Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

RFE/RL Central Asia Report 10/3/2011 6:24:39 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 .

 

Uzbek Doctors 'Told To Pick Cotton' Authorities in Uzbekistan are reportedly ordering clerics, school teachers, police officers, and others to pick cotton. More   RFE/RL Turkmen Reporter To Go On Trial An RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan is to go on trial for allegedly urging a relative to attempt suicide, in a case his family says is retaliation for his journalistic activities. More   Protest Held For Detained Kyrgyz Police Some 400 protesters blocked a highway in southern Kyrgyzstan on October 3 to demand the immediate release of four local policemen detained over the death of a Russian citizen in August. More   Nazarbaev Son-In-Law Offends Strikers Striking oil workers in western Kazakhstan are seeking an apology from the president's son-in-law for describing them as a messy bunch led by repatriates. More   Warsaw Protest For Kyrgyz Activist Dozens of Kyrgyz rights activists and their supporters have held a protest in Warsaw to demand the release of a prominent rights activist jailed in Kyrgyzstan over last year's ethnic violence. More   Parents: Don't Move TB-Infected Kazakh Prisoners Parents of inmates at a notorious jail in central Kazakhstan for convicts with tuberculosis held a protest at the prison today to demand their sons are not moved elsewhere. More   177 Kyrgyz Mosques Face Closure Nearly one-quarter of the mosques in Kyrgyzstan's southern region of Osh face closure because they are not officially registered. More   Kazakhstan's First Cosmonaut In Opposition To Government The first Kazakh cosmonaut has said ahead of the 20th anniversary of his space flight that it was an event "appreciated by the Kazakh people. More   With Pakistan Supply Route In Doubt, Washington Looks To Uzbekistan As ties between the United States and Pakistan continue to sour, speculation is mounting that Uzbekistan may become a new ally of convenience in the U.S. war on terror. Is Washington willing to overlook Islam Karimov's record on torture and child labor? More   The Sky High Price of Real Estate In...Dushanbe Manhattan, London, Tokyo, Dushanbe? When surveying the world’s most expensive real-estate markets, Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe (population: 700,000) doesn’t immediately come to mind. More   All Kyrgyz Casinos Face Closure Casinos throughout Kyrgyzstan face closure under a controversial new law that foresees the country designating a single area where gambling will be permitted. More   Kazakh Religion Bill Clears Hurdle The upper house of Kazakhstan's parliament has approved a measure to restrict the registration of religious organizations and prohibit unauthorized religious activities, clearing it for signature by the president. More   Obama Calls Uzbeks On Anniversary The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama has telephoned President Islam Karimov to congratulate Uzbekistan on its 20th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union. More   Tajikistan Offers Financial Assistance To Some Amnestied Prisoners Tajik authorities have said they will offer financial help under a reintegration program to former prisoners who were recently amnestied. More   Kazakhs' Afghan Visit Shows Closer Ties Officials from Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have met in Kabul to discuss expanding economic and political ties, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports. More   In Post-Soviet Central Asia, Russian Takes A Backseat In the 20 years since the Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union became independent, the influence of the Russian language has been declining in these countries. More   Protesting Kazakh Inmates Maim Selves Inmates at an maximum-security prison in central Kazakhstan severely cut and maim themselves to protest alleged beatings and the strict regime in the notorious labor camp. More   Following Terror Attacks, Kazakhstan Hurriedly Tightens Religious Law Kazakhstan is about to adopt a new law on religion, which stipulates strict control over the activities of religious institutions. The bill was hurriedly drafted after the country witnessed several terrorist attacks this year -- including its first known suicide bombing -- blamed on underground Islamic groups. The draft law is seen by many as Astana's response to what officials call a growing threat of religious extremism in Kazakhstan. But it has its critics. More   Jailed Kazakh Journalist To Start Rights Activism After Release Jailed Kazakh journalist Ramazan Esergepov says he will start human rights defense activities after his scheduled release in three months. More   Eight Sentenced For Murder In Northern Tajikistan A court in northern Tajikistan has sentenced eight men for the murder of a bazaar administrator last year. More   Jailed Lawyer Of Striking Kazakh Oil Workers Loses Appeal The jailed lawyer of striking oil workers in western Kazakhstan lost her appeal today and will remain in prison. More   Kyrgyz Ban Foreign Media For Election Kyrgyzstan's new ban on foreign-media broadcasts in the country during the presidential-election campaign has caused mixed reactions. More   Tajik Police Launch Child Labor Probe Tajik authorities are checking reports that children in the southern part of the country are being used as forced labor. More   Exiled Activist Shot Dead In Russia Exiled Uzbek businessman and opposition People's Movement of Uzbekistan official Fuad Rustamkhojaev was shot several times in the head and chest in front of his home in western Russia. More   Indecipherable, Impenetrable Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's address to the UN General Assembly on September 23 was as notable for its indecipherable language than for anything substantive contained in the speech itself. More