Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Reportedly Charges Alleged Spy With Treason

(RFE/RL)

BISHKEK, June 25, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A female employee of the Kyrgyz parliament's press service has reportedly been charged with treason, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.

Kyrgyzstan Detains Two On Suspicion Of Espionage

TEXT SIZE - +

June 25, 2007

The National Security Committee declined to comment on the media reports.

Jypargul Arykova was detained in Bishkek on June 19 as she was allegedly passing classified materials to a Chinese national, who has reportedly been indicted with espionage.

Reports say the two accused face from 12 to 20 years in prison.

Kyrgyz human rights campaigners have expressed concerns on the charges against Arykova. Toleikan Ismailova of the Civil Society Against Corruption told RFE/RL that her nongovernmental organization is looking for a lawyer to represent Arykova.

The charges, if officially confirmed, would be a blow for Kyrgyz-Chinese relations on the eve of the August Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to be held in Bishkek, some lawmakers said today.

(with material from 24.kg, AKIpress)

RFE/RL Central Asia Report

SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on all five Central Asian countries by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Central Asia Report."

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