Kyrgyzstan

On the run since 2018, former immigration lawyer Danhong “Jean” Chen was recently detained in Kyrgyzstan and extradited to the United States.

With final documents ready for ratification and then presidential signatures, contemporary Central Asia’s bloodiest conflict nears a conclusion. 

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are closing in on the conclusion of their long-running border dispute. What does the prospect mean to locals?

The powers-that-be in Washington, elected and unelected alike, are parroting the same language used by Central Asian and Russian autocrats about RFE/RL.

Activist Tilekmat Kudaibergen uulu is the latest Kyrgyz dissident to face pressure from authorities while abroad. 

The hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan has tapped into the region’s thirst for cooperation.

When he was extradited to Kyrgyzstan earlier this year, Matraimov was alleged to be connected to an opaque assassination plot. He just got off with a fine for hooliganism. 

Prior to his arrest, Samat Matsakov worked on several high-profile cases involving critics of the government. 

After a long legal battle, the rapist of a 16-year-old disabled girl in Kyrgyzstan was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The case illustrates how difficult justice is to achieve, even in the most horrific of crimes.

Despite a ban on rallies in much of Bishkek since March 2022, there have actually been rallies, protests, and even riots in the country in recent years.

The two sides say they’ve reached an agreement and fully completed the description of their mutual border. The next steps will be even more difficult.

In hindsight, the Manas base marked the apogee of American influence in Kyrgyzstan.