· September, 2012

Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from September, 2012

Azerbaijan: Youth Activist Believed Arrested

  29 September 2012

Emin Milli's Blog comments on the apparent disappearance of a youth activist in Azerbaijan. The blog says it believes Zaur Gurbanly's believed arrest was because of anti-presidential leaflets that were...

Armenia: Government Pressure on NGO

  29 September 2012

The Washington Post blog features an entry by David Ignatius detailing pressure on an Armenian NGO particularly active online. Founded by former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, government pressure...

Armenia: A New Response to Hate Crime?

  27 September 2012

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on news of an attack on transsexual sex workers in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The blog notes that not only did the victims report the crime,...

Georgia: A Caucasian Abu Ghraib

  27 September 2012

Eva Anderson, a Senior Analyst with Transparency International, examines the recent prison abuse video scandal in Georgia as the country prepares for crucial 1 October Parliamentary Elections. The blog post...

Kyrgyzstan: Virtual Farming, Real Harvest

  26 September 2012

You can now grow real organic vegetables and raise livestock online. Caravanistan reports about a new project [ru] in Kyrgyzstan which allows users to purchase a plot of land or an animal...

Kyrgyzstan: Court Bans Anti-Islam Film

  24 September 2012

The recent ban on the anti-Islam film 'Innocence of Muslims' in Kyrgyzstan has triggered lively debates among the country's internet users. While some netizens support the ban on the "offensive" video, others argue that restricting access to the film limits their freedom.

Afghans Show Restraint Over Anti-Islam Film

  24 September 2012

In spite of fears, Afghanistan saw relatively muted protests a result of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims. On the internet front, YouTube was blocked and Afghan hackers targeted a Christian website.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Hatred in the Caucasus

  22 September 2012

Murad Gassanly, an activist in exile, comments on the case of Ramil Safarov, a soldier convicted of murder in Hungary and recently pardoned in Azerbaijan, by examining how and why...

Kazakhstan: Western ‘Meddling’ in Controversial Trial Condemned

  20 September 2012

Three opposition leaders accused of active participation in the 2011 Zhanaozen violence now stand trial in Kazakhstan. While Western NGO's and journalists condemn the trial as unfair, Kazakhstan's bloggers have little sympathy for the opposition leaders. They support the government's strong-hand approach and criticize what they see as attempts by Western governments and organizations to meddle in Kazakhstan's internal affairs.

Armenia: Homophobic Editor On Air

  18 September 2012

Unzipped: Gay Armenia says that it is glad the pro-opposition A1+ TV, a station deprived of its broadcasting frequency in 2002, now has a program aired on another channel. However,...

Georgia: Brutality Behind Bars

  18 September 2012

A video showing prisoners being beaten up in one of Georgia's modernized prisons has been uploaded onto YouTube. Other videos appears to show more graphic incidents with one comment on...

Armenia: Chess Olympiad Triumph

  14 September 2012

The Armenian Observer posts photographs of celebrations following Armenia's victory in the 2012 Chess Olympiad held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Armenia: A New Transit Route?

  14 September 2012

The Armenian Observer reports that construction has started on upgrading Armenia's highways. Effectively connecting Iran with Georgia via Armenia more efficiently, the blog notes the Armenian government's hopes that the...

Armenia-Azerbaijan: International Day of Peace

  14 September 2012

Following an increase in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, locked as they are in a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Mountains of Peace looks ahead to...

About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage

Nurbek Bekmurzaev
Nurbek Bekmurzaev is the Central Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva is the South Caucasus editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.