RFE/RL Central Asia Report
05.11.2012
A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about the five countries of Central Asia.
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Uzbekistan Jails Three As Tajik Spies
Uzbek officials have announced that three women from the southeastern region of Surhondaryo have been jailed for spying for neighboring Tajikistan. More 
4 Killed In Kyrgyz Market Collapse
At least four people were found dead in the ruins of a market in the southern Kyrgyz region of Osh following the collapse of a concrete floor on November 3, with five others hospitalized and rescue operations continuing. More 
Gulnara Karimova's Apartment Seized
Russian investigators say the $10-million Moscow apartment belonging to the daughter of Uzbekistan's president has been seized as part of an investigation. More 
Kazakh Women Describe Slavery Ordeal In Moscow
Two Kazakh women have said they were lured into slavery in Moscow on the promise of a job and held in captivity in a supermarket for 10 years where they were beaten and forced to work. More 
100 Top Brands Boycott Uzbek Cotton
The director of a California-based labor-rights group says more than 100 international clothing makers are boycotting Uzbek cotton over the use of forced child labor. More 
Kidnapping No Joke For Kyrgyz TV Presenter
This week in Kyrgyzstan, a popular television presenter was kidnapped and her life threatened -- only to find out it was all a prank carried out by journalists from a local tabloid. More A $40 million library in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, might be the largest library in Central Asia. But critics say it’s less an institution of learning than a vanity project for the Tajik president. More 
Is Kazakhstan's Zhanaozen To Be Wiped Off The Map?
Zhanaozen, the remote Kazakh town that was the scene of bloody antigovernment protests last year, is back in the news after a regional council proposed renaming the town after an 18th-century philosopher. Critics accuse the government of trying to wipe Zhanaozen off the map in order to remedy a PR disaster. More 
Karimova Eyes France's Depardieu For Film
Reports in Uzbek media suggest the daughter of autocratic Uzbek President Islam Karimov is reportedly working on a film that could feature French actor Gerard Depardieu. More 
Kazakh Ex-Mayor's Jail Term Upheld
A regional court in Kazakhstan has upheld the 10-year prison sentence for the former mayor of the western town of Zhanaozen. More 
Kazakh Government Introduces Code Of Ethics For Journalists
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information has introduced a controversial "Code of Ethics for Journalists." More 
Russian Held In Kazakh Oligarch Case
Russia's Interior Ministry says that Czech authorities have detained a Russian citizen for her alleged role in the embezzlement of $5 billion from Kazakhstan's BTA bank. More |
