Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from February, 2016
Ukraine's Eurovision 2016 Entry Is About Stalin’s Repressions. Russia Isn't Thrilled.
Ukraine’s entry for the Eurovision 2016 music contest is a song about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Stalin regime. So why are Russian officials upset?
Macedonians Protest to ‘Defend the Constitution from the Constitutional Court Justices’
"Apparently it's perfectly legal to do election fraud, and whatever crimes you commit as long as the court approves it"
Macedonian Court Rejects Appeal by Activist Sentenced for Defaming Pro-Government TV Host
Five years after the case first began, Macedonia's judiciary has finally rejected an appeal by an activist convicted defaming a pro-government television show host.
Belgrade Mayor Stands By Police Chief Who Interfered in Journalists’ Work
Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali has refused to comply with the request of Serbia's Ombudsman to fire the chief of the Communal Police, who interfered with the work of journalists.
Youth NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe Tackle Corruption With a New Documentary Series
In the former Yugoslavia and former USSR, "from kindergarten to university, generations of children and students grow up learning about corruption from their own experiences."
Young Women in Kosovo Are Writing Code to Fight Harassment
Developers of a new app, Walk Freely, hope it will help solve Kosovo’s sexual harassment problem.
Anti-Extremism Police in Yakutia, Russia, Say They Have Ways of Finding You on WhatsApp
WhatsApp messenger is hugely popular in Yakutia—and the anti-extremist police force are on it.
Ukrainian Court Equates Social Network Profile With Mainstream Media
The social media pages containing "calls to overthrow authorities" were determined by the court to be "mass media" because they were public and accessible to an unlimited number of people.
UN Human Rights Official Pulls No Punches in Assessment of Hungary
After a nine-day visit, UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst highlighted the disheartening conditions human rights activists face in Hungary.
When Elections Are a Joke, the People Tell Election Jokes
Election fraud and other misdeeds have been a widespread problem in the Balkans. As the saying goes, 'If I didn't laugh, I'd cry.'
Homophobia Mars a Chechen Model’s Dream
Many models dream of scoring a photoshoot for Dolce & Gabbana. 17-year-old Ilona Bisultanova's dream came true last month, but what followed online wasn't entirely beautiful.
Unexpected Border Closure Leaves Thousands of Afghan Refugees Stranded in Greece
In Idomeni, a small village next to the Greek-Macedonian border, the only hope seems to be a passport.
Russians Find the Stories Hidden in Photos of Decay
There's a community on the Russian social network Vkontakte that takes photos of rust, peeling paint, and decay, and reimagines them as “abstract stories.”
Hard Labor for Woman Who Reposted Online Criticism of Russia's Actions in Ukraine
A Russian court found Vologzheninova guilty of "discrediting the political order" and of "inciting enmity" by reposting or liking online material critical of Russia’s actions in Crimea and in Donbas.
Albanian Police Use Force Against Protesters Defending the Capital's Last Public Park
One police officer was heard threatening them with the words: "There will be blood!"
Eurasia’s Leaders Urged to Close Their “Cyber-Borders”
The obscure Organisation of Eurasian Cyber-Security says an open internet can spur 'colour revolutions' of the sort already witnessed in the ex-Soviet region.
Online Documentary Preserves Oral History Surrounding 1950s Yugoslav Anti-Veil Law
The law was adopted "... to achieve the goal of removing the century-old sign of subjugation and backwardness of of Muslim women..."
The KRA Factor: The Shaming of Kadyrov’s Online Critics
The Chechen ideologists have invented a highly effective way of influencing their online critics. The method has been tested in Chechnya and is now being used outside of the republic.
Blogging Is Making a Comeback in Russia, Thanks to the Man Who Helped Kill It
A funny thing is happening in the chaos of today’s Russian Internet use: people are starting to feel overwhelmed on social media.
A Blogger Exposes Personal Data Protection Flaw on Macedonia's Election Commission Website
"The mishap is at a very amateurish level from the perspective of professional principles of working with personal data on the open Web."
Hungary’s Teachers Are Mad As Hell and They’re Not Taking It Anymore
Dissatisfaction with the declining state of Hungarian education has been brewing for years and has culminated in a protest by 30,000 people in Budapest.
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