Author: Vana Vratsyan

New York. (11 June – 31) US federal agents have arrested eight Tajikistan nationals in the US on terrorism charges. The arrests, carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, spanned across Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. These actions coincide with recent alerts from US intelligence officials about a terrorist plot. ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is designated as a terrorist organization by numerous countries and international organizations, including the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union. The ability to surveillance certain foreign targets has been a subject of intense debate in Congress,…

On April 17, the application process for grants from the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights ends. An official announcement on the launch of a new project by the EU delegation in Dushanbe on March 12 said that projects “to promote and protect human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms in Tajikistan” will be selected on a competitive basis. Representatives of civil society can participate in the competition. The total budget of the competition was 1 million 855 thousand euros. Applicants can request a grant of €300,000 to €400,000 for a period…

The situation in and around Ocheretyne is desperate for Ukraine This weekend, Russian drones and scouts surveilling the front line just west of the ruins of Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, observed something strange. Ukrainian trenches just east of the village of Ocheretyne, previously manned by soldiers from the Ukrainian army’s elite 47th Mechanized Brigade, were empty. The village was undefended Seizing the opportunity, the Russian army’s 30th Motor Rifle Brigade raced several miles along the railroad threading west from Avdiivka and captured most of Ocheretyne—and potentially also Novobakhmutivka, the village south of Ocheretyne. It’s the fastest penetration into…

Warsaw, Berlin (25/3 – 80) A diverse group of Pamiri and Ismaili interest groups gathered to discuss the terror attack in Moscow. “We reject the notion this were Pamiris or Ismailis representing us”, said one of the spokespeople, who want to remain anonymous out of fear of persecution by the Tajik authorities. “They are Takfiris”, he said. Non-believers, apostates to the cause. The majlis (meeting) was called after Moscow was quick to blame Tajik immigrants for the terror attacks. Previous warnings were ignored by Moscow. “We as a Pamiri community do not belief in the use of violence against the…

Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigned on February 26 in anticipation of postwar governance challenges. “I see that the next stage and its challenges will require new governmental and political arrangements,” Shtayyeh said, emphasizing “the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus.” American and Palestinian officials expect that Abbas will nominate Mohammed Mustafa, the chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as Shtayyeh’s successor. Expert Analysis “Bringing in Palestine Investment Fund chief Mohammed Mustafa and pushing out the current prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh is the rearranging of the…

On the first anniversary of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan’s deadliest border war, marked in September, irascible Kyrgyz national-security chief Kamchybek Tashiev aired his frustrations at the slow progress in talks aimed at demarcating the disputed frontier. Tajikistan, said Tashiev, was making “territorial claims” against Kyrgyzstan in the talks. “But our answer is that there should be no such claims,” Tashiev fumed, noting ominously that Kyrgyzstan had found “new documents” related to the border. “Based on those, we know that many parts of Kyrgyzstan had been given to Tajikistan,” he claimed. “If [Tajikistan] does not renounce its territorial claims against Kyrgyzstan then…

The Soviet Union’s collapse 32 years ago led to rapid change, economic collapse, and violence. In Tajikistan, that violence slid rapidly into civil war. Reflecting on the Soviet Union’s collapse 32 years ago and attempting to draw any sort of conclusion is often a matter of perspective. In his new book, “Moscow’s Heavy Shadow: The Violent Collapse of the USSR,” Dr. Isaac McKean Scarborough, an assistant professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Leiden University, writes of the collapse from one of the Soviet Union’s most distant peripheries — Dushanbe. In doing so, he highlights a perspective not often taken…

A former army general with a controversial past has claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election. Unofficial results show Prabowo Subianto, 72, winning nearly 60% of the vote – enough to avoid a presidential runoff – with around 85% of votes counted, according to state-owned news organization Antara, CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia and Reuters, which are reporting early counts done by a series of non-government think tanks. Ballot stations closed across the country early on Wednesday afternoon. Prabowo, billed as the frontrunner ahead of Wednesday’s contest, told supporters in Jakarta, he and running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is the eldest son…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka has made arrangements to donate a consignment of Ceylon Tea to the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip as a token of humanitarian assistance symbolizing Sri Lanka’s unwavering support and solidarity with the people of Palestine.  The donation was received by the Ambassador of Palestine to Sri Lanka, Zuhair Hamdallah Zaid, from the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya in the presence of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane on 29 January 2024 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Colombo-based Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran as well as Diplomats…

Global Health Strategies, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and its local partner Connect to Care Organization, are to establish a Program Support Unit within the President’s Office, Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the move after taking “into consideration the policy support proposed to be provided by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Presidential Secretariat,” Gunawardena said at the press briefing to announce Cabinet decisions on Tuesday. The President’s Office provides “guidance on policy issues and monitoring government programs,” Gunawardena said, and “maintains coordination with a number of multi-stakeholder organizations such as International…