RFE/RL CAUCASUS REPORT
18.01.2013
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the countries of the South Caucasus and Russia's North Caucasus region.For more stories on the Caucasus, please visit and bookmark our Caucasus page . |
 Former Georgian Government Hit By Sex-Tape Scandal It has all the elements of a resounding scandal: corrupt cops, gay sex videos, blackmail, and celebrities. More  Interview: Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili During a visit to Armenia, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili spoke to RFE/RL's Armenian Service about his country's commitment to the EU and NATO. He also discussed the prospects for reconciliation with Russia. More  Jailed Daghestani Doctor's Wife Appeals To Putin, Denounces 'Meat Grinder' The wife of a well-respected doctor from Daghestan has asked President Vladimir Putin to help free her husband. The anesthesiologist was detained last year on accusations of participating in the murder of a local police chief. His brother-in-law, a prominent surgeon, was beheaded after being arrested on the same charges. Family and friends insist on the doctors' innocence and say the case highlights rampant abuse by law-enforcement agencies in Russia's volatile North Caucasus. More  Freedom House Laments Eurasian Declines, 'Return Of Iron Fist' In Russia The non-Baltic former Soviet Union now rivals the Middle East as one of the most politically and socially repressive regions in the world, according to the latest edition of "Freedom in the World," the annual report compiled by U.S.-based rights watchdog Freedom House. More  Georgian Minister Rejects Selective Justice Claims Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze has rejected allegations that her country's new authorities were applying "selective justice" by prosecuting members of the previous government on suspicion of corruption. More  New Foreign-Policy Leaders In U.S. Congress May Challenge White House When Congress begins its new session this month, two new lawmakers will lead its key foreign-relations committees who might challenge some Obama administration foreign policies, especially toward Iran and the Caucasus. More  Food Fight Rages In The Caucasus A food fight seems to be under way in the Caucasus with a number of countries laying competing claims to the region's traditional dishes. More  Georgia May Pay After Reclassifying 190 Inmates As 'Political Prisoners' A new bill signed into law by Georgian parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili resulted in the release of 190 people who had been designated as political prisoners, courtesy of a December resolution. More  Family Of Dead Azerbaijani Soldier Seeks Answers Azerbaijani soldier Ceyhun Qubadov died on January 7 of what his officers say was a heart attack. But his relatives say he was beaten to death. The case has raised public concerns about the mistreatment of army conscripts, and an opposition rally to protest the issue has been scheduled for January 12. (RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service) More  Chechen Leader Appoints Gold-Smuggling Suspects To Senior Government Posts Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has named to senior government posts two men detained in Turkey in October while apparently attempting to smuggle 12 kilograms of gold out of the country. More |
