Country
Kazakhstan
How Authoritarian Oppression Breeds Religious Extremism in Central Asia
By Kashif Hasan Khan and Marin Ekstrom
The overwhelmingly authoritarian governments in Central Asia have utilized severe repression against Islamist movements – extremist or not.
Central Asian Presidents to be ‘Guests of Honor’ for Russian Victory Day Parade
By Catherine Putz
For the second year in a row, Central Asia’s leaders are making the trek to Moscow to mark a holiday of fleeting relevance in the region.
US Religious Freedom Watchdog Recommends Kyrgyzstan for Special Watch List
By Catherine Putz
For the first time, all five Central Asian states are named in some fashion in the annual USCIRF report for violating religious freedoms.
UK Foreign Secretary’s Visit to Central Asia: Deciphered
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
What did U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s trip across Central Asia achieve?
Fines for Critics in the Aftermath of Kazakhstan’s Terrible Spring Floods
By Catherine Putz
A Kazakh journalist was charged with "petty hooliganism” for using profanity in his complaint about media being barred from accessing flood zones.
TikTok’s Rocky Road in Central Asia
By Catherine Putz
TikTok has faced pressure across Central Asia, with governments often citing the protection of children to justify restriction.
UK Foreign Secretary’s Visit to Central Asia and Mongolia: An Urgent To-Do List
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi
David Cameron is on a six-nation tour of Central Asia, underscoring the U.K.'s reinvigorated engagement with the region.
Live-streamed Murder Trial Reopens Discussion on Domestic Violence in Kazakhstan
By Mia Tarp Nurmagambetova
No matter what the verdict against Bishimbayev turns out to be, change in relation to domestic violence in Kazakhstan is long overdue.
What’s Behind Central Asia’s Umrah Fever?
By Niginakhon Saida
As long as people have limited opportunities in the socioeconomic and political arenas, and adherence to a religious lifestyle is restricted, pilgrimages will remain as an accessible means of self-fulfillment.
How Does China Study Central Asia?
By Catherine Putz
A conversation with Frank Maracchione on Central Asia studies in China.
The C5+1 Critical Mineral Dialogue: What It Means and How We Got Here
By Charley Ward
It is promising that the CMD met just months after it was announced, seeming to indicate that all involved are serious about scaling up Central Asia’s role in global critical mineral supply chains.
Kazakh Court Extends Karakalpak Activist Muratbai’s Detention to 1 Year
By Catherine Putz
The extension of Muratbai’s detention follows a pattern in which Kazakh authorities detain Karakalpak activists pending extradition requests from Uzbekistan for the maximum time allowed by law.