Apple Says It Sources Gold in Uzbekistan
Apple, the beloved maker of addictive gadgets, says it is using gold mined in Uzbekistan, one of the world’s most notorious human rights abusers, in some of its most popular products. The disclosure...
View ArticleUzbekistan Holding Thousands of Political Prisoners – Watchdog
As Gulnara Karimova, the embattled daughter of Uzbekistan’s strongman President Islam Karimov, stares the prospect of a jail term in the face, a new report by an international human rights watchdog...
View ArticleRights Activists Knock on Uzbek Embassy’s Door But Get No Answer
Rights activists are embracing an economic argument against Uzbekistan’s ongoing use of forced labor in the cotton sector: a reliance on slaves is far more inefficient than using wage...
View ArticleVisiting Kyrgyzstan, PEN International Calls for Askarov’s Release
At PEN International there is a tradition: During the organization’s general assemblies, empty chairs are left prominently vacant as a reminder of imprisoned writers and journalists around the...
View ArticleKazakhstan: Astana Looks West with Landmark EU Deal
President Nursultan Nazarbayev is in Brussels putting the finishing touches to a landmark agreement with the European Union, cementing ties with Europe even as Astana pushes ahead to join the...
View ArticleTerrified Tajikistan Declares Obscure Facebook Critics “Extremist”
A band of treacherous radicals will swoop into Tajikistan’s capital and seize power tomorrow at 3 p.m.—at least that’s what senior government officials seem to fear. To thwart their nefarious plans,...
View ArticleKazakhstan Court Awards Massive Damages over Same-Sex Kiss Poster
The 19th-century Kazakh and Russian cultural icons depicted enjoying a kiss on a poster may be long dead. But that has not stopped a court in Kazakhstan awarding massive damages to a group of living...
View ArticleChorus of Criticism Accompanies Azerbaijan’s Exit from Council of Europe Stage
Azerbaijan wrapped up its chairmanship on November 13 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, one of the continent’s leading human rights organizations. Civil society activists used the...
View ArticleVideo Commemorates Turkmenistan’s “Disappeared”
For 12 years, Tatyana Shikmuradova has wondered if her husband is alive or dead. Authorities in her country, Turkmenistan, have answered none of her queries. Her husband, former Foreign Minister Boris...
View ArticleKazakhstan: Nazarbayev Paints Rosy Picture of Human Rights
Kazakhstan does not persecute political opponents or attack freedom of expression, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has avowed, fending off awkward questions from journalists during a December 5 visit to...
View Article