Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Country Profile: Ukraine
Background Among the countries of the CIS, Ukraine is second only to Russia in the size and strength of its IT establishment. Ukraine was the birthplace of Soviet computing and Kyiv remains a major center for IT development. Ukraine is an early...
Country Profile: Moldova
Background Moldova is a parliamentary republic with a president at the head of the state. A newly sovereign state as of the early 1990s, Moldova experienced both political and economic turmoil. Separatist movements erupted in the Transnistria region, which operates as an...
Country Profile: Kyrgyzstan
Background In 2005, Kurmanbek Bakiev won the presidential elections after the violent downfall of the 14-year authoritarian regime of the former president, Askar Akayev. The new head of state vowed to distribute more powers to the parliament, encourage free speech, fight corruption,...
Country Profile: Kazakhstan
Background Kazakhstan has taken an authoritarian turn under the rule of President Nazarbayev, who has served as head of state since national independence in 1991. Nazarbayev is widely alleged to have manipulated results of elections and suppressed opposition to remain in power.Commission on...
Country Profile: Tajikistan
Background Tajikistan constitutional law gives the president unprecedented authority over the media. The incumbent president, Emomali Rahmon, who is presently in his third seven-year mandate,Joanna Lillis, ‘‘Tajikistan: No Surprises in Presidential Elections,’’ Eurasia Insight, November 6, 2006, http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav110606a.shtml; Deutsche Welle, ‘‘Nigora Buhari-zade,...
Country Profile: Belarus
Background Under President Alexander Lukashenka, the Belarusian regime has been criticized for its repressive and increasingly authoritarian tendencies. In 2008, it was announced that Lukashenka would most likely run for a fourth term in 2011.In the earlier redaction of the Belarus constitution, it...
Regional Overview: Commonwealth of Independent States
Note: a previous version of this profile is available at CIS, 2006-2007. Overview Over the past four years the scale and reach of the Internet in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has continued to expand. As it has grown, a vibrant cyber...
Country Profile: Azerbaijan
Background After a decade of civil unrest and a disastrous war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan recovered and stabilized under the strong hand of former President Heidar Aliev (elected in 1993). Since then, the country’s political life has remained dominated by the...
ONI Blog: Threats to the Open Net: May 4, 2012
Freedom House came out with its 2012 survey on the freedom of the press around the world. Media gains happened in the Middle East and Northern Africa as Arab Spring stimulated a significant amount of social media activity. However, press freedom...
ONI Blog: ONI Releases 2011 Year in Review
The OpenNet Initiative is proud to announce the release of its 2011 Year in Review, a collection of the year's top instances of filtering, surveillance, and information warfare around the globe. Starting domestically, 2011 saw the beginnings of SOPA and PIPA, bills...