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Catherine Putz

Catherine Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.

Catherine (Katie) Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.

She manages the monthly magazine as well as writing on Central Asia and Afghanistan. She writes on politics, security and culture in former Soviet spaces, particularly where they link to greater Asia. Katie also co-hosts The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics Podcast.

Katie is a graduate of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky, where she studied international security and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in history with a focus on U.S. diplomatic and conflict history. Previously, Katie worked in several positions at the Atlantic Council and as a communications consultant at the World Bank. She is a member of the Military Writers Guild and the National Press Club.

Get in touch with Katie on LinkedIn, or email.

Posts by Catherine Putz

February 02, 2024

Early Notice: Kyrgyz President Japarov Will Seek Second Term

By Catherine Putz

Kyrgyzstan’s next presidential election isn’t due until 2027, but Central Asia doesn’t always stick to schedule – making early chatter about a second term interesting.

February 02, 2024

The Unexonerated Speak: A New Documentary Sheds Light on Uzbekistan’s Dark Past

By Catherine Putz

Thousands were imprisoned under the regime of Islam Karimov, unjustly convicted on religious extremism and other charges. Many have been freed, but they remain unexonerated.

January 30, 2024

Central Asia No Closer to Shaking Perceptions of Corruption

By Catherine Putz

Transparency International notes a “troubling picture” in the region as countries struggle with “dysfunctional rule of law, rising authoritarianism, and systemic corruption.”

January 30, 2024

Wanted, Again: Matraimov Once More Sought by Authorities in Kyrgyzstan

By Catherine Putz

Bishkek is on the one hand pursuing an anti-corruption campaign, but at the same time cracking down on the very media that expose such corruption.

January 23, 2024

North Korea, Korean Unification, and the Prospects of a 2024 Crisis

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz

What does North Korea's abandonment of Korean unification portend?

January 19, 2024

The Geopolitical Implications of Taiwan’s 2024 Elections

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz

The Taiwanese people voted for continuity. How will that affect prospects for stability in the Taiwan Strait?

January 17, 2024

24.kg, Temirov Live Targeted With Media Raids in Kyrgyzstan

By Catherine Putz

The recent detention of journalists and raids on homes and offices mark a further expansion of the Kyrgyz government’s efforts to rein in the country’s media through overt pressure.

January 12, 2024

Kyrgyzstan: A Coup to Quash or Kusturizatsia Indigestion?

By Catherine Putz

It seems this instance of an individual "vomiting up" what he allegedly owed the state has led to some indigestion, and another alleged coup forestalled by the Kyrgyz state.

January 11, 2024

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan Again Designated as Religious Freedom Violators, Granted Waivers

By Catherine Putz

Yet again, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – alongside Saudi Arabia and Pakistan – have been granted waivers from sanctions related to their religious freedom violations.

January 10, 2024

Nietbay Urazbayev, Karakalpak Diaspora Leader, Dies in Kazakhstan

By Catherine Putz

“One of the best of our people has left -- and this further complicates relations between the Karakalpaks and the Uzbek authorities,” a fellow Karakalpak activist told The Diplomat.

January 09, 2024

Many Questions Remain About the Afghan Fund, and Its Frozen $3.5 Billion

By Catherine Putz

It’s hard to separate the financial welfare of the Afghan state from the conditions of the people, just as it is difficult to disentangle the Afghan state as it is today from the Taliban.

January 05, 2024

Uzbek Man Jailed for Social Media Posts Criticizing Mirziyoyev for Supporting Russia’s Putin

By Catherine Putz

Bunyodjon Boboniyozov was given a five-year sentence under criminal charges related to insulting the president and posing a threat to the constitutional order.