Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from June, 2023
In Azerbaijan, feminist activists say not the time to celebrate
At least ten political activists left the embassy premises following the extraction of feminist activists and Hasanli.
How to silence an environmental protest Azerbaijan style
Residents say the existing artificial lake, built in 2012, is used to dump toxic waste from the mine poisoning the drinking water with severe consequences on residents' health.
Ashes on their foreheads: Forest fires in Kazakhstan expose pervasive corruption and government’s fake promises
Over the past three years alone, four large forest fires have occurred in the north and east of Kazakhstan, causing the destruction of more than 100,000 hectares of forests.
President Erdoğan's obsession with childbirth expands past Turkey's borders
Independent economists say under existing economic conditions and salaries, it is nearly impossible to support five children in Azerbaijan.
Tajikistan's government adds another colossal building to its tally
Tajikistan building all these buildings is all the more striking given the fact that it is the poorest country in Central Asia.
Central Asian leaders sigh with relief as Erdoğan wins presidential elections in Turkey
After a cooling off in the relations in the 1990s and early 2000s, the blossoming of cooperation between Turkey and Central Asia has come under Erdoğan’s rule.
Kazakhstan is still haunted by Soviet-era political repression and famine
Kazakhstan is still grappling with the past tragedies and processing its national trauma.
Kyrgyzstan's YouTube sensation, D Billions, kicks off its global concert tour
D Billions, which stands for billion smiles, has already reached its ambitious goals of putting a smile on billion people's faces through their YouTube videos.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Kyrgyzstan
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Kyrgyzstan is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
After a decade of constrictions, how are NGOs operating in Azerbaijan?
Amid the Azerbaijani government's strict rules on NGO funding and leadership, most NGOs have been forced to cut down on services and develop self-sustaining mechanisms to continue operating.
Reporting from ‘the roof of the world': How Pamir Daily News works in Tajikistan
"I am sure that through such channels the decision centers receive a lot of things that they would never have been told through their official channels."