Who was Uzbekistan's Islam Karimov?

03.09.2016 12:37 msk Politics Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan: testing your cheating speed, or “Hares”, “Runners” and ten thousand dollars

12.08.2016 19:31 msk Human Rights Interview Uzbekistan

“Welcome!”, reads a sign at the entrance to a university in Tashkent. “To what?” one may ask, “to a world of bribes, lies and hypocrisy?” The results of the August 1st nationwide entrance exams to all universities in Uzbekistan will be announced in the next few days. Despite the countless measures taken to prevent cheating (complete shutdown of text messaging services in the country, armies of policemen and professors patrolling the exam rooms, etc.), prospective students rely not on their smarts, but on cheat sheets and the help of their resourceful intermediaries who have everything “under full control”. “Ferghana”, managed to speak to one of the parents who did everything to make sure his child gets accepted to a university with a full scholarship. The following account is with regard to a university located in one of the provinces of Uzbekistan. The names of the people in this account have not been disclosed upon their request.

Preschool Education in Kyrgyzstan

25.07.2016 12:30 msk Analytics Ferghana Valley Politics Kyrgyzstan

Sumon Lord is a citizen of the United Kingdom who is currently living in Bishkek. He was asked to contribute an article on life in Kyrgyzstan to Fergana.ru from the perspective of an expat, explaining for example, what he found surprising, interesting, unusual, what he liked or did not like about life in Kyrgyzstan. He decided to make preschool education in Kyrgyzstan the main theme of this article.

Andrew Finkel, The Guardian: Turkey was already undergoing a slow-motion coup – by Erdoğan, not the army

17.07.2016 09:56 msk Analytics Politics Religious life Turkey, Republic of

What happens in Turkey matters. It is a G20 economy in a sensitive part of the world, sharing borders with Iraq, Iran and Syria. Turkey is an asset to its Nato partners when it is able to exercise a leadership role. It can be a liability when its own problems – like the tension with its Kurdish population – spill over those frontiers. And it can be a millstone around the world’s neck when it decides, as it did on Friday, to self-harm...

Registan.Net: Kazakhstan at odds with homegrown terrorism

20.06.2016 14:32 msk Analytics Politics Kazakhstan

In June, Kazakhstan fell victim to homegrown terrorism. On June 5, a group of about 20 unknown armed assailants stormed two gun supply shops and a National Guard base in Aktobe (Northwestern Kazakhstan) in a vaguely coordinated assault that initially left 4 gunmen, a police officer, and 2 civilians killed. Mathieu Boulègue, an analyst in the field of Russia/CIS security and geostrategic issues, analyzes the situation.

«Hizb ut-Tahrir» and Donald Trump: mutual contempt

15.06.2016 15:31 msk Analytics Human Rights Politics Religious life Central Asia Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan

Donald Trump’s Islamophobic speeches during campaign meetings seriously shook the US’s credibility in the eyes of ordinary Muslims. Well-known Islamic theologians say that if Trump wins the elections, Muslim part of the world will lose its faith. The faith in the American dream and the success of the democratic path. The Muslim world has been forced to pay attention to Donald Trump’s anti-Islamic rhetoric, not only due to the fact that he is a contender for the presidency, but also because he questioned the basic human values – human rights and freedom of religion.

Kazakhstan: Land Protesters Face Police Rampage

25.05.2016 12:04 msk Human Rights Business Politics China Kazakhstan

Street protests, against plans to step up land privatisation, were broken up by police in many of Kazakhstan’s largest cities on Saturday. The demonstrations were organised by informal on-line networks, rather than by any of the recognised opposition groups. Here are key points from a report by Andrei Grishin (Almaty).

Lost childhood in the «Caliphate»

20.05.2016 17:05 msk Analytics Politics Religious life Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan

According to the special services of Kyrgyzstan, about 140 minors were deported from the Republic of Iraq and Syria, who are now held in the military training bases of ISIS. Among them, the vast majority of children are under the age of 14. According to the human rights organizations more than 600 children from Central Asia are on the territory of Syria and Iraq that is controlled by ISIS.

Washington and Sanjar Umarov want to shed light on Uzbek Kleptocracy money

27.04.2016 02:27 msk Analytics Business Politics Interview Uzbekistan

A public discussion to address the issue of where the Uzbek funds frozen in Swiss banks could be directed, took place in Washington, DC, on April 20. Sanjar Umarov, a former entrepreneur and Prisoner of Conscience, participated in the Washington discussion about the possible allocation of forfeited funds. Our news agency followed up with Sanjar Umarov in more detail about his claims and what his vision is regarding further confiscation and distribution of said monies.

UN Human Rights Committee urges Kyrgyzstan to release Azimjan Askarov, quash guilty verdict

23.04.2016 11:56 msk Human Rights Politics Kyrgyzstan

“UN experts have called on Kyrgyzstan to immediately release jailed political activist and journalist Azimjan Askarov, after finding that he had been arbitrarily detained, held in inhumane conditions, tortured and mistreated, and prevented from adequately preparing his trial defence,” reads in part a press release the UN Committee for Human Rights released last week. “The UN Human Rights Committee, which considered a complaint brought by Mr Askarov against Kyrgyzstan, also called for his conviction to be quashed.”

Uzbek expert criticizes World Bank over monitoring of forced labour

09.12.2015 19:06 msk Analytics Human Rights Business Politics Cotton Uzbekistan

In late November, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the World Bank published the monitoring results of the use of child and forced labour during the cotton harvest in 2015 in Uzbekistan. The experts of the ILO, as the report says, «could not find conclusive evidence which can prove child or forced labour was used during the cotton harvest season in 2015 in Uzbekistan».

Kyrgyz education ministry wants to close a special kindergarten for special children

30.11.2015 09:22 msk Human Rights Kyrgyzstan

The only private kindergarten that provides an inclusive form of education in Kyrgyzstan, based in the capital Bishkek, is on the verge of being shut down. Both typical children and those with the Down syndrome attend the kindergarten. The authorities claim an unfortunate accident last month—a child broke a leg—warrants the closure. No criminal probe has been launched due to “lack of evidence.” But an avalanche of inspections was launched nonetheless. Albeit only unofficially, a warning was issued, “We will revoke your license.”

Uzbek rights advocate in need of rights advocate

24.11.2015 22:49 msk Human Rights Politics Uzbekistan

When Uzbekistan has finally released well-known politician Murad Jurayev, who spent 21 years behind bars, very few naively thought the move was an indication of the Islam Karimov regime’s weakening after a quarter-century state-sponsored elimination of its critics and opponents. Only several days later following the joyful event of Mr Jurayev’s freedom, yet another sad event occurred: human rights advocate Uktam Pardayev has been arrested in Jizzakh. The defender of human rights faces the traditional accusations of “extortion” and “fraud”. But what has this man actually done to cause ire of the Uzbek authorities?

Taalatbek Masadykov: “Radical religious views can quite realistically fracture Afghanistan”

19.11.2015 15:44 msk Analytics Politics Religious life Interview Central Asia Afghanistan

Taalatbek Masadykov, the former political director of the UN Special Political Mission to Afghanistan in 2002-2014, has had a conversation with Central Asia expert Arkadiy Dubnov to discuss the current events in Afghanistan and whether Taliban or IS could or should be negotiated with. They also discussed the parties interested in the continuation of war in Afghanistan; the current and past Afghan presidents; IS’s funding sources; the Pashtos and the ethnic composition of Afghanistan; and threats Central Asia is facing currently.

Political prisoner released in Uzbekistan after 21 years, Sec Kerry visit

12.11.2015 18:49 msk Human Rights Politics Uzbekistan

Murad Jurayev, a well-known Uzbekistani oppositional political prisoner, has been released from prison on November 12. Mr Jurayev was accused of entering “criminal conspiracy” with Muhammad Salih, the leader of the Erk opposition party. According to the Uzbek authorities, Messrs Salih and Jurayev wanted to organise a violent seizure of power.