Caucasus

Azeri Opposition Fails to Pick Leader

President Aliev's regime improves its election chances as a London opposition meeting ends in failure.

Chechnya's Hidden Drug Crisis

Thousands of young people are turning to heroin in the war-torn republic.

No-Man's Land in Armenia

As men go off to Russia in search of work, many poor rural villages are inhabited almost entirely by women

Armenia: Inmates Prefer Bullet to Life Terms

Many death row prisoners bemoan abolition of capital punishment.

Azerbaijan Harvest a Washout

This year’s floods have compounded the problems facing the agricultural industry.

Abkhazia: Lucrative Farms Attract Mafia

Hazelnut farmers in disputed region are grateful to Russian mafia for imposing order on local criminal gangs.

Dagestan: Controversial Opposition Figure Killed

Nadirshah Khachilayev was an important figure in turbulent recent history, but why would anyone want to kill him now?

Azerbaijan's Bloody Election

Armenia: Jehovah's Witnesses Take Stand

Religious group threatens to sue government if it is refused legalisation.

North Ossetia's Secret Sin

Conservative republic in denial about growing prostitution problem.