The Reform Story Isn’t Over in Kyiv
In the West, many people are ready to write off Ukraine. They wrongly believe that Ukraine’s reforms are stagnating, corruption is widespread, and the country is at war. But Ukraine’s reforms are definitely not done. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
The (New) State of Alania
A recent referendum renaming South Ossetia opened up the age-old topic about Alanian history and heritage in the Caucasus. From JAMnews. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
NATO looks healthier than expected – but trouble is brewing
So far, 2017 has been a good year for NATO. Donald Trump, who infamously wrote off the alliance as “obsolete” during his election campaign, reversed gear in April, praising it as a “bulwark of international peace and security”. The new French president, Emmanuel Macron, has promised that France will “honour its commitment to alliances”. And the...
Congress Should ‘Phone a Friend’ When Sanctioning Russia
Discussion of additional U.S. sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 presidential election and general bad behavior is heating up in Congress, but lawmakers should coordinate with our allies before acting. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held hearings in March and April to assess options for further...
Dozens Detained in Raids on Ukrainian Tax Offices
Corruption crackdowns have tended to fizzle out in Ukraine. Will this one be any different? …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Prominent Russian Director Questioned in Fraud Case
Cultural luminaries rise in defense of Kirill Serebrennikov following searches of his home and Moscow’s Gogol Center theater. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
One Year of Not Knowing: Where is abducted Crimean Tatar Activist Ervin Ibragimov?
On May 24 exactly one year will have passed since Crimean Tatar activist Ervin Ibragimov was abducted close to his home in Bakhchysarai. Despite video footage of the abduction and international demands, the de facto authorities under Russian occupation have done nothing to find the young man or those who seized him. …read more Source:...
Politicians jeopardize role of main human rights body in Ukraine
Three of Ukraine’s main parties have put forward ‘their own’ candidates for the now vacant post of Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsperson, and human rights groups are up in arms. There can be no political quotas or wheeling-dealing about a person appointed to protect all citizens’ rights in the country, they insist …read more...
Time of the Poisoners
A thorough account of the killings of Ukrainian nationalists by the KGB brings up parallels between the Russia of the 1950s and today. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
UN Reports Warns of Growing Clampdown in Belarus
After a period of going easy on dissent, the Lukashenka regime crushed nationwide protests in March. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
