside government buildings in the Georgian capital. The blog posts photographs and doesn't seem convinced that the opposition movement demanding the president's resignation stand much chance of succeeding.
Azerbaijan: Back in Baku
Scary Azeri in Suburbs returns to her native Baku. Posting photographs of the Azerbaijani capital, the blogger, now resident in the U.K., says that the city is full of contrasts and changes.
U.K.: London Armenian commemorative march
Unzipped posts photos of yesterday's commemorative march held on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Armenia: Obama recognizes Genocide… kinda
The Stiletto comments on yesterday's statement by US President Barack Obama on the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The blog rounds up different reactions to the statement and also examines what this means for the president nearly 100 days into office.
Armenia: Debate over campaign promise overshadows 94th anniversary of WWI killings
Yesterday marked the 94th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of as many as 1.5 million ethnic Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Bloggers react to a statement made by U.S. President Barack Obama marking the occasion, but which avoided directly referring to the WWI events as genocide.
Azerbaijan: Email correspondence with expelled student activist
Thoughts on the Road says it has communicated with Parviz Azimov, a youth activist recently expelled from his university, via email. The blog says his former student intends to appeal and protest the decision to international bodies.
Armenia: Maths problem
Unzipped comments on attempts by police to prevent a small march by a local political youth from heading to the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. The blog posts a video and concludes that policemen very definitely can't count.
Azerbaijan: Student protest
Following the expulsion of Parviz Azimov from his university in Lankaran State University, the Dalga youth movement have staged an action demanding his reinstatement. Video of the protest at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Sport and Youth is available on YouTube.
Georgia: War speculation
Lingeliens Ludicrous Legends comments on speculation from the media and some blogs that a new military conflict between Georgia and Russia might break out.
Azerbaijan: Corruption in the education sector
Thoughts on the Road updates its readers on the case of Parviz Azimov who was recently expelled from his university. The blog says that if administrators and professors had hoped Azimov would now remain quiet about corruption in the education sector in Azerbaijan, they were very much mistaken.
Armenia: Yerevan's muncipal election
Writing on The Caucasian Knot, Global Voices Online's Caucasus regional editor comments on next month's municipal election in Yerevan. With previous local, parliamentary and presidential elections haven been falsified since 1995, the blog says, the May vote will represent a test of Armenia's democratic credentials especially after last year's bitterly...
Azerbaijan: Dalga youth activist expulsion update
In Mutatione Fortitudo, the blog of Global Voices Online author Ali S. Novruzov, provides its readers with an update on the case of Parviz Azimov, the student activist recently expelled from university. The blog is concerned that the reason given for the action taken against Azimov is an alleged involvement...
Georgia: Russian youth movement provocation
Wu Wei Thoughts from the Tao comments on news that the pro-Putin Nashi youth movement attempted to cross into Georgian territory during last week's protests in Tbilisi. The blog says that such an attempt will do nothing to help the opposition in its attempt to force the Georgian president to...
Georgia: Who is Giorgi Targamadze?
The Tbilisi Blues comments on the current opposition protests in the Georgian capital and says that one political force opposed to the president might yet benefit from the stand-off between the government its more radical opponents.
