 RFE/RL Central Asia Report 5/24/2010 8:35:40 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 Demand Greater Transparency About 100 protesters picketed the Kyrgyz parliament building in Bishkek today, demanding a detailed report on the interim government's activities for the last 45 days. More  Kyrgyz Official Alleges Foreign Wiretaps A senior Kyrgyz official has accused a number of foreign secret services of wiretapping the country's interim government. More  As An Afghan River Border Shifts, Murder Follows The Amu Darya, Central Asia's longest river, demarcates much of northern Afghanistan's border. But it is an unstable frontier that shifts as the river changes course, causing deadly land disputes. More  Kyrgyz Court Nixes Ex-Minister's Conviction The Bishkek city court made the ruling on May 20, dismissing a verdict handed down on March 16 by a district court that had found Jekshenkulov guilty of financial abuse and sentenced him to a suspended term of five years in jail. More  'Maksim' And His Kyrgyz Dreams A voice recording of an alleged phone conversation between Maksim and Janysh Bakiev -- ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev's son and brother, respectively -- is circulating on the Internet. More  Kyrgyzstan Publishes Draft Constitution Kyrgyzstan's interim government today made public the country's new draft constitution, which shifts power from the president to the prime minister. More  Uzbek Repenters Get Reduced Sentences Uzbek President Islam Karimov has signed an amendment to the Penal Code which cuts an offender's prison term by up to one-third in the event he/she repents. More  Controversy Over Uzbekistan Intrudes At Cannes AIDS Benefit Liz Taylor and Giorgio Armani were among the notable guests who were expected to attend the celebrity fund-raising event Cinema Against AIDS in Cannes last night. It's become one of the big social events of the annual film festival and last year raised $4.5 million for AIDS research. But the thought of one guest walking the red carpet at the Hotel Cap Eden-Roc had an international media freedom organization raising red flags. More  Kyrgyz Ex-President Bakiev: 'They Need To End This Unrest' Former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev fled into exile in Belarus last month in the aftermath of a violent uprising that unseated his regime and saw an interim leadership installed. In an interview with Ainura Asankojoeva of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, Bakiev rejects any connection to the continuing unrest in the country’s south, as well as rumors that he is trying to return to power with the help of his brother and son. More  PM's Rise, Zeromax Demise May Shed Light On Uzbek Succession While the apparent end of Zeromax -- a gas and oil company said to be the biggest foreign investor in Uzbekistan -- might appear to be just another business story, it may go much deeper, and even concern the question of succession in the Central Asian state. More  Fresh Rally As Kyrgyz Tensions Persist Demonstrations have continued in the southern Kyrgyz city of Jalal-Abad, a day after violent clashes there killed two people. More  Tajik Court Sentences 36 For Membership In Banned Islamic Group A Tajik court has sentenced 36 people to prison for being followers of the banned Islamic group Jamaat ut-Tabligh. More  Kazakhstan To Establish Council Of Elders The Kazakh government says it is planning to establish a Council of Elders. More |
