In Putin’s Russia, a journalist by day and an activist by night
For Ilya Azar, writing stories isn't enough. He believes that when freedoms are under threat, activism and journalism aren’t mutually exclusive – they’re natural allies.
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Published in:oDR: OpinionRussian indie media needs visibility – that's why the Pulitzer row matters
Independent journalism in Russia is struggling to survive. Hard hitters like the The New York Times don't have to do...
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Published in:oDR“Even though I am in prison, I feel the freedom of my soul”
Today Azimjon Askarov, an imprisoned human rights defender from southern Kyrgyzstan, faces an appeal hearing. In...
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Published in:ОД "Русская версия"Russia's labour migrants are caught between poverty and a pandemic
Hundreds of thousands of Central Asian migrants are trapped in Russia's quarantine lockdown, lacking jobs,...
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Published in: Dark Money Investigations: InvestigationRevealed: More than 700 British firms blacklisted in Ukraine for suspicious activity
British shell companies provide high prestige with low transparency – perfect for money-laundering, popular across...
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Published in: ОД "Русская версия": OpinionInside the struggle to control Russia's digital volunteering sector
The desire for mutual support during a pandemic has led to a new wave of volunteer mobilisation across Russia....
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Published in: oDR: InvestigationArmenia ‘under pressure’ from UK and US over mining dispute, says EU report
An internal EU report claims that the UK government has pressured the Armenian government in a two-year standoff...
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Published in: oDR: InvestigationKazakhs are wary of neighbours bearing gifts
We asked ordinary people in Kazakhstan which great power they liked most. Despite its assistance during the COVID-19...
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Published in: ОД "Русская версия""If an infected person enters the factory, everything will fall apart"
In late March, two COVID-19 cases were discovered at the large AvtoVaz factory in the Russian city of Tolyatti. The...
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Published in: ОД "Русская версия": InvestigationHow volunteers are spearheading Ukraine's COVID-19 response
Ukraine's volunteers mobilised with the outbreak of war in the Donbas. Now, during a pandemic, they are trying to...
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Published in: oDRAre some NGOs really "foreign agents"? Here's what people in Georgia and Ukraine say
We asked the citizens of Georgia and Ukraine what they think about civil society.
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Published in: oDRCan transgender people speak in Armenia?
When it comes to hate crimes, impunity still reigns in this South Caucasus state.
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Published in: oDRLast summer in Moscow, thousands came out to protest. Then they were prosecuted for it
The 2019 summer of protest in Moscow may be a distant memory for Russia’s fast-moving political scene. But dozens of...
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Published in: oDRIn Russia's far east, a feminist theatre director comes under attack
Yulia Tsvetkova was building a community in her hometown in Russia's far east - until she was targeted by violent...
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Published in: oDRHouse of mirrors: what’s behind the third prosecution of Gulnara Karimova
An international arbitration case sheds light on the third successful prosecution of Gulnara Karimova, Uzbekistan’s...
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Published in: oDR: Opinion“Your traditions, our blood!”: The struggle against patriarchal violence in Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, it appears that the police and nationalist groups are increasingly conspiring to push organised...
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Published in: oDRWhy Russian mathematician Azat Miftakhov is on trial
In Russia, the authorities are increasingly taking aim at left-wing activists - using any means necessary. The...
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Published in: oDRIn frontline Ukraine, global pandemic puts people at unimaginable risk
Pensions, pandemic and war. This is eastern Ukraine's trilemma.
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Published in: oDRCoronavirus could crash Russia’s already overstretched healthcare system
Russia’s healthcare system was already working at full capacity before coronavirus. We spoke to one of the people...
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Published in: 50.50: InvestigationWith help from American activists, Ukrainian women are being misled about abortion
Abortion has been legal in Ukraine for decades – but groups empowered by Trump’s White House are misleading...
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Published in: oDR“This is a public execution”: Russian activist Anastasia Shevchenko on a year of house arrest
Shevchenko is the first Russian citizen on trial for working for a foreign organisation.
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Published in: oDR: OpinionRussia’s political and constitutional drama
As Putin prepares to extend his rule once again, the future for human rights in Russia looks bleak.
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Published in: oDR: OpinionHow 'love what you do' went wrong in an ‘academic sweatshop’ in Siberia
We’re told that we should 'do what we love' when it comes to our jobs. But what if loving what you do leads –...
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Published in: oDR: OpinionWhat’s behind Russia’s left-wing turn?
As Putin extends his rule once again, the need for social democracy in Russia has never been clearer.