Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from February, 2022
Georgians rally in support of Ukraine as MPs scramble for response
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Azerbaijani journalist and queer activist murdered
Hafizli's sparked a public outcry on social media platforms, with many activists criticizing Azerbaijan's history of inaction when addressing hate crimes, specifically those targeting marginalized groups in the country.
Azerbaijan keeps quiet on Ukraine crisis as President Aliyev visits Moscow
As a majority of Western countries were condemning Putin's decision to recognize the independence of two Ukrainian separatist regions, Azerbaijan's ruling government kept silent.
In Azerbaijan, bizarre video of an MP reading a poem while holding a dinosaur baffles many
A video featuring the 66-year-old member of parliament reading a poem while holding a plastic dinosaur in his hand has been making rounds on social media and the local news.
In Tajikistan's mountainous region of GBAO, the power struggle with the capital extends to internet shutdowns
A long-standing conflict between the Pamiri population and the central government of Tajikistan has suffocated both opposition and local politics. leading to further isolation of the region with internet shutdowns.
Another top-down concession is unlikely to satisfy the need for redistribution in Kazakhstan
Without a serious restructuring of the country's economy, Kazakhstan's leadership has picked another top-down measure to timidly combat inequality — the main reason for the popular protests in January
In Azerbaijan, a man arrested for disrespecting a flag
This is perhaps the first instance of strong public backlash against someone disrespecting a foreign flag in Azerbaijan.
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