Caucasus

Not only articles but also social media posts are increasingly targeted by the law punishing ‘insults to state officials’, approved by the Georgian Dream-dominated Parliament. According to many commentators, this could be the prelude to the total closure of Facebook in the country.

New data from the International Labour Organisation and UNICEF indicate a drop of 22 million child workers in four years. However, 138 million children remain trapped in this scourge, particularly in agriculture and the informal economy. Expert Insaf Nizam, who spoke to AsiaNews, highlighted the role of economic growth, warning of the dangers of inequality and family responsibilities.

Protests erupt during the visit of Moscow’s Foreign Minister, whom many Armenians blame for failing to support them against Azerbaijan. Russia offers reassurances on the importance of "allied relations" between the two nations, also aimed at countering Armenia’s rapprochement with Europe. Yerevan, however, has no plans to withdraw from the CSTO.

Zurab Dzhaparidze, one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change” opposing the Georgian Dream regime, has been arrested for refusing to pay a fine imposed on him for failing to appear before a parliamentary inquiry commission he considers “illegitimate” due to electoral fraud. “If people refused to live in lies, the regime would collapse instantly,” he declared.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev continues to insist that “the Turkic World is our family”—a perspective that resonates increasingly with the rising nationalist sentiment in the majority-Azeri regions beyond the Iranian border, fuelled in part by support for Tabriz’s football team. A phenomenon that the authorities in Tehran are responding to with harsh repression.

Aliev's resentment towards the Europeans motivated by what he percieves as an ‘attempt at interference’ in Georgia's affairs is also being transmitted to Azerbaijan, through ‘human rights NGOs and the flow of capital connected to them’. He also heaps praise on Tbilisi for having introduced the law on ‘foreign influences’.

Kobakhidze's government avoids mentioning the Russians on the anniversary of the harsh Soviet repression. Former president Zurabishvili accuses ‘anonymous foreign forces’ of the massacre. Relatives of demonstrators arrested during pro-European marches in recent months gather at the victims' memorial.

The Eurasian military alliance has presented new guidelines for law enforcement operations to be applied in all member states to prevent ‘terrorist infiltration’. Last year 420 illegal organisations were identified, but there were also many summary actions against Tajiks after the attack on Krokus City Hall. Dushanbe is insisting that its citizens fully legalise their residence status in Russia by the end of April.

Irakli Kobakhidze's visit to the Uzbek capital was an opportunity to strengthen cooperation projects between the two countries. The objective: to rapidly increase the volume of trade to one billion dollars.

The international sanctions against Russia and Iran have allowed Azerbaijan to exploit its central position, and not only in geographical terms. The bet is on a large north-south transport corridor that would open the doors of the Indian Ocean to Moscow, from where it could circumvent any form of pressure.

The Russian authorities have not yet recognised their responsibilities in the tragedy that cost the lives of 38 people in Kazakhstan on 25th December and have not responded to the requests for compensation. President Aliev's plane itself is believed to have been targeted and local analysts point the finger at geopolitical manoeuvres. Meanwhile Azerbaijan closes the Dom Rossii suspected of espionage.

For more than two months, Tbilisi has been protesting against the elections manipulated by the Georgian Dream, and the repression is getting tougher. The testimonies of those who ended up behind bars collected by Ekho Kavkaza: ‘Even among policemen, many are not happy with what is happening in our country’.