After the war: Touring Azerbaijan's reclaimed territories The mood in Baku is triumphal but it’s heavy and vengeful rather than joyous. Paul Benjamin Osterlund Dec 22, 2020
Kazakhstan sleepwalks toward choice-free parliamentary election But there is no papering over the festering disillusionment. Almaz Kumenov Dec 2, 2020
Kyrgyzstan: Protests flourish as crises mount on all sides Acting President Japarov came to power on the crest of rallies, but will he know how to deal with them as leader? Nov 2, 2020
Perspectives | How U.S. hawks’ fixation on Iran endangers Middle East Christians A facile and naïve plan being discussed in Washington risks backfiring on Iran’s minority Christians. Eldar Mamedov Oct 31, 2020
Perspectives | Why Kazakhstan’s leaders fear regional unrest Rigged elections have created political crises in two other post-Soviet countries this year, leaving Nur-Sultan edgy ahead of a parliamentary vote. Aruzhan Meirkhanova Oct 27, 2020
Kazakhstan: Parliamentary elections scheduled for January 10 The president says the vote will marking a turning point. Skeptics yawn. Almaz Kumenov Oct 21, 2020
War in the Caucasus hits close to home for Turkey’s Armenians Some are speaking out against the conflict despite fears the government’s strong support for Azerbaijan could fuel nationalist reprisals. Ayla Jean Yackley Oct 21, 2020
Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict poses threat to regional energy corridor While it would be wrong to start pointing fingers and formulating conspiracy theories, clearly the risks are many and real. David O'Byrne Oct 9, 2020
Tajikistan: Secret Chinese base becomes slightly less secret Chinese personnel, whose presence Dushanbe denies, forbid reporters from filming. Sep 23, 2020
Central Asia: Belt and Road takes back seat in Chinese envoy’s tour Beijing is eager to show solidarity as the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on. Chris Rickleton Sep 16, 2020
Leading Azerbaijani opposition figure enters second week of hunger strike Tofig Yagublu was detained shortly after the president warned that the opposition was using the coronavirus to destabilize Azerbaijan. Now even pro-government MPs are calling for his release. Sep 15, 2020
Azerbaijani power struggle intensifies The under-the-surface schism within the government has dominated public discourse in Azerbaijan in recent weeks. Sep 9, 2020
Kazakhstan’s war on coronavirus fake news underwhelms Confusion and contradiction are at the heart of the government’s counter-disinformation strategy. Almaz Kumenov Aug 28, 2020
High-profile COVID wedding highlights Azerbaijani political schism A longtime gray cardinal is in trouble after violating social-distancing laws. But breaking rules is what bigwigs do in Azerbaijan. Aug 26, 2020
Abkhazia calls for volunteers to help with COVID outbreak Many in the territory blame the rising numbers of coronavirus cases on the authorities’ decision to open up to Russian tourists. Joshua Kucera Aug 19, 2020