Ukraine is haltingly evolving away from a Russia-style, post-Soviet kleptocracy. But the allure of no-strings-attached Chinese cash could dampen the imperative for making reforms that Western aid packages, through their… Read more »
Azerbaijan‘s government has denied reports that the ruling kleptocracy used a secret $2.9 billion slush fund for years to pay off European politicians and make luxury purchases, RFE/RL reports: The… Read more »
Azerbaijan’s ruling elite operated a secret $2.8bn (£2.2bn) slush fund for two years to pay off European politicians and make luxury purchases, the BBC reports: The money was allegedly channelled… Read more »
The brazen kidnapping of investigative reporter Afgan Mukhtarli (left)from downtown Tbilisi and his forced delivery to Azerbaijan to face trial has outraged many Georgians, who view it as a crude violation of… Read more »
The resurgence of populism has disrupted the post-Cold War political order and raised the prospect of instability in Europe and Eurasia, according to Nations in Transit 2017, the 22nd edition… Read more »
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) should suspend Azerbaijan’s membership for failing to carry out key reforms, a coalition of 21 groups including Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, PEN International,… Read more »
The Azerbaijan authorities should release 18 people, including a prominent religious scholar and a leading political opposition activist, who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to long prison sentences on January… Read more »
Prominent Azerbaijani blogger Mehman Huseynov (left) whose efforts to expose high-level corruption have irked President Ilham Aliyev’s government has been detained and charged with disobeying the police, Radio Free Europe/Radio… Read more »
Baku has four months to rewrite its laws on NGOs or be suspended from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative — a step that could jeopardise billions of dollars of loans… Read more »
The Azerbaijani government has renewed its vicious crackdown on critics and independent groups, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today: The 75-page report, “Harassed, Imprisoned, Exiled: Azerbaijan’s Continuing… Read more »