Stories about Georgia from May, 2011
Abkhazia: Sergei Bagapsh Dies
In Moscow's Shadows and Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog write about the implications of the death of Sergei Bagapsh, the president of the Republic of Abkhazia, on May 29.
Georgia: Demonstrators dispersed ahead of independence day celebrations
Shortly after midnight, opposition protests in the Georgian capital were disperse. A policeman was reportedly killed, apparently run over by a jeep belonging to an opposition party leader, after tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons were used to break up the demonstration. Journalists were also beaten up and their...
Georgia: Tolkienesque Clashes on the Streets of Tbilisi
On 21 May, just days before the 20th anniversary of Georgia declaring its independence from the former Soviet Union, protests organized by the opposition People's Assembly accused President Saakashvili of monopolizing power. Some took a humorous look at the clashes that followed.
Georgia: Beyoncé's Girls Rule an Apocalyptic… Caucasus?
The premiere of American singer Beyoncé's "Run The World (Girls)" video on May 18 evoked much debate among bloggers and social media users in Georgia for a less than expected reason. Not that it was the first single from her highly anticipated new album, or even because of its empowering message, but rather a simple road sign that appeared 1 minute and 50 seconds into the video.
Armenia: Royal visit to Ireland as an example for the Caucasus
Writing on his official blog, Charles Lonsdale comments on this week's historic visit by the Queen to the Republic of Ireland. The Ambassador to Armenia for the United Kingdom says that even if the conflicts in the South Caucasus are different, the visit shows that “even long-running and seemingly intractable...
Georgia: Human rights precedent in the Caucasus
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the first case against homophobia displayed by police in dealing with a LGBT activist in Georgia has been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights. Also the first such case from the Caucasus, the blog notes the important precedent it represents.
Georgia: Armenian-Azeri coexistence
Reader in Baku travels to villages and towns co-inhabited by ethnic Armenians and Azeris in Georgia. Despite the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the blogger finds that both ethnic minorities easily coexist together outside of the war zone.
