Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Kazakhstan

Kazakh Security Service Warns Against Protests

Kazakh police at an opposition rally in March (RFE/RL)

25 November 2005 -- Kazakhstan's state security service has warned those who may be planning protests ahead of next month's presidential elections that any attempts to destabilize the country will be quote "severely dealt with."

TEXT SIZE - +

November 25, 2005

In a statement released late on 24 November, the security service said it had information that opposition groups were preparing young people "from the fringes of society" to engage in "ill-considered" acts ahead of elections.

The statement alleged the opposition was trying to provoke conflicts between authorities and the opposition with the aim of creating grounds to accuse the leadership of undemocratic policies.

The service warned against any actions that were against the interests of the citizens, society, or government of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's opposition has said on several occasions that it would not resort to violence or anti-constitutional activities head of the 4 December presidential election.

(ITAR-TASS)

Kazakhstan's Presidential Election

RFE/RL's complete coverage and background of Kazakhstan's presidential election on December 4, 2005.

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

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