News

The "Sultans of the Net", the Turkish women's national volleyball team, won the European championship at the beginning of September, confirming their leadership at world level. The victory, however, reignited divisions at home over the rights and identities of sexual minorities

The municipal elections will be held in Yerevan on 17 September, an important challenge because a third of Armenia's population lives in the capital, and then because it will be a test for the Pashinyan government, at a time when the Armenian political debate is dominated by the Karabakh issue

Despite recent diplomatic meetings Azerbaijan and Armenia are once again in a stalemate over the Lachin corridor, a 5km highway linking Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh. The blockade of this corridor by Azerbaijan is putting the inhabitants of Nagorno Karabakh in difficulty

Gubad Ibadoglu, a well-known economist who has long been disliked by the Azeri government for his political aspirations, was arrested in Baku in recent days. His work focuses on “petro-capitalism”, analysing how oil and gas revenues have fuelled corruption and authoritarianism in post- Soviet states

On Thursday 20 July, the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging criminalization of defamation. Calls from international and local actors to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the controversial provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offence have gone unheeded

In September 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 emergency, a fire at the Tetovo hospital in North Macedonia led to the death of 10 patients. Now, the trial has come to a controversial conclusion

A tight series of talks and meetings attended by Nikol Pashinyan, prime minister of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan, took place in various locations, from Moscow to Chişinău and even in Ankara. The goal was to seek the normalisation of relations between Yerevan and Baku

The struggle for control of information in Slovenia is a constant in the permanent "civil war" between the country's political forces. After long political clashes, the Board of Directors met for the first time last Monday

The difficulties of working in the media, the fragility of refugee status: the story of a journalist that the Turkish state wanted for itself

After the massacres of the recent weeks, street demonstrations continue against the government and above all the media, which according to critics have created a climate of intolerance and violence over the years

The acquittal of the authors of an investigative book on discontent within the majority party comes in a local context where the rule of law is severely tested by the interweaving of media concentration, economic interests, politics and business, family ties, and various anomalies

On Sunday, 14 May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels for renewed talks hosted by European Council President Charles Michel. Still many unresolved points but some small progress appears

No winners in the first round of the Turkish presidential elections on May 14. Outgoing president Erdoğan and his challenger Kılıçdaroğlu will go to the second round on May 28. The analysis of the vote and the results of the parliamentary elections

For the first time in over twenty years in power, Erdoğan is facing a coalition and an opponent who could give him a run for his money in the elections on Sunday 14 May. Polls put both the outgoing president and his main challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the CHP, at 45%

In two days, Serbia witnessed two massacres in which 17 people died and several were injured, many of whom were minors. Unprecedented facts that have shocked the country so far. The news of the events and the behaviour of the media and politicians after the massacres

From 1 to 4 May, the United States hosted a meeting of talks between the Armenian Foreign Minister and his Azerbaijani counterpart. Few details of the meeting: there was some progress but points of disagreement remain on some key issues

The allocation of national broadcasting frequencies in Serbia highlights the lack of transparency and pluralism in the sector. Frequencies are only awarded to government-friendly media. Concerns have been expressed by both the European Commission and the European Parliament

The instrumental use of EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece. The case of journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and the independent media outlet Alterthess, sentenced in the first instance to pay compensation of 3,000 euros to Efstathios Lialos, executive of the Hellas Gold gold mine

Many Russian citizens buy in Armenia – and resell in Russia – what cannot be found at home because of sanctions

The parliament of Republika Srpska approved in the first instance a bill to amend the criminal code which reintroduces the crime of defamation. Now sixty days of public debate and then back to the assembly. A dangerous step backwards for freedom of expression

Relations between Greece and Turkey have deteriorated steadily in recent years, leading to fears of a clash between the two countries. The earthquake that devastated Turkey on February 6, however, has opened up new spaces for solidarity and dialogue

Recent gunfight casts doubt on prospects for talks between Azerbaijan and Karabakh Armenians

Following two nights of protests that saw riot police use tear gas and water cannon, the Georgian government announced that it has withdrawn controversial legislation that critics say would set back democratic development in the country and reverse the country’s stated policy of joining the European Union. Photos and text by Onnik James Krikorian, from Tbilisi

With an amendment to an existing law, political parties with actual leaders convicted of crimes might soon be banned from running in Greek national elections. The decision started a heated debate over the boundaries of democratic political participation in the country

On 20 February the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) started observing the country’s fragile border with neighbouring Azerbaijan. EUMA is a tool to create a more conducive environment for negotiations between Yerevan and Baku

Hopes and tension at Munich Security Conference as Armenian and Azerbaijan leaders meet to discuss a peace treaty. The initial optimism for the historic meeting soon gave way to unresolved tensions between Pashinyan and Aliyev

The devastating earthquakes that shook Turkey on February 6 have uncovered a divided country, where many denounce the earthquakes as an announced tragedy. The government responds to the protests by tightening censorship

We were in Kryvyj Rih, an industrial city in central Ukraine, to investigate what the workers' organisations are doing and how they have reacted to the conflict

After over seven years of judicial ordeal and after spending fifteen months in pre-trial detention on drug trafficking charges, investigative journalist Jovo Martinovic was acquitted for the second time by the Appellate Court on 17 January. We interviewed him while waiting for the final verdict

The European Union gave the green light on 23 January to the long-term mission in Armenia (EUMA). It is a monitoring mission on the border with Azerbaijan, it will employ about a hundred people and will be temporarily led by Stefano Tomat, senior official with the EU External Action Service