Corruption

A Guatemalan journalist protests against the arrest of Jose Ruben Zamora, president of the newspaper El Periodico, outside the Justice Palace in Guatemala City, on July 30, 2022. © JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Latin America: Journalism Continues to Hold Power to Account

Despite coming under constant attack, independent media are achieving remarkable impact.

1 May 24

Emilia Sercan has been an investigative journalist for over 25 years. © Ioana Moldovan

Romania: Defying Kompromat

“I couldn’t be bribed or stopped with death threats, but maybe I was supposed to be embarrassed enough by intimate pictures to be silenced.”

8 Mar 24

In the village of Salchia, in southern Moldova, a sign states that the playground was built with funding by Ilan Shor. The fugitive businessman retains significant influence on Moldovan politics despite a sentence in absentia on fraud charges. © Piotr Garciu

Shor: Moscow’s Man in Moldova

Life in exile has not hindered the fugitive magnate’s political powers.

13 Dec 23

A woman leaves the offices of the Ukrainian General Prosecutor in Kiev, Ukraine. © Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Ukraine: Fighting Judicial Corruption in Wartime

Strenuous efforts continue to address long-time situation in which judges were elected with no competition or integrity checks.

15 Jun 23

On May 22, the Comrat Court of Appeals validated the election of Evghenia Guțul as governor of Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia, after law enforcement agencies detected violations of electoral law, including voter bribery, during the run-off of May 14. © Piotr Garciu

Court Upholds Election of Gagauzia’s Pro-Russian Governor

Even as Chișinău confirms its European path, Evghenia Guțul pledges closer ties with Moscow.

24 May 23

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky makes a surprise visit to Kherson on November 14, 2022. Zelensky wanted to offer support to residents of the liberated city occupied by Russian for over 8 months. © Paula Bronstein /Getty Images

Zelensky's Approval Ratings Soar Amid War

Ukrainians are united behind their president, but corruption scandals may affect their support.

2 Feb 23

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev (right) with Vasif Talibov (left), now former governor of Nakhchivan in an official meeting in 2017. On December 21, 2022 Talibov resigned from his ruling position in the country’s remote enclave after 27 years. The 62-year-old cited health concerns, but rumours had been circulating that the central government in Baku sought greater control on the region. © Azerbaijan’s Presidential Press and Information Office

Azerbaijan: “The Sultan” Steps Down

Longtime ruler of autonomous enclave resigns on health concerns, but observers maintain his exit was on Baku’s orders.

24 Jan 23

The Cashier in Dubai

Investigative report tracks tangled route for money flowing to offshore companies from Moldova.

18 Jan 23

Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled Kazakstan between 1991 and 2019. Over three decades the former president and his inner circle, accused of corruption and nepotism, have built a cult of personality around him. © elbasy.kz

Kazakstan: Nazarbayev’s Fading Personality Cult

Since 1991, the ex-leader has become identified with the state itself, but his status is now crumbling.

11 Feb 22

Cranes tower the Caspian Sea shore in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The government in the oil-rich nation increased the costs of gas and electricity twice in 2021, but experts warn that there is no economic justification for the price hikes. © IWPR / Monica Ellena

Azerbaijan: Soaring Energy Prices Fuel Discontent

State blames increasing cost on global market, while analysts see exploitation and corruption at fault.

17 Jan 22

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