Meiirim Baqytzhan is an Almaty-based journalist with RFE/RL's Kazakh Service.
Security services in Central Asia have cracked down on people paying tribute to Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Mourners in Kazakhstan have been arrested and fined, while memorials outside Russian embassies in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have been removed.
A court in Almaty has approved the detention of Karakalpak activist Aqylbek Muratov (aka Muratbai), known for his activities defending the rights of Karakalpaks living in Kazakhstan, for 40 days as he awaits a decision on his extradition by the Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office.
Rustam Ibragimov, a former officer of Kazakhstan’s elite law enforcement unit who is serving life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of opposition leader Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly and two associates 18 years ago, has asked for a retrial.
RFE/RL correspondents investigated how companies in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are trading with Russia in "dual-use" electronic components that can be used for civilian or military purposes. Statistics show trade in such goods has skyrocketed since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
RFE/RL correspondents investigate how companies in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are trading with Russia in dual-use electronic components that can be used for civilian or military purposes.
