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
Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov 2.0 hits campaign trail The president-in-waiting plans to change nothing. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Mar 1, 2022
Kazakhstan: Almaty protest calling for mayoral elections draws small crowd The demonstration, which city hall allowed, passed peacefully. Joanna Lillis Feb 5, 2022
Turkmenistan: TAPI talk turns to pragmatic matters In our weekly briefing: The Taliban visit Ashgabat, the dauphin is received by Uzbekistan’s president, and authorities tighten control after unrest in neighboring Kazakhstan. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Jan 18, 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
Turkmenistan: Trading places In our weekly briefing: doing business with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Plus, it’s reprimand season. Akhal-Teke: A Turkmenistan Bulletin Oct 5, 2021
Kazakhstan bars entry to Xinjiang repression researcher Bunin has also been banned from entering Uzbekistan. Sep 6, 2021
Armenia changes vaccination policy as Iranian vaccine tourists flock Iranians have been flooding into Armenia to get COVID vaccines, causing Tehran to complain and Yerevan to tighten the rules. Karine Ghazaryan Jul 12, 2021
Tajikistan president pulls disappearing act over holiday season What makes Rahmon’s disappearance all very odd is that he is a particular devotee of the Nowruz spring equinox feast. Mar 23, 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
Tajikistan: Would-be future president’s interview underwhelms Mayor Emomali says city hall spent $1.14 million on bus stops. Feb 11, 2021
Tajikistan: Writing for the president is on the wall (and then scrubbed off) Predictions of an imminent revolt may be wishful thinking. Jan 25, 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
Tajikistan: Emomali’s Russia visit signals his emerging role Any breakthrough in improving the lot of labor migrants will be touted as sign of his political heft. Nov 26, 2020