Kazakhstan - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Latest Kazakhstan News

Former Kyrgyz security service officer Aldayar Ismankulov was sentenced to 17 years.

Kyrgyz Journalist's Killers Lose Appeal

A court in the Kazakh city of Almaty has upheld the verdicts against three men convicted of the murder of Kyrgyz journalist Gennady Pavlyuk in 2009. More

French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet (right) on an official trip to Afghanistan in January

Afghan Exit Route Via Uzbekistan 'Costly'

French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said in an interview with "L'Orient-Le Jour" that using the route through Uzbekistan to withdraw NATO troops from Afghanistan was too costly. More

Amnesty For Jailed Kazakh Opposition Activist

A Kazakh opposition activist has been amnestied after spending more than 1 1/2 years in jail on charges of resisting authority. More

Kazakhstan Arrests Suspected Extremists

The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office has announced that a group of suspected religious extremists has been arrested in the northwestern city of Oral. More

Turkmen-Kazakh Border Closed

Turkmen authorities have closed the Turkmen-Kazakh border, citing the presidential elections due to be held in Turkmenistan on February 12. More

More Kazakhstan News

Blogging Central Asia

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

Tolimjon Kurbonkhonov is a big fan of VVP.

Tajik Ode To Putin Goes Viral

Vladimir Putin appears to have an unlikely supporter in his camp ahead of Russia's presidential election, but some wonder if a song lauding the current prime minister's accomplishments is genuine and, even if it is, whether it will have the desired effect. More

Features & Commentary

Kazakh riot police patrol in the town of Zhanaozen on December 18. Locals say the number of dead from the December 16 violence is being deliberately under-reported.

Kazakh Police Accused Of Torture

Piecing together the events that unfolded in the western Kazakh town of Zhanaozen on December 16, when a nine-month labor strike erupted into full-blown riots, is not easy. But one eyewitness describes the police abuse she saw.

Riot police stand on duty in the western city of Aqtau, where the Kazakh authorities have maintained a heavy presence on the streets.

Western Kazakhstan Calm As Locals Rally Behind Strikers

Local residents in the western Kazakh town of Aqtau have continued their protests to support the region's striking oil workers. Meanwhile, authorities say things are returning to normal in nearby Zhanaozen, the scene of deadly riots last week.

RFE/RL's Radio Azattyq has been an important source of information for people in Kazakhstan for decades. In 2009, Azattyq won the prestigious 2009 Online Journalism Award for "standing in defense of citizen’s rights to seek and receive information."