Country
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s Poet, Political Dissident Aron Atabek Dies
By Paolo Sorbello
Atabek had served 15 years in prison and died just weeks after his release.
Kazakhstan’s Power Shortages: Crypto Miners and Geopolitics
By Paolo Sorbello
Data centers caused a spike in electricity demand, while the country is still dependent on coal.
EU-Central Asia Economic Forum: Is Central Asia Ready for More Assertive EU Policy?
By Katrina Keegan
At the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum, the EU kept its rhetoric uncontroversial. However, Central Asian countries signaled they may respond well to more ambitious EU goals.
Meta Pushes Back Against Kazakh Claims of ‘Exclusive’ Access to Facebook’s Content Reporting System
By Catherine Putz
"This process is the same in Kazakhstan as it is for other countries around the world," a Meta spokesman told Reuters.
Facebook Grants Kazakhstan Direct Access to Content Reporting System
By Catherine Putz
In giving the Kazakh government direct access to identify content as problematic, Facebook is empowering an autocratic government to further police what its citizens say.
Kazakh Fintech Giant to Buy Ukrainian Bank
By Paolo Sorbello
Kaspi plans an expansion into Ukraine, friendly elite provide a banking license.
Central Asia’s FemAgora Festival Embraces Cyberfeminism
By Colleen Wood
In its fourth year, the FemAgora festival adopts an unabashed cyberfeminist approach to activism.
Kazakhstan’s Light Rail Corruption Case Drags on
By Paolo Sorbello
The capital’s light rail might never be built, and the corrupt officials that stole public funds might never be convicted.
How Do Central Asians View the Taliban?
By Catherine Putz
Phone survey work in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in August and September underscores general discomfort with the topic of Afghanistan.
Pandora Papers: Kazakhstan and the Offshore Shuffle
By Catherine Putz
OCCRP’s investigation reveals a payout of $30 million to an alleged unofficial wife of Kazakhstan’s First President.
Nuclear Energy in Kazakhstan? The Problem of Accountability
By Nazira Kozhanova
In Kazakhstan, the topic of nuclear energy comes wrapped in the legacy of the Semipalatinsk, the Soviet nuclear testing site.
Open Secrets: Expose Reveals a Kazakh Top Manager’s Business Network
By Paolo Sorbello
Public domain research by Radio Azattyq showed the extent of Kairat Sharipbayev’s private interests.