Transnational repression takes place where authoritarian regimes repress former citizens beyond their borders and so outside of their sovereign territory. The Central Asian Political Exiles (CAPE) database documents this repression against political exiles that have fled from fear of persecution within the Central Asian states. The authorities of these countries may then track, target and […]
In recent years, the repression of civil society, the media and academia has starkly increased in Tajikistan[1]. A number of prominent Tajik scholars and journalists have been detained in Tajikistan, forced to flee, and/ or targeted or threatened with long-term imprisonment. Steve Swerdlow, a Central Asian researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Michael Anderson, an […]
On the 20th June 2018, the Exeter Central Asian Studies network were delighted to be joined by Muhiddin Kabiri at the “Political Exiles and Transnational Repression in Central Asia and Beyond” workshop. Held at Chatham House, and formed as a cooperative between ExCAS, Chatham House and the European Social and Economic Research Council, the morning […]
All-Party Parliamentary Group Event Venue: House of Commons, UK Parliament, Committee Room 16 When: Wednesday 20 June 2018, 2–3pm In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the repression of civil society, academia and the media in Tajikistan. Extensive new restrictions have been placed on NGOs and on freedom of speech and association. […]
Venue: Chatham House, 10 St James‘s Square, London Date: 20 June 2018, 9:30–13:00 This workshop at Chatham House will include academics, activists, lawyers and exiles themselves. We are delighted to say that Muhiddin Kabiri, leader of the banned Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, will be able to join us via video connection. 9:30-11:00: Session 1 […]
In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has long been considered as the ‘island of democracy’. In fact it’s the only country in the region that that has come close to holding free and fair elections. On the 15 October 2017, Kyrgyzstan held presidential elections that marked a milestone for the country. For the first time since independence […]
Scholars of International Relations have called for the creation of a post-Western IR that reflects the global and local contexts of the declining power and legitimacy of the West. Based on interviews with Russian and Central Asian political, economic, and cultural elites, the talk explores the emergence in a particular region of a new global […]
If academic solidarity and forms of critical engagement with Tajikistan are going to emerge, we must first recognise the primary problem comes from the regime. In January 2018, we wrote an article for Eurasianet discussing the decline of academic freedom in Tajikistan and how foreign scholars involved in research might respond. We considered several […]
As relations with the West soured during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s third term, Russia launched a ‘pivot to the East’, forging a far-reaching political alignment with China and promising development in Russia’s Far East regions. At the same time, Moscow turned south, rethinking ties with Pakistan and India, and developing a new role in Afghanistan. […]
One of the key features of contemporary transnational kleptocracy is how routine and commonplace it has become. Unlike their strictly illicit counterparts—narcotraffickers, smugglers, and terrorists—who operate in the shadows and conceal their transactions, the modern kleptocrat is able to openly embrace many of the innovations, institutions, and protections afforded by contemporary globalization. Today’s kleptocrats […]
In early October of this year, after attending an OSCE human rights meeting in Warsaw, Poland, Mirzorakhim Kuzov, a senior leader of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), was detained by Greek police at passport control at Athens Airport. Kuzov was held under an Interpol ‘Red Notice’ warrant released by Tajik authorities, who accuse […]
In early September, six million mobile phone users in Tajikistan received text messages telling them to “respect traditional clothes” and “make it a tradition to wear traditional clothes.” The messages, sent at the behest of the State Committee on Women’s and Family Affairs, are the latest stage in a government campaign to suppress Islamic clothing in the […]