Islam Karimov

Thousands were imprisoned under the regime of Islam Karimov, unjustly convicted on religious extremism and other charges. Many have been freed, but they remain unexonerated. 

"While it is undeniable that Mirziyoyev’s Uzbekistan is less paranoid, much freer and tolerant than Karimov’s... the very nature of the system remains unchanged."

Karimova’s organization, dubbed “The Office,” ran a hierarchical professional operation – with a criminal twist, according to Swiss federal prosecutors. 

With Karimovesque numbers and a lack of open debate or opposition, Mirziyoyev's constitution was approved in Uzbekistan.

Swiss and Uzbek officials agreed to the restitution of assets seized from Gulnara Karimova to Uzbekistan via a U.N.-managed trust fund. 

Mirziyoyev looks set to follow in his predecessor's footsteps, tinkering with the constitution to stay in power indefinitely.

In entering a new term by suggesting constitutional reform, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is following in the path of his dictatorial predecessor.

Can the Uzbek government ensure that those who participated in Gulnara Karimova’s corruption do not benefit from it once more?

Meanwhile, negotiations go on between the Swiss and Uzbek governments over millions in frozen assets.

Meanwhile, Uzbek officials are reportedly searching Karimova’s Swiss mansion for stolen treasures.

Uzbekistan’s change of foreign policy course has its roots in a 2012 concept that recognized changing regional dynamics.

With parliamentary elections slated for late 2019 or early 2020, will Uzbekistan remain in essence a one-party state?

As reports stir of pending asset returns, a group of activists urge international stakeholders to be cautious in how they proceed.

The foreign minister was clear that Uzbekistan’s ongoing reforms are irreversible.

Secretary Wilbur Ross praised Uzbekistan's “democratic reforms,” but what he really meant was economic reforms.

Tajikistan once sought to circumvent Uzbekistan with a railway through Afghanistan to Turkmenistan. But Tajik-Uzbek relations are better now.

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

Reform and regime consolidation in Uzbekistan share much of the same path, what comes next is key.

President Mirziyoyev’s dismissal of Rustam Inoyatov may be power consolidation, but it may also clear the way for reforms.

The center of Central Asia has turned its focus to multilateral regional cooperation.

A Dance With the Cobra: Confronting Grand Corruption in Uzbekistan aims to explain the tangled web of corruption in Uzbekistan.

The statement by Uzbek authorities is a few years late but another sign of progress.

UN Secretary Antonio Guterres is on a regional tour and seems to be avoiding the subject.

Rustam Azimov, once floated as a possible successor to Islam Karimov, seems to have been sidelined for good.