Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from January, 2022
Russia rose to second place globally in Twitter content removal requests
Russia came in second place after Japan and accounted for 25 percent of global Twitter takedown requests in January-June 2021. Most requests targeted content that allegedly violated local laws against suicide promotion.
‘Rebel’ candidates risk it all: Elections in Bangladesh
Electoral violence in fact has flared up within the ranks of the Awami League itself, as prospective candidates compete to be nominated by the party.
Belarusian cyberactivists claim railway system hack to protest Russian troop movements
The hacker collective said it would be prepared to hand over encryption keys if 50 Belarusian political prisoners were released and the presence of Russian troops in Belarus was “prevented.”
‘I didn't ask for it!': Four women fighting against gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The spontaneous decision to host a page where women would anonymously share their experiences of sexual assault and harassment has received a response far beyond anything the activists expected.
Undertones: From ‘Satanic’ QR codes and ‘public enemies’, navigating the pandemic in Russia
Protests erupted throughout the country in late 2021 and polarization is deepening, as government members and state media label anti-vaxxers “enemies of the people,” a term loaded with negative historical connotations.
The Soviet Union existed for 70 years, but don’t expect to find it as a location in the world of comic books
Only a handful of mainstream comics published during the existence of the Soviet Union actually take place within its borders, and those that did often promoted stereotypes.
The paradox threatening Ukraine’s post-coal future
It is hard to imagine an energy transition in Ukraine, which frequently appears to be facing an energy crisis. But with a deadline looming, the discussion needs to begin today.
Google removes YouTube ads featuring interrogations of Belarusian political prisoners
The short videos, used to promote pro-government channels, feature opposition members and independent journalists imprisoned by the Lukashenka regime in what look like forced confessions made under duress.
New colonization in Russia’s Arctic threatens indigenous rights
Pressure is growing on indigenous activists from Russia’s north, Siberia, and far east, even though the groups are almost totally uninvolved in politics in the literal sense.
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