This latest podcast was prompted by the release on March 28 of a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) titled You Can’t See Them, But They’re Always There: Censorship And Freedom Of The Media In Uzbekistan.
HRW has also issued a video that accompanies the report.
HRW has released many reports on Uzbekistan over the years, but for the first time this one was officially released in Tashkent.
The situation in Uzbekistan has been changing since Shavkat Mirziyoev took over as the country’s leader in September 2016 and yet there are still signs that some odious practices of the previous government endure.
RFE/RL's media relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderated a discussion on some of the hopeful, and less hopeful indications of changes in Uzbekistan's media policies.
From Tashkent, HRW's Steve Swerdlow, the person who presented the report in the Uzbek capital, joined the discussion. Taking part from New York was Gulnoza Said, a Central Asia research associate at the Committee to Protect Journalists. The director of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service (Ozodlik), Alisher Sidik lent his insight to the topic. And I had a few things to say also.
Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
