Turkmenistan: Where the streets have neigh name Out-of-touch elites, poor planning, and some signs of progress in regional trade. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin May 31, 2022
Kazakhstan: Almaty protest calling for mayoral elections draws small crowd The demonstration, which city hall allowed, passed peacefully. Joanna Lillis Feb 5, 2022
Kazakhstan jails political dissidents in fresh crackdown All the defendants are strident government critics, but their dissidence was confined to online attacks and tiny street protests. Joanna Lillis Oct 11, 2021
Kazakhstan bars entry to Xinjiang repression researcher Bunin has also been banned from entering Uzbekistan. Sep 6, 2021
Perspectives | China’s Central Asia strategy in the age of ‘extreme competition’ New pressure from Washington will make China look even closer at Central Asia. Srdjan Uljevic Mar 29, 2021
Kazakhstan: Authorities use pandemic to quash protests Restrictions on movement do not appear intended to stem the spread of COVID-19. Almaz Kumenov Mar 1, 2021
Kazakhstan: With elections chore out of the way, it is time for politics No real opposition parties were permitted to run. Almaz Kumenov Jan 11, 2021
Kazakhstan sleepwalks toward choice-free parliamentary election But there is no papering over the festering disillusionment. Almaz Kumenov Dec 2, 2020
Coronavirus adds to reasons to escape Tajikistan The terminal state of the economy remains paramount in the minds of those wishing to leave. Nov 13, 2020
Perspectives | How U.S. hawks’ fixation on Iran endangers Middle East Christians A facile and naïve plan being discussed in Washington risks backfiring on Iran’s minority Christians. Eldar Mamedov Oct 31, 2020
Perspectives | Why Kazakhstan’s leaders fear regional unrest Rigged elections have created political crises in two other post-Soviet countries this year, leaving Nur-Sultan edgy ahead of a parliamentary vote. Aruzhan Meirkhanova Oct 27, 2020
Kazakhstan: Parliamentary elections scheduled for January 10 The president says the vote will marking a turning point. Skeptics yawn. Almaz Kumenov Oct 21, 2020
Central Asia: Belt and Road takes back seat in Chinese envoy’s tour Beijing is eager to show solidarity as the coronavirus pandemic rumbles on. Chris Rickleton Sep 16, 2020
Kazakhstan’s war on coronavirus fake news underwhelms Confusion and contradiction are at the heart of the government’s counter-disinformation strategy. Almaz Kumenov Aug 28, 2020
Abkhazia calls for volunteers to help with COVID outbreak Many in the territory blame the rising numbers of coronavirus cases on the authorities’ decision to open up to Russian tourists. Joshua Kucera Aug 19, 2020