From December 1st through the 8th, the Tbilisi International Film Festival screened a diverse row of movies, from classic and modern Georgian films, such as Inhale-Exhale (Dito Tsintsadze), Before Father Gets Back (Mari Gulbiani) and Fatherland (Giorgi Sikharulidze) to alternative … Continue reading What’s up Georgia? Doctor released, and fake accounts removed
Murder of Ingush anti-extremism official. On November 2nd, the head of the Ingush anti-extremism agency, Ibragim Eldzherkiev, was shot dead in Moscow along with his brother, Akhmed Eldzherkiev. On December 10th, Interfax reported that ten suspects have been arrested so far … Continue reading What’s up North Caucasus? Minors returned from the Middle East and new sanctions against Chechen officials
– On November 8th, the premier of the co-produced Swedish-Georgian film And Then We Danced, centered on a love story between two young male dancers of the Georgian national ensemble, took place against the background of the protests from far-right groups, … Continue reading What’s up Georgia? Vote to change election system takes political crisis to a new level, and Georgian doctor sentenced to two-months detention in South Ossetia
– Several infrastructure projects are in realisation to connect Dagestan with the broader region. On the 1st of October, the Head of the Republic mentioned ata meeting of the Valdai Club that flights between Makhachkala and Iran are planned to … Continue reading What’s up North Caucasus? Ramzan Kadyrov visits Saudi Arabia, and Ingushetia remembers the victims of the 1992 Osseto-Ingush conflict
– On his first international trip as Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia met with the heads of Georgia’s neighbouring states. On October 9th, Gakharia and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev agreed to reopen the contested Davit Gareji Monastery, which is located in … Continue reading What’s up Georgia? Prime Minister Gakharia meets with neighbours, and accusations against the Church
– The self-immolation of the Udmurt-language professor Albert Razin on September 10th shocked those concerned with the development of the indigenous languages of the Russian Federation. His suicide was carried out in protest against the neglect of Russia’s minority languages. In … Continue reading Minority language rights in peril, and PACE visits Chechnya
Autumn in Georgia has kicked off with a good deal of political turmoil, reaching a brief peak of civic response on September 20th, just three months after the summer protests. Dissatisfaction with the political and socio-economic situation has reached a … Continue reading New Prime Minister sworn in and a month of commemorations
“What is it all for?” the old lady grabs my hand and squeezes it desperately, waiting for some wise answer. “Why?” she repeats, emphasizing her question with a gesture towards a square full of people gathering for the second day … Continue reading “I will never forgive this government for the lost eyes and savagery that we saw on June 20th” – a photo essay from the ongoing protests in Tbilisi
Police station architecture in the Republic of Georgia is indicative of one the most consistent political themes of the country since 2004 – transparency. With the election of Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia entered a period of rapid political reform. Central to … Continue reading Georgian Democracy: Pulling the blinds on a glass house
Democracy in Georgia declined sharply according to the most recent democracy index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Based on indicators measuring electoral processes and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties, Georgia dropped … Continue reading “The steepest drop in democratic quality in Eastern Europe”: Georgian democracy downgraded
