By Emil Souleimanov

July 23rd, 2016, The CACI Analyst

Recent months have seen increased attacks on journalists and human rights activists in Chechnya. Such attacks have long become characteristic of the Moscow-backed Chechen authorities’ attitude to any form of dissent, both within and outside the North Caucasus republic. While most human rights organizations and journalists were pushed out of Chechnya in the 2000s, the recent wave of violence has been particularly aggressive and threaten to remove the last resort for complaints on human rights violations as well as the only remaining sources of data on such violations in the republic. 

By Sudha Ramachandran

July 30th, 2016, The CACI Analyst

Afghanistan’s damming of the Harirud River could boost agriculture and industry in the country. However, the resulting reduction in water flow to Iran could contribute to a deterioration of relations with Tehran. Afghanistan and Iran can no longer delay a dialogue on how to share the waters of the Harirud. Afghanistan has previously blamed its reluctance to engage in such a dialogue on a lack of requisite data and expertise, but can ill afford a conflict with Iran on this issue. 

By Armen Grigoryan

July 15th, 2016, The CACI Analyst

The German parliament’s resolution recognizing the atrocities against Armenians and other Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire as genocide resulted in an angry reaction from the Turkish government. The resolution, which also mentions the former German Empire’s complicity, constitutes an additional example of modern Germany’s ability to come to terms with the past by admitting own responsibility. However, the possible tensions due to Turkey’s resentment not only makes the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations unlikely but may also affect Turkey’s relations with other countries.