Georgia's Policy Towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the Context of the Internal and International Situation / 45
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Warrior, Philosopher, Child: Who Are the Heroes of the Chechen Wars?
Warrior, Philosopher, Child: Who are the Heroes of the Chechen Wars? Historians distinguish between the two Chechen wars, first in 1994-1995 under Yeltsin’s presidency, and second in 1999-2000, when Vladimir Putin became the Prime Minister of Russia and was mainly responsible for military decision-making. The first one was the result of the Soviet Union dissolution, when Chechnya wanted to assert its independence on the Russian Federation. The second one started with the invasion of Dagestan by Shamil Basaev’s terrorist groups, and bombings in Moscow, Volgodonsk and the Dagestani town Buynaksk. It remains unclear what exactly led to a Russian massive air-campaign over Chechnya in 1999. Putin declared the authority of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and his parliament illegitimate, and Russians started a land invasion. In May 2000, Putin established direct rule of Chechnya. However, guerrilla war never stopped. Up to now there has been local ongoing low-level insurgency against Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic. Who was drafted to fight in the Chechen Wars? Mainly, young people from neighbouring regions of Russia, who were poorly trained. Russian troops suffered severe losses, since they were ill-prepared. Because of lack of training and experience, Russian forces often attacked random positions, causing enormous casualties among the Chechen and Russian civilian population. The Russian-Chechen Friendship Society set their estimate of the total death toll in two wars at about 150,000 to 200,000 civilians1. If the first war received extensive international coverage, the second got considerably 1 Wikipedia. Retrieved March 30, 2017 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chechen_War. -
Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Book Reviews
This article was downloaded by: [University College London] On: 29 December 2009 Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 772858957] Publisher Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37- 41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713636289 Book reviews To cite this Article (2003) 'Book reviews', Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 9: 2, 128 — 148 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/13537110412331301445 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13537110412331301445 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. 92nep06.qxd 27/10/2003 09:21 Page 128 Book Reviews rank K. Salter (ed.). Risky Transactions: Trust, Kinship and Ethnicity. New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2002. -
Georgia Page 1 of 21
Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Georgia Page 1 of 21 Georgia Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 6, 2007 The constitution of the Georgian republic provides for an executive branch that reports to the president, a unicameral Parliament, and an independent judiciary. The country has a population of approximately 4.4 million. In 2003 former president Shevardnadze resigned during what became known as the Rose Revolution. Mikheil Saakashvili won the presidency in 2004 with over 90 percent of the vote in an election, and his National Movement Party won a majority of seats in the Parliament. International observers determined that the 2004 presidential and parliamentary elections represented significant progress over previous elections and brought the country closer to meeting international standards, although several irregularities were noted. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces. The government's human rights record improved in some areas during the year, although serious problems remained. While the government took significant steps to address these problems, there were some reports of deaths due to excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, cases of torture and mistreatment of detainees, increased abuse of prisoners, impunity, continued overuse of pretrial detention for less serious offenses, worsened conditions in prisons and pretrial detention facilities, and lack of access for average citizens to defense attorneys. Other areas of concern included reports of government pressure on the judiciary and the media and - despite a substantial reduction due to reforms led by the president - corruption. -
Political Prisoners in Post- Revolutionary Georgia
After the rose, the thorns: political prisoners in post- revolutionary Georgia Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, spirit of brotherhood. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3: Everyone has be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the the right to life, liberty and security of person. -
Parliament of Georgia in 2019
Assessment of the Performance of the Parliament of Georgia in 2019 TBILISI, 2020 Head of Research: Lika Sajaia Lead researcher: Tamar Tatanashvili Researcher: Gigi Chikhladze George Topouria We would like to thank the interns of Transparency International of Georgia for participating in the research: Marita Gorgoladze, Guri Baliashvili, Giorgi Shukvani, Mariam Modebadze. The report was prepared with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Contents Research Methodology __________________________________________________ 8 Chapter 1. Main Findings _________________________________________________ 9 Chapter 2. General Information about the Parliament ____________________ 12 Chapter 3. General Statistics ____________________________________________ 14 Chapter 4. Important events ______________________________________________ 16 4.1 Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (chaired by Russian Duma Deputy Gavrilov) and a wave of protests _________________________________ 16 4.2 Failure of the proportional election system __________________________ 17 4.3 Election of Supreme Court judges ____________________________________ 19 4.4 Abolishing Nikanor Melia’s immunity and terminating his parliamentary mandate ________________________________________________________________ 20 4.5 Changes in the Composition of Parliamentary Subjects _______________ 20 4.6 Vote of Confidence in the Government _____________________________ 21 4.7 Report of the President ______________________________________________ 21 Chapter -
Freedom of the Press 2007
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 2007 needs updating FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 2007 A Global Survey of Media Independence EDITED BY KARIN DEUTSCH KARLEKAR AND ELEANOR MARCHANT FREEDOM HOUSE NEW YORK WASHINGTON, D.C. ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. LANHAM BOULDER NEW YORK TORONTO PLYMOUTH, UK ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706 www.rowmanlittlefield.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright © 2007 by Freedom House All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1551-9163 ISBN-13: 978-0-7425-5435-1 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7425-5435-X (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-7425-5436-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7425-5436-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Table of Contents Acknowledgments, vii The Survey Team, ix Survey Methodology, xix Press Freedom in 2006, 1 Karin Deutsch Karlekar Global and Regional Tables, 17 Muzzling the Media: The Return of Censorship in the Common- wealth of Independent States, 27 Christopher Walker Country Reports and Ratings, 45 Freedom House Board of Trustees, 334 About Freedom House, 335 Acknowledgments Freedom of the Press 2007 could not have been completed without the contributions of numerous Freedom House staff and consultants. -
Situation of Human Rights in Georgia October 2006 Since the Coming Into Power of Mr
Note Situation of Human Rights in Georgia October 2006 Since the coming into power of Mr. Mikhaïl Saakaschvili at the favor of the so-called “roses’ revolution”, local and international organisations observe regular deterioration of fundamental freedoms. The violations of rights and freedoms are encouraged by a very personalised and authoritarian sense of power from the President. The first consequences of it are the exessive use of violence et and the impunity by law-enforcement bodies, repression and harassment against journalists, human right defenders, etc... This also contributed to conflictual situations at both internal (minorities and separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and external (recent break of diplomatic relations with Russia) levels. This new escalation of internal and external tension can provoke a serious deterioration of the situation of civilian population of Georgia and lies within the on-going agravation of a general human rights situation. A. Torture, ill treatments and excessive use of force Use of torture and ill treatments by law enforcement officials FIDH and Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (HRIDC), member of FIDH, strongly condemn the increase of torture, inhuman and humiliating treatments especially by law enforcement bodies. Despite the fact that, NGOs and UN human rights mechanisms reported numerous cases of torture committed by police officers, the impunity of their perpetrators is still a reality. In his annual report to the 62nd Commission on human rights (march 2006) and following a mission to Georgia, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, declared that “torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials still exist in Georgia” and that “ the methods of torture included beatings with fists, butts of guns and truncheons and the use of electric shocks, and cigarette burns; injuries sustained by the victims included, among other things, broken bones, cigarette burns, scars, as well as neuropsychological changes”. -
Russian Analytical Digest No 70: the North Caucasus Crisis
No. 70 21 December 2009 russian analytical digest www.res.ethz.ch www.laender-analysen.de the North CauCasus Crisis ■ ANALYSIS Chechnya After the Cancellation of Counter-Terrorist Operations 2 By Aleksei Malashenko, Moscow ■ ANALYSIS Ingushetia: on the Road to Overcoming Social-Political Instability? 5 By Sergey Markedonov, Moscow ■ ANALYSIS Dagestan and the Russian State: “Stable Instability” Forever? 9 By Arbakhan Magomedov, Dagestan and Ulyanovsk ■ MAP The Northern Caucasus: Administrative Subdivisions 14 ■ STATISTICS Official Statistics for the Southern Federal District 15 ■ OPINION PoLL “What is Going On in the Northern Caucasus?” 16 German Association for Research Centre for East Center for Security DGO East European Studies European Studies, Bremen Studies, ETH Zurich russian analytical russian analytical digest 70/09 digest analysis Chechnya After the Cancellation of Counter-Terrorist Operations By Aleksei Malashenko, Moscow Abstract After Moscow lifted the counter-terrorist operations regime in Chechnya in spring 2009, the situation in the Caucasus deteriorated dramatically. The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has now eliminated all of his most important competitors. Ramzan has achieved considerable success in rebuilding his republic, though he has not been able to completely quash the armed fighters who continue to threaten the repub- lic’s fragile stability. In order to ensure his continued rule, he has used Islam as a way to control Chechnya’s population. While Ramzan is now fully in charge, he faces extremely dangerous conditions. Kadyrov Unopposed Chechnya testifies to the family-like nature of the rela- Since March 2009, when Moscow canceled the special tionship between the two men. regime providing for counter-terrorist operations, an The super-ambitious Ramzan announced during his unanticipated deterioration of the situation took place first days serving as Chechnya’s deputy premier that in Chechnya and the rest of the North Caucasus. -
Iran's Regional Policy in the South Caucasus: Case Studies of Relations with the Republics of Azerbaijan & Armenia
Durham E-Theses IRAN'S REGIONAL POLICY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: CASE STUDIES OF RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLICS OF AZERBAIJAN & ARMENIA KOUHI-ESFAHANI, MARZIEH How to cite: KOUHI-ESFAHANI, MARZIEH (2016) IRAN'S REGIONAL POLICY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: CASE STUDIES OF RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLICS OF AZERBAIJAN & ARMENIA, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11870/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 IRAN’S REGIONAL POLICY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: CASE STUDIES OF RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLICS OF AZERBAIJAN & ARMENIA A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by: Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani Durham University School of Government and International Affairs 2015 In the Name of God The Compassionate the Merciful This manuscript is dedicated to: My Husband Dr. H. Riahi whose love and unwavering support made this possible for me, and my daughters Yasaman and Nastaran, Who encouraged me and patiently walked along this path with me. -
Faultlines of Conflict in Central Asia and the South Caucasus : Implications for the U.S
OF CONFLICT in Central Asia and the South Caucasus Implications for the U.S. Army EDITED BY Olga Oliker Thomas S. Szayna United States Army R Arroyo Center Approved for public release; distribution unlimited The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DASW01-01-C-0003. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Oliker, Olga. Faultlines of conflict in Central Asia and the south Caucasus : implications for the U.S. Army / Olga Oliker, Thomas Szayna.. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. “MR-1598.” ISBN 0-8330-3260-7 1. Asia, Central—Strategic aspects. 2. Caucasus—Strategic aspects. 3. United States—Military policy. 4. United States. Army—Foreign service—Asia, Central. 5. United States. Army—Foreign service—Caucasus. I. Szayna, Thomas S. II. Rand Corporation. III.Title. UA832.2 .O42 2003 355'.033058—dc21 2002012824 RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND® is a registered trademark. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of its research sponsors. Cover design by Barbara Angell Caslon © Copyright 2003 RAND All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from RAND. Published 2003 by RAND 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 201 North Craig Street, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1516 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451-7002; Fax: (310) 451-6915; Email: [email protected] OF CONFLICT in Central Asia and the South Caucasus Implications for the U.S. -
Download File
AT THE HARRIMAN INSTITUTE Overcoming Warlords and State Failure: Lessons from Post-Soviet Georgia n Wednesday, November 11, 2009, Kimberly she calls “middlemen” warlords, because they remained Marten, Professor of Political Science at Bar- in power with Russian or Abkhazian support, operating nard College, Columbia University, spoke at the between two states—Russia and Georgia. OHarriman Institute about two Georgian warlords—Aslan Abashidze and Emzar Kvitsiani. Marten discussed their Aslan Abashidze was a high-ranking official in both the influence in Georgia, and the divergent approaches to- Georgian and the Ajarian Communist parties until the fall wards warlordism taken by the administrations of Geor- of the Soviet Union. “This means that he had a lot of con- gian leaders Eduard Shevardnadze (1992-03) and Mikheil nections with political figures emerging in the post-Sovi- Saakashvili (2003-present). et space,” Marten said. In 1991, Abashidze was elected Marten, who is writing a book on “Warlords, Sover- chairman of the Parliament of Ajara. Marten explained eignty, and State Failure,” had just returned from Georgia, that his election was semi-legal. Georgia's first president, where she conducted 26 interviews with policy makers Zviad Gamsakhurdia, had pressured the chairman of the and analysts connected to these cases. Her findings were parliament to resign and then swayed the parliament to the basis for her presentation and will comprise a chap- elect Abashidze. “While Abashidze's election was techni- ter in her book. “Until now there have been ideographic cally legal, it was actually an exercise of force.” Simulta- studies of warlordism, but not a body of theory about the neously Abashidze became deputy chairman of Georgia's relationships between states and warlords. -
Crossing the Line Georgia’S Violent Dispersal of Protestors and Raid on Imedi Television
December 2007 Volume 19, No. 8(D) Crossing the Line Georgia’s Violent Dispersal of Protestors and Raid on Imedi Television Summary ................................................................................................................. 1 Sequence of Events.............................................................................................3 Accountability for the Excessive Use of Force.......................................................5 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 8 Background..............................................................................................................9 The Opposition Demonstrations........................................................................ 11 Georgian Media and Imedi Television................................................................ 13 The Coup d’Etat in Recent Georgian History ....................................................... 14 Relations between Russia and Georgia..............................................................16 November 7, 2007 ..................................................................................................20 Widespread Use of Police Violence to Disperse Demonstrators..........................20 Dispersal of protestors and hunger strikers on the steps of Parliament ........20 Violent dispersal of protestors on Rustaveli Avenue in front of Parliament....25 The violent dispersal of protestors on Rustaveli Avenue, from the Marriott Hotel