The Return of Punitive Psychiatry
Society Over the past decade, particularly since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2014, the political use of psychiatry in the former Soviet Union has been on the rise. A recent report by the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP) lists more than 30 new cases – from 2012 to April, 2017 – where journalists and activists have been...
Sergei Skripal and the long history of assassination attempts abroad
Whitehall sources have claimed that the suspected poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is being treated as a state-sponsored Russian assassination attempt. Along with his daughter Yulia and a police officer who attended the scene in Salisbury where they were found, Skripal was taken to hospital critically ill after being...
Moldova Should Reinvent Itself to Fight Corruption
Moldova is on the brink of another serious political crisis. Soon to be immersed in another general election cycle, Moldova is paying a very high toll due to corruption, impunity and a deficit of good governance. One of the most glaring examples of impunity is related to the evaporation of 1 billion US dollars from the banking system in 2014,...
Ukraine at a Crossroads: Scenarios for the Reintegration of Donbas
The priority now is not only a ceasefire, but also the articulation of strong political incentives for the breakaway regions to finally begin disarmament and reintegration. This is first and foremost a task for the Ukrainian authorities, who will have to overcome the taboo and establish a legal framework for reintegration. | Русский …read...
Ukrainian anti-corruption journalists attacked, then charged with ‘invading privacy’ of Putin associate Medvedchuk
Ukraine’s National Police have initiated a criminal investigation into claims that journalists from the Skhemy anti-corruption program violated the right to privacy of controversial Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. The move comes soon after criminal charges were brought against guards who tried to prevent the journalists from...
Die Beziehungen zwischen USA und Ukraine – besser als erwartet
Ein gutes Jahr nach dem Amtsantritt von Präsident Donald Trump sieht das Verhältnis zwischen den USA und den postsowjetischen Staaten anders aus als erwartet. Statt mit Präsident Wladimir Putin einen »deal” eingehen zu können, ist Trump gezwungen, sich in der Russland-Politik zurückzuhalten. Verantwortlich dafür sind die laufenden...
Sinister attempt in Ukraine to arrest / abduct opposition Azerbaijani journalist Fikret Huseynli
An attempt was made in Kyiv on March 5 to detain Fikret Huseynli, a journalist working in exile for an opposition channel, and facing a baffling ‘extradition check’ in Ukraine. Huseynli received political asylum and later citizenship in Holland and there is no way that Ukraine can legally extradite him to Azerbaijan. The events on 5 March,...
Likely Consequences of Council of Europe Concessions to Russia
There is a growing view in the Council of Europe (CoE) to abandon the sanctions imposed on Russia for its violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Since the objectives of the sanctions—especially Russia’s withdrawal from Crimea—have not been achieved, lifting them would jeopardise the credibility of the...
Ukraine Should Drop Law That Hampers Activists’ Work
Expand Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaks during a joint news conference with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker following the EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev, Ukraine, July 13, 2017. © 2017 Reuters On March 11-12 the European Union’s top diplomat will visit Kyiv. This is an...
