Region
Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan’s Media Under Pressure
By Catherine Putz
From well-known independent outlets to bloggers, the country's vibrant media are under increasing threat.
Cold Snap and Electricity Shortages Slam Central Asia, Afghanistan
By Catherine Putz
The repercussions of the apparent vulnerabilities in Uzbekistan’s energy system have wide implications, none more serious than for Afghanistan.
A Gender Perspective on HIV Prevalence in Uzbekistan
By Niginakhon Saida and Sara Scardavilli
Gender inequality and stereotypes, especially in health, education, and command over economic resources, make women more vulnerable to HIV and to other related conditions.
Is the Aral Sea a Lost Cause?
By Elena Gordillo
The impacts of the Aral Sea’s desiccation are threatening the lives of millions and hopes for its revival are plummeting.
Is Drug Regulation in India a Myth?
By Catherine Putz
An interview with Dinesh Thakur and Prashant Reddy about India's drug manufacturing industry and recent cases of India-made drugs leading to the deaths of children in Uzbekistan and Gambia.
Karakalpakstan Trial Ends With 16-Year Sentence for Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov
By Catherine Putz
Amid the crackdown on protests last summer in Nukus, 21 people were killed -- most of them civilians.
Kazakhstan’s Uranium Industry and the Middle Corridor Come Together
By Wilder Alejandro Sánchez
Astana is betting heavily on the Middle Corridor as a route to access the international energy market without Russia.
What’s Behind Kyrgyzstan’s War on Radio Azattyk?
By Catherine Putz
A demand from the Kyrgyz government for RFE/RL's Kyrgyz language service to remove a video has escalated into a legal battle that could end Azattyk's operations in the country altogether.
Mirziyoyev Lands in Kyrgyzstan for Long Delayed State Visit
By Catherine Putz
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov met Mirziyoyev at the airport, welcoming him for a much anticipated state visit.
It’s Time to Incorporate Consent Into Central Asia’s Sexual Violence Laws
By Catherine Putz
The criminal codes of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan focus on violence in defining rape, rather than the lack of consent.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Returns to the Pinnacle of Power in Turkmenistan
By Catherine Putz
Who cares about a president when you have a new “national leader”?
Dismissal or Distraction? Power Scuffles and Governance in Uzbekistan
By Dilmira Matyakubova
Uzbek President Mirziyoyev recently dismissed Jahongir Artikhodjaev, the controversial mayor of Tashkent.