Human rights groups say Namunjon Sharipov was forcibly returned to Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, "cautious optimism" about Uzbekistan and a quick lesson on Soviet history in the region; weekend reading.

The dialogue was "open and honest" and meaningless.

Human Rights Watch and the BBC’s Uzbek service are getting access to the country again.

In a new report, Human Rights Watch says the World Bank's Uzbekistan projects are tainted with forced labor.

The organization's annual human rights conference has become the focus point for frustration.

Reports released this week have no good news about combating corruption or addressing human rights issues in Central Asia

Religion in Tajikistan, corruption scandals in Uzbekistan, and other weekend reads.

Survivors face a range of social and structural barriers to seeking help, and justice.

Is Sri Lanka’s new government ready to deal with police torture? Only time will tell.

Russia and Kazakhstan mull the right to be forgotten and Stroehlein is tired of excuses.

Elena Urlaeva was taking pictures of people forced to labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields.

Azam Farmonov has already served 9 years in jail for extortion charges, which human rights groups say were fabricated.

The arrest of two French journalists is part of a decades-old policy of preventing foreign media scrutiny.

Australia and the US have very different approaches to engaging with Vietnam on its human rights record.

Scrutiny from human rights groups and charges from the ICC likely if officials don’t come clean.