Freedom of the press, a devastating landslide, meeting a manaschi, and a special bonus; weekend reads.

Kazakhstan’s government is using social media to tame rebellion.

Astana is taking harsh moves against freedom of assembly and international community is raising concerns.

Kazakhstan is looking to assign blame for the protests in two separate trials.

Turkmenistan restructures its energy industry, Tajikistan's stateless cling to Soviet passports; recommended reads.

The strike--while brief--is another note in a litany of economic-based public frustrations.

It’s a fantastic story, with movie-quality plot twists, but does it actually explain reality?

Domestic discontent and economic hardship put Central Asia's regimes at risk.

Does Nazarbayev’s statement on the Aktobe incident signal a move toward the illiberal?

The Kazakh president blamed instigators from abroad for recent violence and protests.

Astana is eager to claim the mantle of "democracy," but it remains ill at ease with dissent.

Astana has detained a dozen activists and rejected applications to protests on May 21.

And Tajikistan tries to distract from human rights criticisms; recommended reads.

Astana seems to have bowed to public sentiment, shelving controversial land code changes that triggered protests

Astana has pushed the national unity narrative so strongly that there is little space for policy disagreements.