Central Asia

Five years after concluding negotiations, Kyrgyzstan is the second Central Asian country to sign an enhanced partnership agreement with the European Union.

The Kazakhstan-Ukraine extradition treaty provides for refusal to extradite a country’s own citizens, but does obligate one side, if requested by the other, to pursue prosecution itself.

If enacted, a new draft law will add fines and possible jail time for parents that seek illegal Islamic education for their children. 

Outspoken critic of the Kazakh government Aidos Sadyqov was shot in the head on June 18. His attackers allegedly fled back to Kazakhstan.

No one should be subjected to torture at any time and in any circumstances. Central Asian governments must continue to strive to stamp out this illegal and inhuman practice. 

A draft law seeks to guard Uzbekistan’s sovereignty by ousting foreigners who incite enmity or insult the dignity of the country. 

In the grand tradition of Kyrgyz akyns going back centuries, Zhetigen’s crime appears to be sharing his opinions with sharp words.

With so many activists in Uzbekistan once again behind bars, the president’s promises of reform ring increasingly hollow.

Once signed into law, the Kazakh government will essentially discharge the most significant regulatory responsibilities in the betting industry to an unknown entity.

For more commodities to move west from Central Asia, better infrastructure, more inter-agency cooperation, and modern customs systems are necessary. 

Uzbeks and foreigners alike can benefit from the modernization of transport options across Uzbekistan, encompassed by the growth of ride-hailing apps. But some areas are being left behind.

Central Asian nations have seized the initiative, emerging as worldwide pioneers in tackling the challenge of repatriating and reintegrating citizens who traveled to Iraq and Syria.