Author: Nimet Kivanc

Berlin (06/11 – 58) UN Special Rapporteur of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, has once again called on the authorities of Tajikistan to release imprisoned Tajik journalists and bloggers. Mary Lawlor posted on her social media account, formerly Twitter, that during a meeting with Tajikistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jonibek Hikmat, in New York on October 24, she reiterated her call for the Tajik authorities to release the convicted human rights defenders and journalists, including Daler Imomali, Abdullo Gurbati, and Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva. Last year, in Tajikistan, eight journalists and bloggers were sentenced to various prison terms, ranging from 7…

As the war in Israel rages, an ongoing struggle to control the narrative of the conflict is unfolding between Hamas and the Jewish state. This propaganda battle is not novel, as it has long been observed to coexist with the kinetic action between Israel and the Palestinian armed groups, dating back to at least 2014. Drawing from its prior clashes with Israel, Hamas has gained vital insights on how to effectively counter Israel. Despite being at a military disadvantage in nearly every area, Hamas has developed unconventional methods to attack Israel, including a powerful propaganda system to garner global backing…

Frankfurt, Paris (22/10 – 20)  Many tourists consider traveling to Europe during the summer months of June – September, but autumn’s cooler temperature, colorful leaves and diverse culinary choices can also charm visitors of the blue continent. Here are several events and attractions you can visit across Europe during autumn. 1. Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam offers a wide array of activities during autumn, such as Amsterdam Marathon, an annual marathon in Amsterdam in the Netherlands since 1975. There is also Amsterdam Dance Event, held between Oct. 18 and 22, is the largest electronic club festival in the world but also the…

Kazakhstanis have become much less likely to purchase foreign currency. NUR.KZ journalists learned how much the country’s foreign exchange market sank compared to previous periods. Wishing to keep their savings, Kazakhstanis resort to various financial instruments. Some, for example, prefer to keep money on deposits in banks. According to analysts, this method turned out to be one of the most effective. Others, for this purpose, acquire foreign currency, which in some cases may be more stable than the tenge. However, there has been a noticeable decline in the foreign exchange market. According to the National Bank of the Republic of…

Despite predictions to the contrary by polls, the opposition and most Western media, Turkey’s incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after 20 years in power, was reelected with a 52 percent absolute majority with a turnout of around 85 percent.  Many had hoped for a radical change to a supposedly more democratic and liberal governance. These expectations were shared and amplified by vocal opponents to the Erdogan administration, often prominent voices of the Turkish diaspora in Europe. But these predictions were largely based on wishful thinking. It is true that Erdogan-friendly media dominate the public space in Turkey. The advantage of being able…

In Türkiye, since 2015, Pride events have been systematically banned in the country, with events such as picnics and film screenings even being targeted with bans during Pride Month. The arrests follow Amnesty International warning of the “brazen and deepening crackdown” LGBTQ+ people face in Türkiye. “Nils Muižnieks, Amnesty International’s Europe director, said: “As thousands take to the streets of Istanbul and Izmir in defiance, they risk facing tear gas and rubber bullets. “The authorities should allow LGBTI Pride Marches in Türkiye to go ahead safely and without interference.” On Twitter, participants of the Pride event spoke out about attending the march…

The recent ‘Qatargate’ scandal in the European Parliament, which has seen MEPs & at least one former former MEP languishing in Belgian jail cells, has re-opened another serious issue – one that is institutionalised in Brussels – that of the “fake NGO”. The fake NGO is becoming a major problem in Brussels. Typically, such a body would purport to represent human rights interests: it is always going to be difficult for a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), for example, to say “no” to an approach by a human rights NGO – but easy for NGO to use the cover…

The EDB (Eurasian Development Bank) expects the GDP growth in Tajikistan to reach 7.9 percent in 2023, which is an upward revision from the 6.5 percent predicted in November 2022, Trend reports. The bank’s analysts anticipate that the economic growth in Tajikistan will be around 7 percent year-on-year in the last quarter of 2023. This rate is slightly lower than the current rate (8.2 percent in 1Q2023) due to a decrease in money transfers and a statistical effect from strong activity in the third and fourth quarters of 2022. Furthermore, the EDB predicts a decline in GDP growth to 5.8 percent in…

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko and Luc Devigne, Deputy Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and OSCE of the European External Action Service chaired the 20th meeting of «The Republic of Kazakhstan – European Union» Cooperation Committee in political configuration. Representatives of Kazakh ministries and agencies, various directorates of the European Commission, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps of EU member states accredited in Kazakhstan attended the event, Kazinform cites the press service of the Kazakh MFA. The main focus of the discussion was on further strengthening the dialogue…

YEREVAN, May 23. /ARKA/. The main mission of the opposition is to prepare for mass acts of disobedience, said Ishkhan Saghatelyan, an MP from Hayastan alliance and representative of the Supreme Body of ARF/Dashnaktsutyun party. Saghatelyan’s remarks come after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a Monday press conference that Armenia was ready to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan if Baku guarantees the security of its ethnic Armenian population. “Our mission is to form through a new wave, with a new force in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora a popular resistance, to prepare Armenian citizens for mass popular disobedience,”…