 RFE/RL Central Asia Report 11/19/2009 4:50:12 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia.For more stories on Central Asia, please visit and bookmark our Central Asia page . |
 Kyrgyz Deport Russian Rights Activist Kyrgyzstan deported a foreign human rights activist investigating accusations of abuse against Muslims in the Central Asian state, campaigners said today. More Kyrgyz pro-presidential Ak-Jol (Bright Path) party has approved a provision that would require its diplomats to understand the Kyrgyz language, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  HRW Calls For Kyrgyzstan To Release Activists HRW is urging the government of Kyrgyzstan to release two human rights activists investigating rights abuses in the south of the country. More  Kyrgyz Opposition Leader Blames President For Nepotism A Kyrgyz opposition leader says President Kurmanbek Bakiev has brought nepotism back to the country, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  Kazakh Rights Activist Denied Access To Lawyer The imprisoned director of the Kazakh Bureau for Human Rights, Yevgeny Zhovtis, has been denied access to his lawyer, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Uzbeks Skip Regional Security Meeting In Kazakhstan The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has begun a third round of discussions in Almaty about upcoming counterterrorism exercises, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Transparency Campaigner Warns Corruption Could Slow Recovery In Fragile Countries Transparency International has just released its annual index of corruption in countries across the globe. The Corruption Perceptions Index 2009 finds that high levels of corruption in some countries could slow international efforts to help them cope with, or recover, from the global economic crisis. We speak with Jana Mittermaier, head of Transparency International's Brussels office, to learn more. RFE/RL correspondent Charles Recknagel conducts the interview. More  Kazakh Activist, Journalist Complain Of Pressure In Prison Yevgeny Zhovtis and Tohniyaz Kuchukov say that prison officials have put pressure on them to sign disadvantageous work contracts, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports. More  Pressure Grows For Kyrgyzstan To Reverse Ban More than 10 years since Kyrgyzstan became the first Central Asian state to suspend the death penalty, arguments for reinstating the punishment are gaining traction. More  Kyrgyz Opposition Politician's Trial Resumes A Bishkek district court resumed hearings into the case against former Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov today, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. More  Tajik National Prefers Guantanamo To Home Umar Abdullaev, a prisoner at the United States' Guantanamo detention facility for international terrorist suspects, believes he is being punished for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as the Obama administration works to close down the controversial facility, Abdullaev's lawyer is saying the Tajik national would rather remain imprisoned at Guantanamo than return to Tajikistan. More  WHO Urges Doctors To Use Antiviral Drugs Sooner The World Health Organization (WHO) says antiviral medicines like Tamiflu should be used much earlier by doctors in order to prevent deaths from swine flu. The UN agency also says it is sending more supplies of antivirals to developing countries most affected by swine flu. Those countries include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. More  Before The Autumn Revolutions, The Moscow Spring Before the autumn revolutions in Eastern Europe, there was the Moscow Spring in the Soviet Union. In 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev's reform policies hit their high-water mark, as the USSR held its first competitive elections, press freedom flourished, and civil society awakened. More  Daddy, Buy Me A Bellucci Uzbek President Islam Karimov's daughters are known for living the high life. But even for them, this is pretty impressive. More |
