Azerbaijan: Homophobia, Politics & Corruption

Posted 18 July 2008 8:33 GMT

Countries	Azerbaijan
Topics	Human Rights, Politics, Economics & Business, Media & Journalism, Gay Rights (LGBT)
Languages	English

Azerbaijan

Unzipped: Gay Armenia continues to detail the ongoing saga of Agil Khalil, an opposition reporter in Azerbaijan, who was recently stabbed. Although the authorities in Baku continue to maintain that the perpetrator of the attack was a jilted former-lover, the blog notes that international organizations have determined the following trial as “fake.” The blog says that the prevalent homophobia in Azerbaijani society was instead used to protect his real attackers and the reason for the stabbing — Khalil's investigation into corrupt land deals in the capital, Baku.

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Updates about Central Asia & Caucasus

12 February 2012

Afghanistan

Nick Fielding reports that, according to figures from the United Nations - in contrast to the figures issued by the US military - the number of Afghan civilians killed and injured rose for the fifth consecutive year in a row.

• Adil Nurmakov

Uzbekistan

Nathan Hamm reports that two young natives of Uzbekistan residing in the United States and working as officers at Awareness Projects International (a non-profit engaging in human rights education work in Uzbekistan and elsewhere) were summoned to the police for interrogation, when they returned to their hometown of Jizzakh in late December 2011 to visit family.

• Adil Nurmakov

Kazakhstan

Camilla tells the story of Uzbek labor migrants in Kazakhstan, who were illegally trafficked - apparently, via channels, supervised by the officials - to work as slaves.

• Adil Nurmakov

Kyrgyzstan

Schwartz takes a walk around Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, offering photographs of graffiti, taken in March 2011.

• Adil Nurmakov

10 February 2012

Georgia

As parliamentary elections approach this year in Georgia, to be followed by a presidential vote in 2013, allegations against Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire opposition politician, have appeared on the Internet. The alleged exposé of life in the Ivanishvili household by American teacher Patrick Downey, formerly employed by the businessman turned politician, have been met with skepticism from other expatriates in the former Soviet republic, and not least because of claims also made against Georgia in general, the U.S., and [his ancestral homeland of] Ireland. Downey had sought asylum or residency in the latter, according to a video blog, “[…] in light of recent uncontrolled and willfully ill-advised policies concerning the mass emigration of non-Irish persons to Ireland […].” Ivanishvili has responded by saying that Downey “is suffering from psychological problems.”

• Onnik Krikorian

Bulgaria: Thousands Take Part in Anti-ACTA Protests

Black March Boycott protest ACTA, do NOT buy Movies, Music or Video Games for the...
Great article,great job.Even though we have much bigger problems in Bulgaria than ACTA i feel...
Next time we will be there again :)