Social media

Tajikistan: Authorities Arrest Bloggers for “Immorality”

Harassment for posting allegedly obscene content seen as a means to further shrink freedom of speech.

14 Mar 23

Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava (left) with his friend and colleague Shmagi Samkharadze with whom he co-founded the youth organisation Amra (meaning sun in Abkhaz language). Buava left his native Abkhazia and moved to Georgia where he was granted Georgian citizenship in December 2022. Abkhazian de-facto authorities charged him with treason. © Lana Kokaia

Georgia: “We Have the Right to Unify”

Abkhazian blogger accused of treason continues to campaign for coexistence.

14 Mar 23

Participants of the free speech rally in Bishkek. © 24.kg

Kyrgyzstan: Towards Total Media Control?

Vaguely-worded legislation introduces potential restrictions on wide range of outlets

1 Nov 22

Telegram app used on a smartphone. © Carl Court/Getty Images

How Azerbaijan’s Telegram Channels Fuel Intimidation

With little oversight, toxic disinformation and threats thrive on the encrypted platform.

25 Oct 22

Konstantin, a pensioner from Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia, watches a report about the announcement of "partial mobilization" for the war against Ukraine on pro-Kremlin channel Rossiya 24. © Piotr Garchu/IWPR

Russian Propaganda Dominates Moldova’s Gagauzia

Pro-Kremlin narratives rule the information space in an autonomous region with deeply rooted ties to Moscow.

3 Oct 22

Uzbekistan, like the other former Soviet states in Central Asia, has been reluctant to criticise Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fearing repercussions on trade, security assistance, and labor markets. There are over 3,4 million Uzbek citizens registered in Russia, and about 90 per cent of them migrated in search of work. © Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Russian Invasion Divides Uzbek Society

Moscow’s war in Ukraine is polarising public opinion in the Central Asian country.

28 May 22

How Media in Belarus and Russia Joined the Information Battlefield

Both countries have been flooded with incitement alongside deliberate confusion between fiction and historical facts.

24 Mar 22

Ukraine’s IT Warriors

As the Ukrainian army fights Russia’s invasion on the ground, a parallel war unfolds in cyberspace.

17 Mar 22

Donbas Decides (Донбасс решает), a popular pro-separatist Telegram in Eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Telegram Battlefield

How guerilla media operations in the country’s east preceded - and amplified - Russia’s invasion.

25 Feb 22

In September Kazakhstan's parliament pushed a draft bill that would require foreign tech companies to register local branches or risk being blocked. Rights groups say that, if approved, it will hinder social media activities and further limit free speech in the country. © CABAR

Kazak State Tightens Grip on Social Media

Rights groups fear that a bill framed to safeguard children could limit free speech and intensify government control.

19 Nov 21

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