Caucasus

The town of Alaverdi in northeastern Armenia, near the border with Georgia, crossed by the Debed river. A criminal case was filed in late July, following a complaint that the river, a source of irrigation for some two dozen villages, had been polluted by Nahatak tailings. © Mania Israelyan/IWPR

Armenia: Mining Leaves Toxic Legacy

Activists call on government and local industry to respond to recent research revealing major hazards.

3 Oct 22

People who have crossed the Verkhni Lars customs checkpoint between Georgia and Russia walk in the road on September 28, 2022 in Zemo Larsi, Georgia. On September 21, President Putin announced what he described as a partial mobilisation of Russian army reservists to fight in Ukraine with 300,000 men to be called up and since then Russians have been fleeing to neighbouring countries. © Daro Sulakauri/Getty Images

New Wave of Russians Head to Georgia

As men flee Putin’s mobilisation order, simmering anti-Russian sentiment reignites.

30 Sep 22

On August 14, a fireworks storage area by the three-floor Surmalu shopping complex in central Yerevan exploded, setting off a large blaze. Sixteen people died and 60 were injured. © Armine Avetisyan

Armenia: Concerns Over Fire Safety Standards

A blast that ripped through a popular shopping centre has left key questions about accountability unanswered.

27 Sep 22

Armenians took to the street and asked the government to leave the Russia-led security bloc Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) after Yerevan’s calls for assistance in the wake of renewed fighting against Azerbaijan have fallen on deaf ears. © Ashaluis Mghdesyan

Armenians Decry CSTO Inaction

Yerevan’s calls for assistance from the Russia-led security bloc have fallen on deaf ears.

26 Sep 22

Ahmad Mammadli in a screenshot of the video filmed from a police van after his arrest. The 21-year-old chair of the pro-democracy group Democracy-1918 (D18) was detained on September 20 on charges of resisting police officers; the activist has been a vocal critic of Azerbaijani authorities' shelling inside Armenia's territory.

Anti-War Sentiments on the Rise in Azerbaijan

The recent escalation caught many by surprise, emboldening voices among the political opposition.

23 Sep 22

Yepraksya Zadayan's house, in the village of Verishen, just outside the southern city of Goris, was hit by the Azerbaijani armed forces at midnight on September 12, 2022. On September 12-14 fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed, nearly 300 people died over two days. © Armine Avetisyan

Armenia-Azerbaijan: The Demise of Diplomacy?

New escalation threatens the outlook for engagement, despite the clear benefits for both sides.

14 Sep 22

Thousands of university places remained vacant as Armenia recorded unprecedented low results in the admission exams. © Dato/Wikimedia

Armenian Universities’ Lost Applicants

Thousands of places remain vacant as students fail entry tests due to low quality education and fewer applicants.

31 Aug 22

Andranik Chvushyan with his children in the family home in Aghavno. The 41-year-old jeweller moved with this family from Lebanon to the village in Nagorny Karabakh in 2017. They are among the residents of the Lachin corridor who are to leave their homes by August 25 as the Azerbaijani forces will regain control of the area. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Azerbaijan to Regain Key Route After 30 Years

Armenians living in the Lachin corridor, which will soon be handed over, refuse to leave.

16 Aug 22

Ayten Osmanova arranges a colourful hijab in her atelier in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The designer started her fashion business to cater for the increasing number of liberal believers who, like her, sought a modest apparel with a modern, colourful twist. © Lamyia Adilgizi

Azerbaijani Women Embrace The Headscarf

Islam is on the rise in the oil-rich, secular South Caucasus country and the hijab is a way to make a statement.

26 Jul 22

A microdistrict with more than 10 three-story buildings is being built in the village of Ivanyan, close to next to the base of Russian peacekeepers. Construction is ongoing to house thousands who have been displaced from the territories that Azerbaijan's armed forces regained control of as a result of the 2020 war. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Nagorny Karabakh’s Fearful Calm

Residents of the South Caucasus region feel subject to political maneuvering beyond their control.

18 Jul 22

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