Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Uzbekistan

Activists Criticize Uzbekistan On Journalists

The Andijon unrest on 14 May (epa)

Prague, 27 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The media advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is criticizing the harassment of foreign media in Uzbekistan.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 27, 2005

The New York-based group issued its statement after the BBC World Service on 26 October said it was immediately closing its Tashkent office and withdrawing staff because of continued harassment and threats since its reporting of the 13 May bloodshed in the city of Andijon.

The CPJ statement called on Uzbek President Islam Karimov to stop harassing the BBC and other media in retaliation for reporting on Andijon.

The statement said that in recent weeks, Uzbek authorities have initiated a "smear" campaign in state-run media accusing journalists from the BBC, Deutsche Welle, the Associated Press, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty of organizing "informational attacks" against Uzbekistan.

(AFP)

Production and distribution of rap music is not officially banned, but it

Yo! Turkmen Rappers Flip The Script On Repression

For a growing number of Turkmen youth, rap music has become a way to express their daily struggles and inspire political change in one of the world's most oppressive countries. More

A woman relaxes underneath a photo of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at the resort of Avaza.

Turkmenistan's Personality Cult 2.0

Turkmen Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov appears to be building a personality cult to match that of his eccentric predecessor. More

Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov, the father of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, in a September 2009 television appearance

Keeping Up With The Berdymukhammedovs

Reports say a police unit in Turkmenistan this week was named after the father of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. State-run media reportedly describe it as a gesture to honor Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov's years of service to Turkmenistan's Interior Ministry and "his efforts in educating the younger generation." More