Silent approval: Judges “sustain” beating advocates in Kyrgyz courts

19.04.2013 22:06 msk Human Rights Kyrgyzstan Politics

Beating lawyers is becoming somewhat of a norm if they are defending suspects tried for June 2010 events in Kyrgyzstan. In 2010 alone, about 150 lawyers refused to represent and defend interests of ethnic Uzbeks, fearing harassment and beating by claimants and their supporters. Fergana wrote about s

Kyrgyz state communications agency chief allows unblocking Fergana access

29.03.2013 11:15 msk Internet Kyrgyzstan Politics Russia

The head of the State Communications Agency (SCA) of Kyrgyzstan , Mr. Almaz Kadyrkulov, told the Vecherniy Bishkek newspaper that local ISPs “have the right” to unblock access to the Fergana news agency ’s website: “[Communications] operators have the right to unblock [access to] the website, and I

Uzbek opposition leader insists President Karimov suffered heart failure

23.03.2013 23:03 msk Politics Uzbekistan

Muhammad Salih (l) and President Islam Karimov

Islam Karimov and the Goldfish

18.03.2013 09:59 msk Afghanistan Analytics Central Asia Ferghana Valley Politics Uzbekistan

Several Uzbek mass media outlets unexpectedly started beating the war bells over the last several days. Alert! The motherland is in danger! Russian and Central Asian mass media outlets echoed said concerns in reprinted articles with hints of dysphoria. This time around the chief alarmist is Ubaydull

Kyrgyzstan: Revolutions no more?

13.03.2013 09:00 msk Analytics Kyrgyzstan Politics

It is impossible to say whether Kyrgyzstan is to face another, third this time, coup d’état this spring. There are “revolution prerequisites” along with indications that nothing will happen.

“The State, it is I” or An unsuccessful bid to meet Gulnara Karimova

08.03.2013 21:03 msk Human Rights Interview Politics Uzbekistan

A guard in tracksuit and the entire diplomatic corpus of the Uzbek mission to the UN protect Gulnara Karimova’s estate in Geneva

“The Ministry of Truth” of Uzbekistan: Art of lying through teeth

04.03.2013 10:49 msk Analytics Business Politics Uzbekistan

Photo: Perhaps Islam Karimov and his subservient officials alone applaud Uzbekistan’s “success” stories

Kazakh president prepping power transition

04.02.2013 21:30 msk Analytics Kazakhstan Politics

Several massive reshufflings in key government positions took place in Kazakhstan as early as first days of 2013, and that certainly bears crucial impacts on the country’s future. On the surface, reshuffling of officials is not a novice in our country and the Kazakh society is quite used to this fre

Islam’s agony: Uzbek President Karimov finds himself and Uzbekistan in historical dead-end

01.02.2013 10:28 msk Analytics Politics Uzbekistan

Islam Karimov has lived through his humanly and political peak long time ago, having remained in power for almost a quarter of a century. He is now 75 and it is difficult to understand whether he really is a brutal dictator or just an obsolete personality, who makes no decisions in the country anymo

Uzbekistan 2012: Resume and forecast. Part I

24.01.2013 23:43 msk Analytics Politics Russia Uzbekistan

On 18 January 2013, Uzbek President Islam Karimov chaired a special session on results and outcomes in 2012. The government followed the routine of reporting successes and achievements, which pleased the president, Uzbek mass media reported. Islam Karimov has, too, delivered a speech. In it, he indi

Uzbek government Vice President – Rustam Azimov: successor or scape goat?

12.12.2012 13:50 msk Politics Uzbekistan

It seems that nobody actually believes that free and fair elections will ever take place in Central Asia. On the other hand, it is still totally unclear, how the power change will happen in some of the authoritarian countries. Will Nazarbayev, Karimov and Rahmon, who have been ruling for twenty and

Kyrgyzstan: There will be no Revolution-3 or The opposition’s voluntary fiasco

04.10.2012 20:17 msk Kyrgyzstan Politics

Photo: sign on the fence surrounding the Kyrgyzstan parliament building. Photo from the Facebook account of Zhanabil Davletbaev, facebook.com/zhanabil.kg

Kazakhstan: Court case against opposition continues

06.09.2012 22:12 msk Kazakhstan Politics

The court case against well known opposition activist Vladimir Kozlov and civil activists Serik Sapargali and Akjanat Aminov continues in Aktau ( Kazakhstan ). The case began on 16 August, with nine witnesses questioned between 16 and 21 August, however none of them confirmed the accusations of inci

Kazakh opposition speakers jailed for rally

29.01.2012 23:35 msk Politics Russia

Security forces speak of illegal network of extremist organizations in place in the Central Asia

09.12.2011 20:56 msk Central Asia Politics

Special security services of the CIS-member states acknowledge the presence of extremist organizations within the Central Asia.

Almazbek Atambaev inaugurated as the president of Kyrgyzstan

01.12.2011 13:20 msk Kyrgyzstan Politics

In 2011, for the first time in the history of independent Kyrgyzstan, presidency has been peacefully transferred from one president to another with inauguration of Almazbek Atambaev in Bishkek on the 1st of December. The two of his predecessors, Askar Akaev and Kurmanbek Bakiev were overthrown as a