Russia’s persecution of Crimean Tatars
By: Lane Johansen The recent arrest of Nariman Dzhelyalov (which I wrote about in this article) is just the latest example of Russia’s long history of political and religious persecution of the Crimean Tatar people. Crimean Tatars are a Turkic ethnic group that emerged as a nation in the 15th century within the Crimean Khanate. They…
Russian authorities arrest 5 Crimean Tatars, detain over 50 protestors
By: Lane Johansen On September 3rd and 4th, Russian authorities raided the houses of and arrested five Crimean Tatars: Eldar Odamanov, Aziz Akhtemov, Asan Akhtemov, Shevket Useinov, and Nariman Dzhelyalov. The men were detained on suspicion of involvement in a gas pipeline attack on August 23rd. The FSB issued a statement accusing Ukrainian law enforcement of training Crimean…
Exiled Russian editor wanted by Russian authorities for investigation into Navalny poisoning
By: Jackson Sharman The editor of a Russian news outlet says the Kremlin has declared him a wanted man. Russian officials claim that Roman Dobrokhotov – the editor-in-chief of The Insider, an independent online newspaper specializing in investigative journalism – fled Russia by illegally crossing into Ukraine on July 31st. The week prior, the Russian Ministry…
Media organizations in Russia affected by “foreign agent” law
By: Jackson Sharman Last spring, we wrote about Russia’s revamping of its “foreign agent” law, originally passed in 2012. The additions to the law allow the Russian government to designate any individual or group as a traitor and security threat. The Kremlin has largely applied the foreign agent label to organizations that publish unfavorable views of the…
Uzbek president secures second term in election deemed “not truly competitive”
By: Fran McDonough On October 24th, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev won re-election with 80% of the vote in the 2021 presidential election that observers said was “not truly competitive.” In the lead up to the election, several international human rights organizations raised concerns over the lack of opposition candidates on the official ballot. Although there were five…
Human Rights Watch releases report on attacks on schools during 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War
By: Sam Carley Human Rights Watch recently published a report detailing the atrocities of attacks on schools conducted by both Azerbaijan and Armenia during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh War. Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region in southwest Azerbaijan with a majority Armenian population that is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan but de facto governed by ethnic Armenians.…
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