Global Voices Online

After a news item in the local press reported that a British MP had been appointed as rapporteur on Armenia and Turkey, Unzipped says that it used Twitter to check the accuracy of the story. Tweeting a question to the MP in question, it turned out that the report was false.

Running around Armenia post photographs and a comprehensive account of a wedding in the South Caucasus country. The blog says that in some ways an Armenian wedding is similar to those in the West, but in other ways not.

Marking International Day of Peace, letzi83 notes that Armenia also celebrates its independence from the former Soviet Union on the same day and says her mind automatically makes a connection between the two events. unzippedblog also weighs in and says that despite sounding naive, maybe there's room for hope and welcomes the coincidence. My own Twitter feed notes that both events also come as Azerbaijan marks the end of Ramadan.

With most bloggers located in the capitals of the three South Caucasus republics, U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have been indispensible in posting entries from the regions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. However, with old PCVs being replaced by new ones when their service ends, it's often been difficult to keep track of their blogs. Thanks to Twitter, however, that is now a thing of the past with @pcjarmenia, @pcjazerbaijan, and @pcjgeorgia.

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on a death threat made against a prominent LGBT writer by an ultra-nationalist group in Armenia. The blog says that this latest development in what still remains a traditionally homophobic society marks a new move to create internal enemies and hopes that law enforcement agencies will take immediate action.

The Poor Mouth comments on the latest scandal surrounding Armenia and Azerbaijan in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The blog says that the interrogation of at least one Azeri who voted for the Armenian entry reminds it why nationalism should be loathed.

In an extended post, Unzipped: Gay Armenia reacts in horror to an article published by one local newspaper which not only displays its own homophobia, but also appears to advocate hate crimes — including murder — against gays in the country.

Unzipped comments on the case of Mariam Sukhudyan, an environmentalist who recently put her name to an open letter posted on a blog alleging sexual abuse at a Yerevan educational facility for children with special needs. The blog says that the charges of libel against her are yet another example of the absurdity of the local legal system.

The Frontline Club posts photographs of yesterday's rally by an opposition youth movement in support of a detained fellow activist. Unzipped also posts video of the demonstration.