Caucasus

Elina Hambardzumyan in Stepanakert, with four of her six children; five of them are of school age. The start of school for the about 20,000 school children in Nagorny Karabakh is shrouded in uncertainty as the blockade of the region drags into its ninth month. © Siranush Sargsyan

Start of School in Jeopardy as Nagorny Karabakh Blockade Continues

Education institutions are due to reopen on September 1, but parents worry for children's well-being.

29 Aug 23

Azerbaijan: Opposition Figure Remains in Detention

Economist had announced launch of UK-based education fund before his arrest.

9 Aug 23

Adverts seeking surrogate mothers abound in Georgia, one of the few countries where commercial surrogacy is legal. The government is working on a law that would ban the fee-based practice and limit it only to prospective parents from Georgia.

Georgia Set to Ban Commercial Surrogacy

A draft law will strictly regulate the sector, prohibiting foreign couples from accessing services.

8 Aug 23

A large crowd protested when the Astoria Grande, a Palau-flagged luxury liner carrying Russian tourists, docked in the Georgian harbour of Batumi in late July. The visit reignited simmering public anger over the inflow of Russians amid war in Ukraine and Moscow’s hold over the country’s breakaway territories. © Nata Buachidze

Protests Over Russian Cruise Ship Embody Georgia’s Tensions with Moscow

Many Georgians oppose welcoming visitors from Russia until it ends supporting breakaway territories and its assault on Ukraine.

4 Aug 23

Jailed Georgia’s ex president Mikheil Saakashvili looked frail and emaciated during an appearance in a Tbilisi court on July 3. He spoke via video link from a hospital ward that serves as his prison. His conditions sparked concerns among rights groups and international community.

Georgia Lambasted Over Saakashvili’s Treatment

Former leader appeared emaciated in latest legal hearing, sparking condemnation from Kyiv.

11 Jul 23

On June 20, riot police confronted residents in Soyudlu, in western Azerbaijan, as they protested against the construction of a second reservoir intended to hold waste from a nearby gold mine. © Still from video shared on social media

Azerbaijani Authorities Crack Down on Eco Protests

Villagers demand end to construction of a second reservoir for a local gold mine.

10 Jul 23

In 2022, Karin Grigoryan and her husband opened Zove, a guest house in Karashamb, a village in Armenia's central region of Kotayk. Born and raised in the capital Yerevan, Grigoryan dreamed of moving to the countryside. The migration from large cities to rural areas has increased as people seek a slower pace of life and lower cost of living. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia’s Rural Population Grows

Experts attribute migration to the impact of the 2020 Nagorny Karabakh war and rising rental prices in Yerevan.

30 Jun 23

Ani's 19-year-old son was killed in 2020 during the Second Karabakh War and the 48-year-old has been dreaming of having another boy. In 2022 Armenia registered a high sex imbalance; experts maintain that the war and the country's fragile security situation may have triggered an increase of sex selection at birth. © Armine Avetisyan

Post-War Trauma Prompts Armenia’s Sex Imbalance

Experts note that the conflict and still-volatile security may be behind the rise of a skewed ratio between boys and girls.

22 Jun 23

Demonstrators hold banners in support of Georgia's European path. In 2022 Brussels granted membership status to Ukraine and Moldova but withheld Georgia's, stating that the government needed to fulfil a series of reforms by the end of 2023 for its application to advance. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Tbilisi’s Balancing Act Between Moscow and Brussels

Visits by the Russian elite and resumption of direct flights have angered many Georgians.

15 Jun 23

Since 1992, the Yerablur military cemetery, on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, has been the burial place of Armenian soldiers who died in the Nagorny Karabakh wars. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Is Armenia Giving up on Nagorny Karabakh?

Statements recognising Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity signal painful decisions may lie ahead.

8 Jun 23

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