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25 may 2017

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Central Asia news

WWII heroes: Tajikistan hindered by ‘Immortal Regiment’ - Dushanbe residents speak

05.05.2017 17:01 msk Analytics Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ action, which relatives and descendants of those killed at the fronts of the Great Patriotic War had been planning to organise and hold on 9 May 2017 in Tajikistan, was prohibited. One of the official reasons is that ‘according to Islamic traditions, it is inadmissible to go out into the streets and avenues with portraits of the deceased.’ The other is a tense situation and clashes in neighbouring Afghanistan. Fergana correspondent spoke with Dushanbe residents, who call these arguments absurd and far-fetched accusing the authorities of double standards and hypocrisy. In fact, the government is simply afraid of any manifestations of civil activity, they believe.

Suspected in terrorism – emerging portraits from Central Asia

28.04.2017 15:58 msk Analytics Ferghana Valley Human Rights Politics Religious life Migration Kyrgyzstan Russia Uzbekistan

Brothers and neighbours speak about Rakhmat Akilov in Uzbekistan and Abror and Akram Azimov brothers in Kyrgyzstan. A good childhood and obedience, law-abiding behaviour, positive reputation in the neighbourhood, diligence – such testimonials would make a decent citizen, but not terrorist.

Uzbek-born American Entrepreneurs Gulam and Sardor Umarov Expanding Use of Latest Technologies

21.04.2017 18:57 msk Business Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Gulyam and Sardor Umarov, natives of Uzbekistan, children of the formerly well-known opposition figure Sanjar Umarov, are currently engaged in large-scale technological projects in the U.S., while not forgetting their roots and developing business which is relevant with the interests of their homeland.

Wealth that was acquired: what potential presidents of Kyrgyzstan possess and conceal

19.04.2017 11:03 msk Analytics Business Politics Kyrgyzstan

People everywhere are curious about how this or that person acquired a glut of wealth. In particular if some nouveau riche (and only this tells a lot) holds a high public office at the same time. There are countries where career growth correlates with financial – a newly rich having a cushy job. Fergana proposes to consider what potential candidates for President and their relatives acquired according to income statements.

Seven moments from the life of Almazbek Atambayev

11.04.2017 14:01 msk Analytics Human Rights Business Politics Kyrgyzstan

In civilised states, the president’s health, whether mental or physical, is not considered a state secret. Everywhere, the press and the opposition are needed to keep madmen from coming to power. A sad example is the election of Donald Trump — a man who many, to put it mildly, don’t consider to be presidential material. And how could one not compare him with Kyrgyzstan’s president Almazbek Atambayev? Fergana News recalls some of Kyrgyzstan president's stranger chapters.

Human trafficking and IS followers in Central Asia

31.01.2017 09:21 msk Human Rights Politics Migration Central Asia Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkey, Republic of Uzbekistan

Neo-patrimonial regimes have been established in Central Asian countries following the implosion of the Soviet Union. The new elites divided entire economies and “sweet-spot” government positions between “bosses” and their “vassals.” Meanwhile, the rest of the society, who are excluded from such networks, has no chances to secure good jobs, to peacefully and beneficially conduct business and remains impoverished. Such systems of management create fertile grounds for booming human trafficking and joining the ranks of IS, Kazakh political scientist Talgat Mamyrayymov says in the article he authored below.

Verdict in Kyrgyzstan: Highest level of hypocrisy

26.01.2017 12:14 msk Human Rights Politics Kyrgyzstan

Today’s editorial covers the event of the day in Kyrgyzstan—a Bishkek court ruled to leave Azimjan Askarov’s life-long imprisonment verdict in force. Why was the journalist and human rights activist was tried in the first place? Chief Editor Daniil Kislov is certain that his colleague and friend was imprisoned for his courageous work, for criticism and the truth the court refused to acknowledge. It is such truth that the Kyrgyz government and society are still unprepared to face.

Kyrgyz court leaves life imprisonment verdict in Askarov case in force

24.01.2017 22:54 msk Analytics Human Rights Politics Kyrgyzstan

Early on January 24, a verdict was issued in the case of Azimjan Askarov, an ethnic Uzbek, journalist and human rights advocate, who was arrested during the bloody events in Southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010. Mr Askarov was accused of organising mass disorders and killing of a police officer. Appellate courts of all levels in Kyrgyzstan upheld the verdict to life-long imprisonment and property confiscation. Four years later, the UN Committee for Human Rights Committee investigated into Mr Askarov’s case and adopted a decision that Mr Askarov was arrested illegally and must therefore be freed. In July 2016, the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan, instead of implementing the UN Committee’s recommendations, has directed lower courts to retry the case.

High and Dry: Central Asia’s Failure to Avert the Impending Water Crisis

18.01.2017 10:09 msk Analytics Business Politics Cotton Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

The Harvard International Review's January 2017 edition includes an academic article on problems with water supply in Central Asia. The article author Alisher Ilkhamov is a Research Associate at the Centre of Contemporary Central Asia & the Caucasus at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. According to Mr Ilkhamov, the worsening international relations in the region are the main source of water-related problems in post-Soviet Central Asia.

Uzbek, Chinese archaeologists jointly excavate ancient capital of Fergana

16.01.2017 13:20 msk Ferghana Valley Business Politics Interview Central Asia China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan

“Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists rewrite the history of an ancient city.” China’s Xinhua news agency carried a report under this title on January 11, 2017, which cites a forum on archaeology of the Academy of Public Sciences of China. According to the report, a group of archaeologists from China and Uzbekistan has made a significant discovery while excavating the ruins of the ancient town of Mingtepa (which the report erroneously calls Minggepa) in the southeast of the Fergana Valley. The news was instantaneously reposted by almost every single website in Uzbekistan.

“Gratuitous utilisation”: How China is actively bringing the Tajik parts of Pamir under its influence

28.12.2016 04:27 msk Analytics Business Politics Central Asia China Kyrgyzstan

The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) of Tajikistan, also known as Pamir—a namesake of mountains, occupies about 40 per cent of Tajikistan’s territory, i.e. about 63,700 sq. km. The region borders on Kyrgyzstan in the north, China in the east and Afghanistan in the south. The Pamir mountains are known for their wealth of natural resources, hence the interest of many countries in it with China, Tajikistan’s immediate neighbour, being the first in line.

NATO Liaison Office in Tashkent to close, but alliance to continue cooperation in region

17.11.2016 17:52 msk Analytics Politics Interview Central Asia Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Fergana learnt from its own sources that the NATO liaison office to Central Asia will no longer be active starting next year. The liaison office is currently based in Tashkent, but coordinate the alliance’s activities and cooperation with all the countries in the region. What has caused the decision? We contacted Rosaria Puglisi, head of the liaison office, who has kindly agreed to respond to this and other questions.

Tajikistan’s imitation civil society

10.10.2016 12:04 msk Analytics Human Rights Politics Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan

Civic activism has been on the rise in Tajikistan in recent years. At first, groups of disgruntled women started breaking into opposition parties’ offices and western embassies, accusing the first of wanting to start a new war in the country, and the second of harbouring dissidents. Then the disgruntled women vanished, only to be replaced by student activists from pro-government youth organisations. At a time when any anti-government protest — not just a rally, a picket, demonstration or even some small gathering outside a government building — is broken up by the police in Tajikistan, members of these organisations are free to hold rallies and demos, block the streets and even cause mass unrest.

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.

«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.

Other news

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News briefs

22 may

15:38 Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court denies human rights defender in lawsuit against President Atambayev

17 may

19:29 Kyrgyzstan: Social Democrats nominates Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov for President

16 may

21:33 Kyrgyzstan: First Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture opens in Bishkek

12 may

15:18 Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev suggested Prosecutor General's Office withdrawing claims against ‘Azattyk’ radio

11 may

21:49 Uzbekistan building school in southern Kyrgyzstan

2 may

15:15 Kyrgyzstan: Expectedly OSCE Centre in Bishkek transformed into Programme Office

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