Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian from March, 2011
Azerbaijan: BBC Azeri & the potential of social media in the South Caucasus
whatwaswritten, Stealing news from Azerbaijan since 2011, translates and summarizes part of what was the last traditional radio broadcast from the Azerbaijani service of the BBC. As a result of cutbacks, BBC Azeri will now only be available online and its final program solicited various opinions on the potential of...
Georgia: Men in Black
Scary Azeri comments on photographs taken by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor at last week's Novruz celebrations held by the local ethnic Azeri community in Marneuli, Georgia. The blog is particularly alarmed by the large number of men dressed in black, a common style in the three South Caucasus countries, at...
Armenia: Opposition rivalry
With the opposition in Armenia divided between parties in parliament and those outside, Unzipped comments on the rivalry between two specific political forces in the country and the populist rhetoric used to attack and discredit each other following popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia as well as prior to the...
Armenia: Opposition rallies again
Ianyan presents its readers with a curated comments on last week's protest demonstration held by the extra-parliamentary opposition in Yerevan, Armenia. Unzipped also comments on the rally attended by 12-15,000 people. Meanwhile, however, The Armenian Observer is more skeptical with regards to opposition claims to have ‘liberated’ the city's central...
Azerbaijan: More Protests, More Arrests…
Following yesterday's protest by youth activists in Azerbaijan, opposition supporters today staged their own. Also inspired by pro-democracy protests in Egypt and Tunisia, the demonstration might not have been as large as those, but it was certainly intense.
Azerbaijan: Youth Protest in Baku
Inspired by pro-democracy protests in Egypt and Tunisia, youth activists in Azerbaijan took to the streets in actions encouraged and coordinated by social media in what was their largest action staged in two years.
Azerbaijan: Online activism under fire
Writing on East of Center, Transition Online editor in chief Jeremy Druker comments on official attempts to discredit Azerbaijani youth activists using social media to prepare for pro-democracy protests on 11-12 March.
Azerbaijan: Another youth activist identified by social media?
A new blog, whatwaswritten, says that another youth activist has been reportedly visited by police after trying to publicize pro-democracy protests planned for 11 March in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The blog notes that police deny the claims although Tangled Web says that the alleged visit occured on the same...
Azerbaijan: Facebook inaccessible via Bakcell
Mobile subscribers in Baku, Azerbaijan, report on Twitter that Facebook is inaccessible from Bakcell, one of three cellular operators in the country, for the coming week ahead of protests planned for 11-12 March. Government supporters deny this, although Bakcell's Customer Service confirmed the news via telephone to Global Voices as...
Azerbaijan: Support Bakhtiyar! site launched
A site in English in support of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard graduate youth activist arrested last week in Azerbaijan ahead of protests planned for 11-12 March, has been launched at http://supportbakhtiyar.com
Azerbaijan: Dirty deeds and cover ups
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines, one of the moderators of a Facebook group calling for pro-democracy protests in Azerbaijan on 11 March comments on the arrest of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, one of the other online organizers. Noting that the Harvard graduate has been reportedly beaten, tortured and threated with rape, the...
Azerbaijan: Facebook activism or military service?
Democracy Now! comments on the case of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard educated activist detained in Azerbaijan last week. As one of seven moderators for a Facebook group calling for Egypt-style protests in the oil-rich former Soviet republic, the blog notes that the charge of avoiding military service is being used...
Armenia: Eurovision not with a bang, but a whimper
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on the song to be entered into this year's annual Eurovision Song Contest and says it is disappointed by the choice. Moreover, the blog reluctantly says, it believes the song is so bad that it will not be supporting Armenia's entry this year and points readers...
Azerbaijan: Activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev arrested
SEMIÇKA – OLUBDUR, OLUR, OLACAQ… (Now Democracy Now!) comments on the arrest today of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a youth activist responsible for a Facebook page calling for pro-democracy actions in Azerbaijan following similar protests in Egypt and Tunisia.
Azerbaijan: Facebook activism under pressure
Likely the most evolved country in the region in terms of online activism, Global Voices Advocacy posts details of new concerns about moves taken against alternative voices in Azerbaijan as well as the arrest today of yet another youth activist calling for pro-democracy protests in the oil-rich former Soviet republic...
Caucasus: The Revolting Index
Aaron in Azerbaijan comments on attempts by some international media outlets to predict which country might be next after popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Libya. However, the blog says that such an index might be better considered as an indicator of where unrest could occur unless governments adopt...
Azerbaijan: Internet outages reported ahead of 11 March protests
SEMIÇKA – OLUBDUR, OLUR, OLACAQ… reports that residents of Sabirabad, an area which recently had protests dispersed by police, say that Internet connections have been restricted ahead of 11 March. The blog quotes an Azerbaijani opposition representative who alleges that the difficulties are related to the use of online social...
Azerbaijan: Discrediting Facebook?
Global Voices’ Caucasus editor posts a translation of an article naming prominent alternative voices in Azerbaijan who have Facebook friends in Armenia. The reaction from many in the country still effectively at war with its neighbor is that the article was intended to discredit those activists and the the use...
