For Karimov, the personal was always political

Alexander Cooley & John Heathershaw The death of Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s president, marks the end of one of the world’s […]

Statement by the Representatives of Tajikistan’s Civil Society about the Status of Political Prisoners

Until 2015, the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) formed the leading legal opposition movement in Tajikistan, holding two seats in the Supreme […]

Tackling Corruption in Uzbekistan: New Report by EXCAS Member David Lewis

In February 2016, the Amsterdam-based telecoms company Vimpelcom paid almost US$800 million in fines to settle charges of paying bribes […]

What are the Consequences of the South China Sea Dispute for Central Asia?

By Catherine Owen   At first glance, the two issues appear unconnected: in one, China and the US are engaging […]

‘Friend’ or ‘foreign agent’? On the limits of field research in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan

Guest post by Philipp Lottholz and Joshua Meyer With the summer season and field trips to Kyrgyzstan and other Central […]

What are Russia’s Grand Designs in Central Asia?

By David Lewis (This article was originally posted in The Conversation) While international attention has focused on Russian military operations […]

Debating China in Central Asia

Will China continue to defer to Russia in Central Asia’s international security relations? Revised: 2 November 2015 What kind of great […]

US looks away as tyranny steals a march in Central Asia

This post originally appeared on FT.com’s Beyond Brics: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2015/09/29/us-looks-away-as-tyranny-steals-a-march-in-central-asia/ Photocredit: David Trilling, Eurasianet.org Central Asian democracy was dealt another critical […]

Tajikistan Faces Another Rebellion from Within

What does the Hoji Halim rebellion tell us about conflict management and the state in Central Asia? By John Heathershaw […]

Why do Central Asians join ISIS?

What little we know suggests that the non-religious reasons Central Asians join ISIS are more important than the religious factors […]

What does the impending demise of the IRPT mean for Tajikistan?

What does the loss of political status for the IRPT mean for Tajikistan?  And why do Western governments apparently no […]

Everyday Corruption in the Bishkek-Moscow Train

By Catherine Owen In the last four years, I have twice had the privilege of travelling by train from Bishkek […]