The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will head to the polls on Sunday, in a parliamentary election that has failed to stir enthusiasm among a largely disillusioned electorate. Elections in the internationally unrecognised entity are typically dominated by the long-running dispute of Cyprus, a Mediterranean island split b etween Turkish Cypriots in the north […]
Middle East articles on Democracy Chronicles
View news about the struggle for democracy in the troubled Middle East where vast cultural change and persistent political violence cry out for democracy. Also see our World Democracy section and our articles on the ongoing Arab Spring.
How Chinese Democracy Advocates View the Iranian Protests
The protests in Iran are resonating with democracy advocates in and outside of China, many of whom have expressed hope that a similar uprising could come to the tightly ruled country and put an end to tight controls on civil rights and freedoms. At the same time, Chinese authorities have moved quickly to tighten censorship […]
A Woman and Her Hijab: Symbols of Iranian Protest
As protests continue across Iran for the seventh day, one woman is being hailed as a “hero” after a video of her removing her hijab in an apparent protest was posted on a social media site. The footage shows the woman standing on a box, waving the hijab at the end of a stick like […]
Iranian Official Blames ‘Foreign Agents’ for Protester Deaths
An Iranian official is blaming “foreign agents” for the shooting deaths of two protesters during widespread anti-government demonstrations Saturday. “No shots were fired by the police and security forces,” Habibollah Khojastehpour, a deputy governor of the province where the protesters were killed. “We have found evidence of enemies of the revolution, Takfiri groups and foreign […]
How the Iranian Regime is Responding to Protests
Finally, Iran has acknowledged the series of protests sweeping through the country in the past few days
Protests Across Iran Call For ‘Fall of Dictatorship’
Iran has an unemployment rate of 12.4 percent, a stagnant economy and rampant inflation
Anti-government Iranian protests spread to capital
Iranian police mobilized to quell a third straight day of nationwide anti-government demonstrations
Turkey Opposition Leader Faces Prosecution as Crackdown Intensifies
Turkish prosecutors have taken another step toward the prosecution and possible jailing of the country’s main opposition leader. On Thursday, Ankara prosecutors announced they had prepared their case against Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and called for the lifting of his parliamentary immunity. The CHP responded by criticizing the ruling […]
Saudi Lobbyists Win Billion Dollar Arms Deals in Congress
The Saudi Arabian-led war with Yemen has been raging for more than two years, with massive loss of life and humanitarian impact on the Yemeni side. Nonetheless, the United States continues to support the Saudi coalition through arms sales and military logistics support. Two multi-billion dollar deals were secured for Saudi allies Bahrain and the […]
A Saudi Woman Discusses Her Changing Society
“The status of women in Saudi Arabia has and will always be one of the best…the Vision has improved and empowered Saudi women”.