By Claire Bigg May 27, 2014 Russian journalist Aleksei Venediktov, the eminent editor of the opposition-minded Ekho Moskvy radio station, is under investigation on suspicion of embezzlement in a multimillion-dollar media deal.  Police in Moscow have announced they will look into the 2011 contract under which Sberbank invested $20 million to bankroll the creation of a […]

By Farangis Najibullah May 21, 2014 Russia is taking the West’s criticism of press restrictions — and using new media to throw it right back. After Ukraine detained two news correspondents working for the pro-Kremlin news outlet LifeNews on May 18, a new hashtag emerged on Twitter with the aim of securing their safe release. #SaveOurGuys is on […]

With Baku now taking over the chairmanship of the Council of Europe, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar talked to Khadija Ismayilova from RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service about what the Caucasus country could achieve at the helm of the human rights body. He also discussed other pertinent issues, such as Nagorno-Karabakh and possible fallout from the ongoing […]

The human rights community is mourning the passing of Yelena Ryabinina, a longtime advocate for political refugees from Central Asia widely praised for her fearless and tireless defense of the disenfranchised. Ryabinina, who died in Moscow on May 4 at the at the age of 59, “had a boundless drive to right wrongs and do […]

On World Press Freedom day, ARTICLE 19 and regional partners Adil Soz, MPI and NANSMIT call on governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to stop violating freedom of expression. “Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan should stop using repressive lawsuit politically motivated court proceedings to suppress freedom of expression” said Thomas Hughes, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, […]

WISE – an initiative of the Qatar Foundation — is a global platform for debate and action that contributes to building the future of education through various programs throughout the year. The annual WISE Summit brings together over 1,000 thought leaders, decision-makers and practitioners from diverse sectors, including education, business, politics, civil society and the […]

Looking for some in-depth knowledge about Central Asia from an authority in the field?  Need it in a hurry? Or are you already an authority in Central Asian studies but are having trouble gaining some notoriety? Or maybe you are looking for someone to compare notes with on some Central Asian topic, someone from Central […]

Freedom House’s latest report on media freedom asserts that Eurasian countries continue to have the world’s poorest ratings, with no country in the region rated as “free.”  The U.S.-based democracy watchdog released its annual report, «Freedom of the Press 2014: Media Freedom Hits Decade Low,» on May 1, assessing the situation in 197 countries and […]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned authorities in Baku for charging a prominent journalist with high treason over allegations he spied for Azerbaijan’s rival, Armenia. The Prosecutor-General’s Office said on April 21 that Rauf Mirqadirov «was recruited by the Armenian secret services in 2008 and supplied Yerevan with information on Azerbaijan’s state secrets.» […]

The headline says it all. Uzbekistan’s cabinet of ministers met on April 14 and sent out the word — all the country’s television and radio stations have to rig their facilities to be blown up. Not the whole complex, however. According to RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, Ozodlik, broadcast media has until May 14 to place «self-destructing […]