Breaking News

Chris Rickleton

Chris Rickleton is a journalist living in Almaty. Before joining RFE/RL he was Central Asia bureau chief for Agence France-Presse, where his reports were regularly republished by major outlets such as MSN, Euronews, Yahoo News, and The Guardian. He is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Also by Chris Rickleton

April 26, 2024
David Cameron's Very Central Asian Week: More Than Just A Jaunt?

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s visit to the five countries of former Soviet Central Asia and Mongolia was certainly colorful. But with Russia and China watching, did the whistle-stop tour do enough to convince the region that London views deeper engagement as a “geopolitical imperative?”
April 23, 2024
Farewell Barak: Uzbekistan Absorbs Kyrgyz Exclave As Part Of Historic Border Deal

Residents of the former Kyrgyz exclave of Barak inside Uzbekistan bade farewell to their home village with mixed emotions this month, as the historic border deal reached by Bishkek and Tashkent became reality. Any other proposed land swaps in Central Asia look far more difficult to achieve.
April 19, 2024
The Kazakh-Uzbek 'Tandem': Good For Central Asia, Not So Good For Karakalpak Activists

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have a lot to talk about these days, from security cooperation to deeper integration on trade and transit. That could be good for Central Asia, but it might be making life harder for Kazakhstan-based activists from Uzbekistan’s autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan.
April 16, 2024
Rough Police Raids Rattle Kyrgyz Capital's Creative Subculture

After Kyrgyz police claimed success in targeting several night venues in antinarcotics raids, participants in capital Bishkek’s growing subcultures fear artistic spaces are under attack.
April 14, 2024
'Geopolitical Situation' Blamed As Price Of Kyrgyzstan's Favorite Fermented Drink Skyrockets

Spring is here and on the streets of Kyrgyzstan's capital that means one thing: Shoro season. But prices for the fermented drinks made by one of the country's most-beloved companies and sold on street corners by iconic "Shoro aunties" have given loyal customers a cause for complaint.
April 12, 2024
Tajik Regime Alarmed As Moscow Terror Attack Fallout Has Migrants Streaming Home

Mass migration and money sent by Tajiks working in Russia aren’t just a lifeline to Tajik families, they are a source of political stability for the country’s authoritarian regime.
April 08, 2024
Millions Of Kazakhs Watch As Ex-Minister Goes On Trial For Wife's Brutal Death

Millions have tuned in to watch live broadcasts of the trial of a former minister who is charged with murdering his wife. Lawyers and activists hope the mass viewership will prevent the authorities from backtracking in the fight against domestic violence.
April 05, 2024
Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs Sends Chill Through Kyrgyz Civil Society

After a decade, supporters of a Russian-style law regulating foreign-funded civic organizations in Kyrgyzstan have finally won. With its focus on broadly defined "political activities," critics of the law forecast an increase in both authoritarianism and the Kremlin's influence over the country.
April 02, 2024
Government Under Fire As Kazakh Regions Go Under Water

Almost 16,000 people in Kazakhstan have been evacuated in massive flooding that has directed public anger toward officials -- who have admitted they were unprepared for such a large-scale catastrophe. In the long term, experts say, the country must find ways to direct precious meltwater for use during increasingly drought-struck summer months.
March 26, 2024
Kyrgyzstan's Former Kingmaker Matraimov Brought Home As Enemy Of The State

Raimbek Matraimov, an ex-customs official accused of stealing millions of dollars from Kyrgyzstan, was once a notorious powerbroker. But he’s wanted for allegedly plotting to take out top officials in President Sadyr Japarov’s government and has now been extradited from Azerbaijan.
March 14, 2024
Turkey Proves No Safe Haven For Central Asian Activists

The disappearances of two leading Tajik activists residing in Istanbul again highlights that Turkey is not a safe haven for Central Asian dissidents. Activists say the once hospitable destination changed as Ankara ramped up security cooperation with Central Asia’s authoritarian governments.
March 12, 2024
Tajikistan Going All In On Hydropower, Doubters Be Damned

Tajikistan has already poured billions of dollars into the Roghun hydropower project, which it hopes will someday double domestic energy output. But someday looks a long way from today, amid mounting costs and growing sustainability concerns.
March 09, 2024
Russia Goes NGO-Hunting In Central Asia, Where NGOs Have Enough Problems

Russia has set its sights on what it describes as “pro-Western” civic organizations trying to undo its influence in Central Asia, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu saying Moscow has taken “preventive measures” against the phenomenon.
March 06, 2024
Residents Of Kazakhstan's Biggest City Learning To Live With Earthquakes

After experiencing two nerve-rattling quakes in as many months, people living in Kazakhstan's former capital are beginning to look with fondness at less seismically active parts of the country. There are also fears that city and national authorities are unprepared for "the big one."
March 02, 2024
Kyrgyzstan Seeks A Restart Of Uranium Mining, And A Russian-Built Nuclear Plant

Kyrgyz officials are eager to end a 2019 ban on uranium mining in order to boost state coffers. They also see Russian-built nuclear facilities as an attractive alternative to hydropower, which is affected by climate change.
February 27, 2024
Paying Twice: Kazakhs Unhappy With Latest Fix For Health-Care 'Hell'

A Kazakh bill would require workers and employers to pay more for health insurance for those earning higher wages. But the underfunded, corruption-ridden health system has not improved since the new plan was first introduced four years ago, and anger is growing.
February 25, 2024
Though Fading In Turkmenistan, The Russian Language Is Still In Demand

Over more than three decades of "Turkmenization," the Russian language has taken a back seat in Turkmenistan. But it is still a popular choice as a second language for the political elite and their children, as well as for television viewers.
February 21, 2024
Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan Crackdown Gets A Helping Hand From Kazakhstan

Aqylbek Muratbai, a commentator on the rights crisis in Uzbekistan's autonomous region of Karakalpakstan, is in detention in Almaty after being arrested at Tashkent’s behest, charged with crimes against public order. His is the latest in a series of arrests of Kazakh-based activists from the region.
February 15, 2024
Well-Known Kazakh-Based Karakalpak Activist Detained On Uzbek Request, Partner Says

A well-known Karakalpak activist has been detained by police at his home in Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty, the activist's partner told RFE/RL on February 15, adding that Uzbekistan had issued the warrant for his arrest.
February 15, 2024
Closing The Kloop: Kyrgyzstan's Media Crackdown Becomes Farcical As Leading Journalism Foundation Shuttered

Kyrgyzstan's civil society and free press have traditionally been the most vibrant in Central Asia. But that has changed in recent years amid a deepening government crackdown.

XS

SM

MD

LG