NEWS: RFE/RL Caucasus Report 3/3/2010 (rferl.org)

A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the countries of the South Caucasus and Russia's North Caucasus region. For more stories on the Caucasus, please visit and bookmark our Caucasus page .

Georgian Opposition Leader In Moscow The leader of Georgia's opposition Democratic Movement-United Georgia party, Nino Burjanadze, has arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials. More
Slain Azerbaijani Journalist's Killers Still Unknown Five years after his death, the killers of Azerbaijani opposition journalist Elmar Huseynov have still not been brought to justice. More
U.S. Business Warns On 'Genocide' Bill U.S. business leaders are urging the House of Representatives to reject a resolution that would label as genocide the World War I-era killing of Armenians by Turkish forces. More
Armenian Opposition: Gov't Will Fall Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian has harshly criticized the country's leadership as thousands of his supporters marked the second anniversary of the deadly 2008 postelection violence in Yerevan. More
Reports Of Torture Trigger Protests In Daghestan Police today began detaining the leaders of people protesting the reported torture of five murder suspects in Makhachkala, the capital of Daghestan. More
Azerbaijan's Extravagant Olive Trees Azerbaijan’s native olive trees, oaks, and firs are being crowded out after around 3,000 bushes and 300 trees were brought to Baku last week to be planted in Baku's National Park. More
New Disagreements Emerge Within Georgian Opposition With a maximum of three months still to go before the Tbilisi mayoral election, Georgian opposition parties' hopes to field a single candidate to challenge incumbent Mayor Gigi Ugulava are on the verge of collapse. More
Five Arrested In Killing Of Daghestan's Interior Minister The announced arrest of five men suspected of plotting and perpetrating the killing in June 2009 of Daghestan's interior minister, Lieutenant General Adilgirey Magomedtagirov, has not ended speculation about the cirumstances of his death More
Commission Probing Circumstances Of Gamsakhurdia's Death To Question Shevardnadze The Georgian parliamentary commission established last fall to launch a new investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of former President Zviad Gamsakhurdia has summoned Eduard Shevardnadze for questioning. Shevardnadze was head of Georgia's ruling State Council at the time of Gamsakhurdia's death on New Year's Eve, 1993, a few months after his abortive attempt to regain power. More
As Armenian Capital Gets Face-Lift, Many Lose Their Homes As the Armenian capital replaces its drab Soviet-era cityscape with sleek new shops, boutiques, and cafes, longtime city residents are being forced from their homes with little compensation. More
Armenian Opposition Coalition Unveils New Economic Manifesto The main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) headed by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian unveiled on February 23 a detailed plan of measures that it said are necessary for the "radical transformation" of Armenia's flawed economic system. More
Leader Says South Ossetia 'Building Independence' Eduard Kokoity, the leader of South Ossetia, has denied speculation that the breakaway Georgian region will merge into Russia. Kokoity sat down with RFE/RL to discuss the future of the region, work to rebuild its tattered infrastructure, and local politics. More
Defeated Abkhaz Presidential Candidate Calls On Opposition To Close Ranks Three months after his defeat in the presidential election, former Abkhaz Vice President Raul Khajimba has called on the opposition to begin new consultations with the aim of closing ranks and coordinating its activities. He called among other things for the creation of a coalition government; for parity representation for the opposition on the Central Election Commission; and for the passage by parliament of a law on opposition parties. More
Daghestan's New President Sworn In Magomedsalam Magomedov was formally inaugurated on February 20 as president of Daghestan, four years to the day after his father Magomedali relinquished that post. More
Is South Ossetia On The Verge Of An Internal Conflict? The Coordinating Council of Social and Political Organizations of South Ossetia has released a statement warning that tensions within the unrecognized republic are increasing and could lead to an armed conflict. The Russian agency Regnum posted the statement on February 20. More
I Want Buildings In The Shape Of My Initials... Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is known for his grandiose construction projects, but even he might have found a new way to memorialize the dynasty. More