Stories from Quick Reads and Digital Activism
Lotteries, dressed-up figures, and other peculiar entertainment at the Putin's sham elections
Current regime needs people to come to the polls in order to show the regime's legitimacy inside the country. Authorities find ways of 'entertainment' that would attract people to vote.
Uzbekistan is finally starting to address its air pollution problem
In December 2023, Tashkent recorded the second-highest air pollution levels, coming behind only India’s Delhi.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament approves changing the national flag
The president has provided eyebrow raising explanations for changing the flag.
Members of Belarusian band behind 2020 protest songs receive draconian sentences
"We are not cattle, cattle and cowards, we are a living people, we are Belarusians!" sang the Tor Band. Now their member are in prison with sentences up to nine years.
How Russians fought Putinism: A documentary
It is incorrect to say that the people in Russia did not resist the emergence of Putinism — they resisted, many times and in many ways, albeit unsuccessfully.
In Central Asia, the concerts of pro-war Russian celebrities are canceled in solidarity with Ukraine
In contrast to the governments in Central Asia, which maintain an ambiguous position, ordinary people in the region have expressed their political stance more clearly by expressing solidarity with Ukraine.
If adopted, Tajikistan’s draft law on bloggers will do more harm than good
In the last few years, the country has recorded significant backsliding with regards to freedom of expression as well as overall political freedoms.
Zere's new album is a continuation of her fight against gender inequality in Kyrgyzstan
It continues discussing gender inequality while exploring other social and political problems in Kyrgyzstan against the background of her intimate and personal experiences and stories from childhood.
A rapper in Uzbekistan is challenging widespread social issues through his songs
Konsta’s songs focus on Uzbek society, its problems, and the role of each individual in unfolding events.
‘History of love in the country of hatred': influencers detained in Russia for LGBTQ+ ‘propaganda’
Apart from widespread censorship, the Russian "anti- LGBT propaganda" law leads to unprecedented pressure on LGBTQ+ people and the organizations helping them.
In Turkey telecommunications watchdog blocks access to popular website Ekşi Sözlük
On February 7, another popular social media platform, Twitter was briefly blocked by the authorities on similar grounds.
Those who are in these coffins will no longer hear Putin's chatter about ‘everything is going according to plan’
Global Voices gathered some of the social media commentary in Russian with reactions to Putin's speech.
‘How the fuck is it possible?': Russian rapper releases anti-war album
Vladi, a lead singer of popular rap music group, now prohibited in Russia, released a new album, “February Lasts and Lasts.” It describes how incomprehensible and horrifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine is.
Shallow grave: Putin’s dictatorship is slowly killing Russia's main opposition leader Navalny
Putin’s main critic and the Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, has survived an assassination attempt, but now the regime is slowly killing him by harshening prison conditions.
Lives, interrupted: The human cost of resistance in Belarus
Hanna Liubakova, an associated member of the Atlantic Council, journalist and media trainer, posted a Twitter thread about the most recent and most shocking cases of political prisoners in Belarus
‘Call them by their names’: Stories of Russian anti-war political prisoners
In March 2022 the Russian parliament passed amendments to the Russian Criminal Code allowing for real prison terms for an anti-war stance. Some people now face up to 10 years in prison.
Women in Turkey stand in solidarity with women of Iran
In Turkey where women’s rights keep deteriorating, the murder of Mahsa Amini hits close to home. Women from across all walks of life express solidarity with the protests in Iran.
In Azerbaijan, police detain peace activist ahead of International Day of Peace
According to police records, Mammadli was arrested on the grounds of resisting police, an accusation common among punitive measures used in Azerbaijan to target political and civic activists.
Ukraine marks anniversary of Euromaidan protest on Day of Dignity and Freedom
Global Voices covered the Revolution of Dignity extensively in 2013 and 2014, featuring the multitude of citizen voices as captured by our volunteer authors.
Belarus court labels independent media outlets Tut.by, Zerkalo.io as ‘extremist’
The ruling applies to every single piece of content on the Tut.by and Zerkalo.io websites, as well as to all content posted on their social media channels.
Unlivable Conditions in Macedonian Student Dorms Worsen
The Student Plenum, a grassroots movement fighting for the rights of university students in Macedonia, published new photos of the unlivable conditions that students in Macedonia's capital of Skopje live in. The movement has steadily been following the situation in the state-owned student dorms and has called on the state...