Eurasianet

The Uzbek blogger who first raised these concerns was smeared, beaten, and now faces trial.

In our weekly briefing: doing business with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Plus, it’s reprimand season.

While clumsy on COVID-19, Turkmenistan is being more sure-footed, or consistent at least, on the Afghanistan front. Plus, unsustainable agriculture. Our weekly briefing.

Bunin has also been banned from entering Uzbekistan.

The government signals it is taking COVID a bit more seriously, without admitting the virus is running rampant. And Ashgabat gets down to business with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Central Asia’s largest nations are using unique coronavirus vaccines that haven’t been carefully studied. Do they have a choice?

The country already leads in vaccination rates in the South Caucasus. Many expect the new rules to drive a black market for fake vaccination passports.

A few months ago, the thought of taking a Chinese COVID vaccine was unthinkable to Georgians. Now it’s the norm.

Vaccine hesitancy in Uzbekistan is high, bred by social media conspiracies that seem credible in a country without accountable authorities.

The timing of the new legislation recalls recent reporting that cast the president in an unfavorable light.

Yet another fashionable slogan means nothing when it’s needed most.

New pressure from Washington will make China look even closer at Central Asia.

The region appears wholly unprepared for the latest rise in cases.

It can take four days to get to the front of the line at this bitterly cold pass almost two miles high.

Kazakh officials say the Chinese are breaking their legal commitments.