Central Asia

Uzbek Refugee Escapes Handover

Civil Society Flexes its Muscles

Spam Ban in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan: Fury Over Imam Death

South seethes with anger after popular religious leader gunned down by security services.

Poverty Fuels Uzbek Metal Trade

Profits may be meagre, but for many in the Andijan region gathering scrap metal is the only way to make ends meet.

Uzbekistan: Internet Under Surveillance

Surfers are limited to a handful of government-approved sites in a country that has been dubbed an internet black hole.

Turkmen Civil Society Under Threat

NGOs and other public groups harassed and denied permission to register.

Kyrgyzstan: People's Assembly Disappoints

Dissenting voices stifled at meeting of Kyrgyz minority groups.

Tajik Opposition Floundering

With the Socialists still bitterly divided and other parties marginalised, observers say political rivals to President Imomali Rahmonov are few and far between.

Kyrgyz Religious Education Plan Sparks Controversy

If the education ministry gets its way, classrooms will soon ring to the sound of religious teaching.