Jean-Christophe Peuch

Also by Jean-Christophe Peuch

• February 04, 2005

  Georgia: Zhvania's Death Likely To Affect Balance Of Forces In Government

  Zurab Zhvania Zurab Zhvania, the Georgian prime minister who died yesterday in an apparent gas poisoning accident, was generally viewed as a stabilizing element in the youthful team that took the reins of power 15 months ago. Some analysts believe his sudden death is likely to alter the balance of forces in the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili in favor of its more radical elements. But would that also affect Georgia’s policy toward its separatist republics?

• February 03, 2005

  Georgia: Government Says Premier Died In Accident As NGOs Demand Independent Probe

  The flat where Zhvania and Yusupov were found Georgian authorities say Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania died of carbon monoxide poisoning and are treating the case as an accident. Zhvania and a friend, Raul Yusupov, were found dead early this morning in Yusupov's Tbilisi apartment. Rights groups are already questioning the official version and demanding an independent investigation.

• February 03, 2005

  Georgia: President Urges Team To Remain United After Prime Minister's Death

  Georgian authorities today announced that Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania had been found dead in a friend's apartment in Tbilisi. Officially, the head of the Georgian government died of gas poisoning. Whatever the exact circumstances of his death, his disappearance is likely to seriously impact Georgia's politics.

• February 03, 2005

  Georgian Prime Minister Dies Of Apparent Gas Poisoning

  Zurab Zhvania (file photo) 3 February 2005 -- Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was found dead early this morning in a friend's apartment in Tbilisi.

• February 02, 2005

  Georgia: Deadly Gori Blast Sparks Confused Reactions Among Officials

  A car bomb yesterday killed three policemen in the central Georgian city of Gori, just a few kilometers away from the separatist republic of South Ossetia. Although some evidence suggests the blast is criminal in nature, Georgian authorities claim the attack was prepared outside the country with a clear political aim. Some government officials are pointing to South Ossetia and its Russian protectors. Others, however, are urging a more cautious approach.

• February 01, 2005

  Georgia: Blast Rocks Central City, Government Blames 'Terrorists'

  Prague, 1 February 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A powerful car bomb went off today in the central Georgian city of Gori, some 50 kilometers northwest of Tbilisi. Three people were reported killed and 13 more wounded in the explosion. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, which regional authorities described as a "terrorist attack" aimed at destabilizing the government.

• February 01, 2005

  Georgia: Defrocked Priest Sentenced For Religious Violence

  A Tbilisi court on 31 January sentenced an excommunicated Orthodox priest to six years in jail on charges of inciting violence against Georgia's religious minorities. Basil Mkalavishvili was convicted of organizing assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, and Pentecostal Evangelists in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The New York-based group Human Rights Watch welcomed the sentence. Western and Georgian rights activists had long been demanding jail terms for Mkalavishvili and other Orthodox hard-liners responsible for religious violence.

• January 27, 2005

  Georgia: Leaders Remain Noncommittal On Meskhetian Repatriation Issue

  Meskhetians in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe this week reiterated its concern about the fate of the former Soviet Union's Meskhetian community, and revived calls for Georgia to urgently organize their repatriation. Yet, Georgian authorities remain noncommittal on the issue and continue to argue that conditions are not yet appropriate for the return of this uprooted Turkic people.

• January 26, 2005

  Georgia: President Unveils South Ossetian Peace Plan In Strasbourg

  Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday reiterated an offer to extend broad autonomy to the secessionist republic of South Ossetia in return for its recognition of Tbilisi's authority. But Tskhinvali immediately rejected the offer.

• January 25, 2005

  Azerbaijan: PACE Criticizes Armenian Occupation Of Azerbaijani Territories

  The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved a controversial resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh today. The resolution criticizes ethnic Armenian forces for occupying considerable parts of Azerbaijan's territory years after the end of the separatist conflict. The document also states that the 1988-94 war led to large-scale ethnic expulsions and the creation of mono-ethnic areas that it says "resemble the terrible concept of ethnic cleansing." The vote came amid protests from the Armenian delegation, which described the draft resolution and its appending report as biased in Azerbaijan's favor.

• January 24, 2005

  Georgia: Tensions Rise In South Ossetia As Tbilisi Set To Unveil Peace Plan

  Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia (file photo) Tensions between Georgia and its separatist republic of South Ossetia have heightened in recent days, with a series of kidnappings and detentions being reported near the demarcation line that marks the republic's border. Russia, which has peacekeepers in the region, has demanded that both sides refrain from any action that could rekindle sparks that put the region on the brink of full-scale military operations in the summer of 2004. The fresh tensions come as Georgia prepares to unveil a plan designed to bring South Ossetia and Abkhazia, its other secessionist republic, back into the fold.

• January 20, 2005

  Georgia: PACE Signals Impatience As Country Lags Behind Democracy Standards

  The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is set to examine on 26 January a report assessing Georgia's progress in honoring its obligations and commitments as a member state. The report, prepared by Hungarian lawmaker and PACE co-rapporteur on Georgia Matyas Eorsi, says the South Caucasus country has achieved much since the regime change in late 2003. But it also criticizes the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili for lagging behind many standards of democracy.

• January 19, 2005

  Georgia: Experiment On Averting Corruption Among State Officials

  Following the "Rose Revolution" that toppled President Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia's new leadership made a solemn pledge to curb endemic corruption in state structures. In a highly disputed move, many former government officials were jailed on suspicion of financial misdeeds. Most of them were released without trial after agreeing to pay fines equal to or higher than the sums they had allegedly embezzled. No less controversial was Georgia's decision to supplement the salaries of its state officials with foreign donations and private money. The government says the initiative has proved a success, but critics argue it may be mere window-dressing.

• January 13, 2005

  Bagapsh Set For Landslide Victory In Abkhazia

  Prague, 13 January 2005 -- Partial results released by election officials in Georgia's separatist republic of Abkhazia show Sergei Bagapsh winning yesterday's presidential election in a landslide.

• January 12, 2005

  Nagorno-Karabakh: No Breakthrough Reported In Talks Between Armenians, Azerbaijanis

  Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met yesterday in Prague with his Azerbaijani counterpart to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Officially, the discussions achieved no breakthroughs, but both men agreed to meet again in the near future. In an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service, Oskanian said a lot remains to be done before both sides can agree on the basic principles of a peace settlement.

• January 11, 2005

  Georgia: Abkhazia To Elect President In New Vote Amid Concerns Over Low Turnout

  Voters in Georgia's secessionist republic of Abkhazia will elect their new president tomorrow in a rerun election called after last year's political crisis that drove the tiny Black Sea province to the brink of civil war. Only two candidates are vying for the presidency, including opposition leader Sergei Bagapsh, the disputed winner of the previous election. But regional experts believe many voters may boycott the ballot.

• January 10, 2005

  Russia/Georgia: Opening Of Ferry Link Expected To Impact Regional Trade

  Russia and Georgia signed an agreement today on opening a direct railway ferry between the Black Sea ports of Poti and Kavkaz. Direct railway connections between the two countries have been halted since 1992 amid a dispute over the secessionist region of Abkhazia. The Poti-Kavkaz ferry is not only important for Russia and Georgia. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries are expected to benefit from the new link.

• January 06, 2005

  Georgia: What's Behind Defense Minister's Fraud Charges?

  The Georgian president is not satisfied with the pace of defense reforms When he acceded to power nearly a year ago, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili pledged to improve his country's defense capabilities and to modernize its armed forces with a view toward integrating with NATO. The Georgian leader has been praising his administration for achieving substantial results in that direction, while also pressing for more speedy reforms. Yet, Georgia's new defense minister claims that, nearly 14 months after the so-called Rose Revolution that toppled President Eduard Shevardnadze, fraud and corruption continue to undermine the army.

• January 04, 2005

  Middle East: In Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Seeks Mideast Peace Role For Ankara

  Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul today began a two-day visit to Israel -- his first there since the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party came to power in Ankara in late 2002. Tomorrow, Turkey's top diplomat is due to hold talks with Palestinian leaders as they prepare for elections on 9 January. Gul's visit is seen a bid to repair bilateral ties damaged by Ankara's recent criticism of Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories. EU-hopeful Turkey also hopes to boost its profile as a potential mediator in the Middle East peace process.

• December 22, 2004

  Georgia: Reformist Priest Blasts Church Leaders Over Intolerance, Corruption

  Religious intolerance has slowly but steadily increased in Georgia over the past 13 years. Despite President Mikheil Saakashvili's pledges to treat all confessions on an equal footing, violence against religious minorities remains a major concern. Intolerance mainly targets Catholics and Protestants, but its victims can also be found among followers of the predominant Orthodox faith. The Patriarchate last week decided to reprimand a priest who not only favors ties with other confessions, but advocates in-depth internal church reforms. In an interview with the outspoken clergyman, RFE/RL correspondent Jean-Christophe Peuch examines what is known in Georgia as the "Kobakhidze affair."

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