Featured stories about Kazakhstan
Stories about Kazakhstan
23 January 2019
Kazakh leader's grandson complains he is passportless after stint in ‘private Russian jail’
Aisultan Nazarbayev has a history of surprising compatriots with sensational social media posts.
22 December 2018
Report says hackers detected online protest-sniffing software in Kazakhstan
The software was allegedly developed with help from Russia's security services.
18 September 2018
Arrested for fact-checking: Kazakh court fines Ukrainian journalist after police break up media workshop
The incident highlights authorities' aversion to discussions of Ukraine in Kazakhstan and a long-running battle with a local newspaper.
3 August 2018
No Shame: How an online initiative in Kazakhstan is helping youth protect their sexual health
UyatEmes.kz is out to tackle the stigma that surrounds sex education in the former Soviet republic.
31 May 2018
Kazakhstan commemorates Stalin’s Terror
Government critics argue that Kazakhstan has never had a frank debate about the legacy or lessons of its totalitarian past.
18 May 2018
Kazakhstan's hunt for supporters of tycoon Ablyazov gets absurd and goes abroad
From blue balloon scares to arrests in neighbouring countries, the chase gets more farcical as it gets more serious.
27 February 2018
Detention of Businessman in Kazakhstan Prompts Fears Over Torture, Political Motivations
"He was sick, looked pale and very depressed and seemed to be scared. He passed out from time to time, couldn't speak and cried."
21 February 2018
Men's Health Magazine in Kazakhstan Says Nuts to Women's Health
"If there are feminist campaigns, there should be jokes about feminist campaigns, otherwise it is discrimination against men."
30 January 2018
Meet ‘Uyatman’, the Kazakh Superhero out to Stop Women Behaving Indecently
"Uyat in Kazakhstan...can be creative and destructive. In the first instance, it is to educate children. In the latter, it is about harassment and aggression."
8 December 2017
What Future for the ‘Wikipedia Seagull’ on Kazakhstan's Brand New Banknotes?
A seagull appearing on the 500 tenge note was claimed by a Swiss photographer, but officials have not acknowledged copyright infringement.
13 October 2017
The Viral Video that Sent Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Relations into a Tailspin
Seasoned autocrat Nursultan Nazarbayev is finally participating in a competitive presidential election. (Just not in his own country).
19 September 2017
Steven Seagal Rediscovers Celebrity in Central Asia, and the Implications Are Alarming
Is there a Genghis Khan film starring Seagal in the pipeline? Let's hope not.
8 September 2017
Muslims in the Former Soviet Union Rally Behind Myanmar's Besieged Rohingya
"They are experiencing what we cannot even imagine! #Rohingyawearewithyou"
21 July 2017
Kyrgyzstan Blocks Archive.org on ‘Extremism’ Grounds
Russia also moved to block the website and its popular 'Wayback Machine' two years ago.
25 June 2017
Kazakhs Ridicule ‘Self-Made Man’ Puff Portrait of Presidential Grandson
"While the man toils towards the welfare of Kazakhstan, his policies are something that every prominent person can emulate."
3 June 2017
From Kazakhstan, A Tale of Famine and Flight
"I was six years old. My uncles, my father’s younger brothers, led me by the hand. We walked by night and slept by day."
30 May 2017
Kazakhstan Is Preparing to Effectively Ban Political Opposition
The banning of independent candidates at presidential elections is yet another blow to hopes of a democratic future.
28 May 2017
Lost in Translation in Central Asia: My Tokol's Car Is a Toyota
A Kyrgyz or Kazakh man's 'younger wife' is like 'a cow without horns'. She suffers social stigma and enjoys few rights.
18 April 2017
Kazakhstan's Great Alphabetical Distraction
Kazakhstan's veteran leader suddenly seems to think the country's long-planned transition to a Latin alphabet is very pressing indeed. The country's social media users want to know why.
31 March 2017
Back in the USSR?: Critics Say Draft Legislation Puts State Above Rights in Kazakhstan
"Can we designate people that leave their rubbish bags lying around outside their apartment doors enemies of state interests and remove their citizenships?"
