Prague, 1 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Human Rights Watch has issued a statement saying it is "deeply concerned" about the welfare of jailed Uzbek opposition leader Sanjar Umarov.
Muslims and human rights campaigners in Russia have joined forces to denounce what they describe as a persistent campaign of harassment and detentions targeting Muslims in the country.
Observers say the Uzbek government has curtailed the activities of many rights workers and opposition leaders since the bloody suppression of the Andijon uprising in May. One was committed to a psychiatric hospital for nearly three months before being released.
29 October 2005 -- Uzbek authorities released rights activist Yelena Urlayeva from a psychiatric hospital, according to Urlayeva's lawyer.<br />
Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Daniel Fried (file photo) (official site) 28 October 2005 -- The top U.S. diplomat for Central Asia has said that Washington has not ruled out imposing sanctions on Uzbekistan over its human rights record.
27 October 2005 -- Uzbekistan is set to raise the price of its natural gas exports to Russia and its Central Asian neighbors beginning in January.<br />
Prague, 27 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The media advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is criticizing the harassment of foreign media in Uzbekistan.
The defendants listening to closing arguments in Tashkent on 26 October (RFE/RL) Tashkent, 26 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Uzbek lawyers today began their closing arguments at the trial of 15 people accused of organizing an antigovernment revolt in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon.
26 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Lawyers today began their closing arguments at the trial of 15 people accused of organizing an antigovernment revolt in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijon, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported.
A mosque in Tajikistan (RFE/RL) Turkey and Iran have been gradually expanding their ties with Central Asian countries since the early 1990s through economic, cultural, and also security contacts. But despite their interest -- as well as cultural ties and geographical proximity -- the two countries have not been able to achieve a strong influence in the region. We look at the roles of Iran and Turkey in this fifth and last part of our series on the battle for Central Asia.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks against America prompted the United States to topple the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. At the time, many predicted Washington would gain a new foothold in Central Asia. The United States established military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, U.S. foreign aid increased, and much American attention was focused on the region. Russia and China looked on warily. But the pendulum may be swinging back in Moscow’s and Beijing’s favor. China, especially, has expended great effort at winning friends in Central Asia and may become a force to be reckoned with. We look at the issues in this fourth part of our five-part series on the Battle for Central Asia.
The U.S.-led war to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan four years ago intensified Washington’s engagement with Central Asia. But Russia, an erstwhile ally in the war on terror, has stepped up efforts to restore its influence in the region. Citing recent events in Uzbekistan, analysts see a great advantage for Russia -- Moscow supports the status quo of authoritarian leaders in the region, while Washington is seen as promoting their overthrow. In this third part of our five-part series on the battle for Central Asia, we look at the competing U.S. and Russian interests.
Load more
