Peter Zalmayev (Ukrainian: Пітер Залмаєв; born 1976) is a political scientist and director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative (EDI), an international non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of democracy and human rights in post-Communist transitional societies of Eastern and Central Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
| Peter Zalmayev | |
| Birth Place: | Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
Peter Zalmayev was born in Donetsk.
Zalmayev received his Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs with a concentration in post-Soviet/Eurasian studies. From 2000 to 2006, Zalmayev managed the Central Asia/Caucasus Program at a major international human rights watchdog, the International League for Human Rights.[1] Zalmayev is a graduate of the International Peace Academy's (currently known as International Peace Institute)2003 Seminar "The Regionalization of Conflict and Intervention"[2] He has provided regular commentary to major U.S. and international print[3] [4] and broadcast[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] media on political, social and economic developments in countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2011, Zalmayev joined the board of the American Jewish Committee, New York Region.[10]
Zalmayev is a contributor to The Odessa Review and one of the anchors of Priamyi TV Channel in Ukraine
On June 12, 2002, as a representative of the International League for Human Rights, Zalmayev testified about the situation in Kazakhstan to members of the European Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan und EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees.[11] In October 2002, Zalmayev condemned the Kazakhstani government's persecution of Sergei Duvanov, an independent journalist,[12] and, following Duvanov's arrest on charges widely seen as trumped up, Zalmayev proposed to give Duvanov the League's annual human rights award at a ceremony held at the United Nations on December 9, 2002[13] (on the eve of the Human Rights Day). In 2008, Zalmayev protested against Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's being nominated for the Nobel Prize.[14] Zalmayev was quoted in reports on Kazakhstan elections in 2010.[15] In 2010, Zalmayev, in an interview to Kyiv Post, criticized Ukraine's government for its attempts to muzzle independent media in the country.[16]
Following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, Zalmayev has provided regular commentary on the Russo-Ukrainian hybrid war, in various international broadcast media, including CNN,[17] BBC[18] [19] [20] [21] and Al Jazeera.[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] Zalmayev is also a regular contributor to Al Jazeera's website.[27]
In June - July 2014, Zalmayev appeared in leading Ukrainian broadcast media, including the country's main political talk show, Shuster LIVE with Savik Shuster, where he urged Ukraine's government to devise a broad international media campaign to help Ukraine in the face of Moscow's aggression.[28] Zalmayev also gave interviews to Ukraine's media resources as Hromadske TV,[29] VESTI Radio,[30] and the 1+1 channel.[31] He is also often a contributor to The Odessa Review.