Author: Selma Farhi

Geneva, London (29/7 – 50) Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, condemned the arrest and imprisonment of journalists, bloggers and civil society activists in Tajikistan, and questioned the credibility of the evidence presented in court against them. Lawlor was on a two-week official visit to Tajikistan last December. The report prepared by her and members of the delegation on the results of this visit was published in May of this year, but only now became available to the public. The authorities of Tajikistan will have to prepare an official response to the document, which…

Frankfurt, Brussels (14/7 – 30) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has concluded a summit held on July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, having issued a 90-point communique, with the detailed elaboration on new members, the ongoing Ukraine/Russia conflict and other defense matters. Highlights of the Vilnius Summit Communique: New members Russia – Ukraine Conflict China Indo-Pacific region Technology and defense Nuclear weapons

Nearly a month after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election, his government is forging a new course in economic policy. Erdogan’s appointments of Mehmet Simsek to the post of leading the finance and treasury ministry, and of Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former Wall Street banker, as central bank chief, signalled his readiness to reverse course from his unorthodox policies. The new cabinet’s moves are to tackle the crippling economic crisis, which has seen inflation rates soar and the lira plunging to record lows as the country battles a cost-of-living crisis and depleted foreign reserves. Here are some of the new policies and the current state of Turkey’s…

Sweden’s path to NATO membership remains blocked by Turkey and Hungary ahead of a July summit in Vilnius where it hopes to join Nordic neighbour Finland as a full member of the alliance. Finland, which applied together with Sweden, joined NATO in April, but Turkey continues to block Swedish membership citing security concerns. Ankara has said Sweden must crack down on anti-Turkey protests before getting a green light to join NATO. Sweden has set its sights on joining at the alliance’s July 11-12 summit and while it has strong support from other members including the United States and more talks…

ANKARA — Bringing up the return of Syrian refugees publicly for the first time, Turkey’s National Security Council stressed the need for international support to ensure Syrians’ voluntary return to their home country. Turkey’s National Security Council held its first meeting Thursday after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formed his new cabinet last week. In a statement after the meeting, the council said international cooperation was important to ensure Syrians’ voluntary return in safety and dignity to a peaceful life in their home country. The statement marks the council’s first open acknowledgment of discussing the return of Syrians during its bimonthly meetings. Turkey hosts…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan swore in a new cabinet over the weekend, ushering in what he has called “a new period of glory” for the Turkish Republic as it begins its second century, and one that he hopes will cement his rule over the nation of 85 million. The cabinet appointments hint at a return to orthodox economic policy while holding course on foreign policy as the president heads into his third decade in power. On the economic front, the return of Mehmet Simsek as finance minister – a post he previously held between 2009 and 2015 before going on to become Erdogan’s deputy prime…

You are not Forgotten Berlin, Brussels (13/5 – 40) The Ismaili Pamiris of Tajikistan are a tiny minority group in Central Asia, whose ancient homeland lies in the remote and forbidding mountains that straddle the borders of Afghanistan, China, and Russia. Despite their small numbers, they have long been targeted for persecution by the authoritarian government of Tajikistan. In recent years, this has escalated into a full-blown campaign of ethnic cleansing, with President Imomali Rahmon seeking to eradicate this community and replace them with ethnic Tajiks. The Pamiris reside in the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO), which became a warzone in May…

Brussels, Berlin (23/5 – 62.5) Tajikistan’s civil war came to an end in 1997 with a unique truce that saw the pro-Communist government integrating members of the opposition into various government institutions. Mamadbokir “Boqir” Mamadbokirov, a Pamiri leader from the Gorno-Badakshan region, was one of these opposition members. His story is a tragic one of indomitable courage in exposing what international observers have described as a state criminal enterprise created by president-for-life Imomali Rahmon, and a peaceful sacrifice if his life that he made on May 2022 that will likely be recalled in Pamiri lore for ages to come. Through…

Frankfurt, Brussels (5/5 – 50) Following the Greek Supreme Court’s decision released on May 2, a total of 36 parties and party coalitions will run in the May 21 Greek elections. Of the initial 50 parties, coalitions, and independent candidates that had submitted applications, the Supreme Court rejected 14 parties, including “National Party – Hellenes”, which was founded by jailed neo-Nazi Ilias Kasidiaris. Kasidiaris, 42, founded the party after receiving a 13-year prison sentence in 2020. He was convicted as a leading member of an extreme right party, Golden Dawn, which was blamed for multiple attacks against migrants and left-wing…

Peaceful coexistence is the only option in an era of globalization and intermingling religions and cultures, said Kazakh Minister of Information and Social Development, Darkhan Kydyrali, at the forum World Governments: An Incubator for Tolerance, a side event of the Annual Investment Meeting held in Abu Dhabi on May 8-10, reported the ministry’s press service on May 10. The forum was initiated to consider the role of tolerance and coexistence in achieving sustainable economic growth and to find solutions to discrimination and intolerance. According to Kydyrali, the values of tolerance, human brotherhood, and peace are vital in countering the challenges…