Latest Articles about Domestic/Social

Turkish Almanac Promotes Security Sector Reform

As the Turkish government has refocused on civilianization prompting tension with the country's politically powerful armed forces, a liberal think tank launched its second almanac recently, drawing a bleak picture of the country's controversial security sector before further democratization in this European Union candidate country."This... MORE

North Caucasus Authorities Engaging in Collective Punishment

The wave of escalating operations by insurgents coupled with a number of high-profile murders and assassination attempts in June has pushed Russia into launching a campaign of pressure aimed at liquidating rebel fighters.Russia's campaign is manifesting itself primarily through methods and tactics employed to put... MORE

Chechen Leader Calls on Memorial Head to Proclaim his Innocence

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has denied charges that he was involved in the killing of Natalya Estemirova, the Memorial activist who worked in the human rights group's office in Grozny and was kidnapped and murdered on July 15. Memorial chairman Oleg Orlov told Interfax that... MORE

Russian “Water,” Machismo and National Decay

One traditional resource which Russia has valued beyond hydrocarbons and land is vodka, the nation's traditional moral and physical painkiller. Nikolai Kostomarov, a nineteenth century Russian historian, wrote that at the dawn of Russian history a feast was a major social event, with the goal... MORE

Georgian Opposition Requests Meeting with Biden

U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden's imminent visit to Georgia will be watched for indications of an American strategic re-engagement with the Black Sea-South Caucasus region. The Obama administration has not yet defined its policy in this regard and the Vice-President cannot be expected to announce any... MORE

The Russian Military Concentration in the Caucasus

After visiting breakaway South Ossetia on July 13 and Russian troops based deep inside Georgia, President Dmitry Medvedev traveled to Novorossiysk to inspect Russia's main deepwater Black Sea port and nearby military facilities. Medvedev visited the Black Sea fleet flagship cruiser Moskva, attended a meeting... MORE

Natalya Estemirova Kidnapped in Grozny, Found Dead in Ingushetia

Memorial has blamed Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov for the murder of Natalya Estemirova, who worked in the Russian human rights group's office Grozny. Estemirova's body was found with bullet wounds to the head and chest near the village of Gazi-Yurt in Ingushetia yesterday just hours... MORE

IMF Confirms Sharp Contraction in the Ukrainian Economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the second review of its stabilization program for Ukraine on July 10. A visiting IMF delegation recommended that the IMF board grant Ukraine the third $3.3 billion tranche of the $16.4 billion stand-by loan. Kyiv received the previous two... MORE

Militants, Police, Servicemen and Officials Die in North Caucasus Violence

Top Russian officials are claiming that the security situation in the North Caucasus is improving. News reports from the region, however, paint a different picture. President Dmitry Medvedev told Ingushetia's acting president, Rashid Gaisanov, during a meeting in Sochi yesterday that "the fight with bandits"... MORE