The arrests cast a pall on Uzbekistan's reform efforts and illustrate the boundaries of Tashkent's tolerance for debate.

A few years ago such a panel -- seating a human rights researcher next to an Uzbek official -- would have been unthinkable.

The defendants were set free; the judge ordered the state security service to look into its “violations” during the investigation.

Bobomurod Abdullaev, a journalist, was detained in September 2017 by Uzbekistan's secret police.

Reform? Thaw? A few steps forward, a few steps back.

Katie Putz joins The Diplomat's Ankit Panda for a conversation on Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Anna Neistat, who visited Uzbekistan in the aftermath of the 2005 Andijan massacre, reflects on Islam Karimov's death.

A complaint against an IFC project sheds light on the opaque financial systems underlying Uzbekistan's cotton industry.

The two countries were downgraded in the U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons report.

The minister is visiting Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan this week.

There’s plenty to discuss, such as the 5 year coverup of the death of a political prisoner.

The U.S. upgraded the country in its annual human trafficking report, saying it is making “significant efforts.”

Continued pressure and broader engagement are crucial.

Ban Ki-moon is traveling to all five Central Asian states and will work hard to avoid one big elephant.