RFE/RL Central Asia Report
2/20/2012 7:11:09 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 . |
Uzbeks, Tajiks In Border Talks
An Uzbek delegation has arrived in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to discuss the delimitation of the Tajik-Uzbek border. More 
Goethe Medal For Kazakh Activist
A theater director and pro-reform activist who faces charges of "inciting social hatred" in his native Kazakhstan has been awarded the Goethe Medal from Germany’s Goethe Institute. More 
Berdymukhammedov Makes Cabinet Moves
Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has made the first appointments to his new cabinet in the wake of his landslide reelection win earlier this month. More 
Kyrgyz Signal U.S. Troop Exit
Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambaev has announced at a meeting with visiting U.S. State Department officials that that "no foreign troops" should remain at Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport after 2014. More 
How State TV Covered Turkmenistan's Uncompetitive Election
We wrote last week about the emerging personality cult surrounding Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. More 
Russia Said To Block U.S. Drug Plan
Russia has reportedly blocked a U.S. plan designed to help stem the flow of drugs from Afghanistan through Central Asia, a sign of continued wariness in Moscow about Washington's intentions in a region often thought of as "Russia's backyard." More 
Turkmen Leader Hailed From Space
Turkmenistan's State Information Service said that following President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's inauguration for a second term in office on February 17, he received congratulations from "leaders of a number of countries." More 
Kazakhs Probe Radioactive Coal
Kazakh officials have announced that Zhambyl Oblast customs control department in Kazakhstan’s south has launched an investigation into the export of almost 9,000 tons of radioactive coal to neighboring Kyrgyzstan. More 
Kazakh Rights Activist Released From Jail
Kazakh rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis, freed after 2 1/2 years in prison thanks to an amnesty, has expressed support for other political activists and journalists being held in detention centers and prisons in Kazakhstan. More 
Kyrgyz President To Demand Base Fees
Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambaev says he plans to demand overdue fees for Russian military assets on Kyrgyz soil during upcoming talks with the Russian leadership in Moscow. More 
UN Chief Hails Kyrgyz Transfer Of Power
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has praised Kyrgyzstan's political transition. More 
U.K. Prison Sentence For Kazakh Banker
A British judge has sentenced a Kazakh businessman accused of embezzling billions of dollars from one of Kazakhstan’s largest banks to 22 months in prison for contempt of court. More 
Wikipedia Articles In Uzbek Blocked
Articles in the Uzbek language on the Wikipedia website have not been accessible in Uzbekistan for several weeks. More 
Kazakh Opposition Activist Denied Parole
A court in Kazakhstan's northwestern city of Aqtobe has denied release on parole to opposition activist Aidos Sadyqov, saying that "he still considers himself not guilty" and had broken rules at the prison camp. More 
Attack Of The Cloned Websites...This Time In Uzbekistan
A website has been set up to mirror the site of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, in what could be a phishing scheme to harvest user information. More 
Calls For Probe Into Kyrgyz Police Death
Some 100 Kyrgyz policemen picketed the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) headquarters in Bishkek on February 15, demanding a full investigation into the death of one of their colleagues while in the custody of the agency. More 
Russian Court Reviews Baby Mix-Up
A Russian court has begun to review the case of a hospital baby mix-up that led to a Russian Orthodox girl being raised by a Tajik Muslim family, and a Russian family raising a Tajik girl. More
Kyrgyz Protesters Demand Probe Into Police Death
Some 200 protesters have blocked the Osh-Batken highway in southern Kyrgyzstan, demanding investigations into the death of a local policeman in custody. More
Kyrgyzstan Returns Radioactive Coal
Kyrgyzstan has sent back to Kazakhstan the first shipment of a batch of radioactive coal that led to controversy, arrests, and allegations of corruption in Kyrgyzstan. More 
Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More 
Committee Established For Zhanaozen Victims
Kazakh politicians and rights activists have announced the creation of an international committee to defend the victims of the shootings in the southwestern town of Zhanaozen and activists arrested in connection with the violence. More 
Yo! Turkmen Rappers Flip The Script On Repression
For a growing number of Turkmen youth, rap music has become a way to express their daily struggles and inspire political change in one of the world's most oppressive countries. More 
Jailed Kazakh Opposition Leader's 'Rights Violated'
The wife of the jailed chairman of Kazakhstan's unregistered opposition Algha (Forward) party says her husband's rights as a prisoner are being violated. More 
Turkmenistan's Personality Cult 2.0
Turkmen Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov appears to be building a personality cult to match that of his eccentric predecessor. More 
Casino Employees Protest In Bishkek
Some 200 former casino employees have protested in front of the Kyrgyz government building in Bishkek, demanding jobs and compensation. More 
Turkmen President Landslide Reelection
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has won a new five-year term in office following a landslide election victory. More |
