Following the suicide of a 15-year-old boy, police in the Armenian capital Yerevan are cracking down on adolescent fans of emo music, a derivative of punk rock that is known for angst-ridden lyrics. Armenian officials contend that emo aficionados undermine social stability.
Georgia’s journalists have undergone media training for nearly 20 years, but whether or not that instruction is making for better news coverage remains open to debate. Despite the millions of dollars spent on improving the quality of Georgian reporting, no clear way to judge the effectiveness of training programs exists.
The ability of social networking platforms to mobilize anti-government protesters is a well-documented phenomenon. But in the aftermath of recent political unrest in Kyrgyzstan, social networks also have proven themselves a useful tool for maintaining order, and for helping the victims of violence.
Police blocked hundreds of young Azerbaijanis on April 30 from commemorating the one-year anniversary of a shooting spree at Baku’s State Oil Academy that left 13 dead. The Ministry of the Interior claims that 10 individuals were arrested in connection with the unsanctioned commemoration; youth activists and bloggers report dozens more.
When President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed drawing up a doctrine to promote national unity, he probably did not expect that he would lift the lid on inter-ethnic tension in Kazakhstan. But that is exactly what happened.
Families of nine of the 10 men who died in Armenia’s post-election violence in 2008 are suing to force the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office to take a more active interest in investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
US President Barack Obama has agreed to meet with his Kazakhstani counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in mid-April. The meeting could have its tense moments, as Obama is expected to press Nazarbayev on the treatment of a Kazakhstani human rights activist.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has declared a state of emergency in Kyrgyzstan following an April 7 clash between police and protesters outside the government headquarters in Bishkek that left four dead.
Protestors in the northwestern Kyrgyz town of Talas stormed a government building and took the governor hostage on April 6, eyewitnesses told EurasiaNet.org. Some reports say protesters attempted to appoint their own governor.
