Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus
Azerbaijan: Continued arrests and allegations of mass torture ahead of COP29
The forms of ill-treatment and torture documented by the committee — slaps, punches, kicks and truncheon or wooden stick blows to the person’s head and/or body — are widespread.
Turkey and Armenia resume talks, marking historic diplomatic breakthrough
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 during the first Karabakh war in a show of solidarity with its long-time ally Azerbaijan. Since then, ties between Turkey and Armenia have remained strained.
Erdoğan threatens to intervene in Israel, though pundits call it an empty threat
Since October 2023, Turkey went from trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas to recalling its ambassador to Tel Aviv and announcing total restrictions on all trade with Israel until the war on Gaza ends.
Azerbaijan cancels weddings during COP29
Several wedding halls confirmed that they were told to decline bookings before and during COP29 (Nov 8–22) for the comfort of the incoming international guests and to avoid traffic jams.
Russian courts often deny asylum to Afghans trying to escape from Taliban
The research included 59 court decisions issued from August 2021 to early June 2024. "Holod" found 18 positive and 41 negative decisions regarding the granting of political asylum.
In Azerbaijan it isn't just the president for life, but the parliament too
Regardless of whether old faces will remain in the parliament, or will be replaced by their children, the upcoming snap parliamentary vote will have little impact on the country's future.
The pros and cons of Chinese investment in Tajikistan's gold mining sector
China controls over 75 percent of Tajikistan’s output of gold, which, on the one hand generates significant money for the Tajik government, but also harms local citizens and the ecosystem.
Mongolia’s olympic uniforms draw praise abroad and criticism at home
Mongolians criticised Michel&Amazonka designers for lack of creativity and blamed it for replicating Manchu clothing of Manchu people, an ethnic minority from China.
Attack on pro-Palestinian activist in Taiwan undermines Israel's image on the island
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Taiwan has seen several civic initiatives calling for an alternative discussion of events in Gaza.
Azerbaijan ahead of COP29: Price hikes and construction works
Some experts estimate the indirect expenses for COP29 to exceed 1billionUSD, including expenditures on infrastructure, hotel, transport, logistics, communication, security, and other expenses.
A year after environmental protests rocked Azerbaijan's village of Soyudlu, it is business as usual
A year since the protest, it seems the company, the ministry, and the government of Azerbaijan are back to business as usual, with no new monitoring reports or investigations.
In Georgia, a series of legal amendments are putting the country's EU aspirations on hold
A foreign agent bill, a ban on gender election quotas, and most recently an LGBTQ+ propaganda bill are just the latest legal amendments proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Mongolia's new electoral system results in greater representation in the parliament
It was the first time in the country’s history as many as five political parties won seats in the parliament.
Boycotting Xinjiang cotton: What does it mean for environmental and labor justice in Central Asia?
While international brands have stepped away from cotton produced in Xinjiang, China, due to human rights concerns, some of the alternative producers, including Uzbekistan, have their own environmental and labor rights issues.
Kyrgyzstan’s president’s niece undermines his efforts to remold national traditions
The over-the-top engagement ceremony delivered a blow to the authorities ongoing work to remold local traditions surrounding the celebration of major life-cycle events.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway: Between optimism and concern
The proposed route will further integrate Kyrgyzstan into Central Asian trade routes and potentially open new transport avenues to European and Gulf countries.
Wild horses return to their historic natural habitat in Kazakhstan
This initiative became a major milestone in global wildlife preservation efforts to save Przewalski’s horses from extinction and reintroduce them to their natural habitat.
Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) is caught in the midst of Israel-Gaza war
Azerbaijan's ties with Israel have long been based on trade in military and agriculture equipment, oil supply, surveillance equipment, and more recently aerospace technology.
An Orthodox priest in Kazakhstan is trying to open a church independent from the Russian Orthodox Church
The difficulty is that according to the law in Kazakhstan, preaching and missionary activity without registration are prohibited.
Central Asia press freedom scores get worse
The bleak situation for freedom of expression in Central Asia underscores the need for renewed international pressure to respect their international obligations.
China increases gas imports from Turkmenistan for green energy transition. It's impact is unclear
To reduce carbon emissions, China is looking to transition from coal to natural gas, with much of that coming from Turkmenistan. But how will this impact its overall annual emissions?
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