Central Asia

Tajikistan: Putin and Rahmonov Make Progress

First face-to-face meeting between the two presidents appears to signal thaw in relations between their countries.

21 Feb 05

A measure to discourage membership of Hizb-ut-Tahrir could have serious implications for political parties and other groups.

21 Feb 05

Labourers in Russian capital are falling victim to unscrupulous bosses and corrupt officials.

21 Feb 05

Rights activists fail to find consensus over tackling security service abuses.

21 Feb 05

One of the world’s most corrupt countries struggles to create a fairer business environment.

21 Feb 05

Kyrgyz officials and women’s rights activists welcome the changes, but the roots of the sex trade have yet to be tackled.

21 Feb 05

Tashkent accused of intimidating democracy activists on eve of major gathering of regional heads of state.

21 Feb 05

Thousands of high school leavers find they can’t go to university, and can’t get a job either.

21 Feb 05

Old practice of abducting women persists despite opposition from Uzbek laws, Muslim clerics and the forced brides themselves.

21 Feb 05

Schoolchildren are spending their holidays doing backbreaking and potential dangerous manual labour, for no pay.

21 Feb 05

Support local journalists