Bruce Pannier

Two years have passed since violence erupted in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic. Since then, Uzbek authorities have imprisoned dozens of Karakalpaks, and Karakalpak activists located in other countries are also facing pressure.

Nearly three years have passed since the Taliban returned to power. While the Central Asian states didn’t welcome the news, most took a different approach than they did when the Taliban first ruled in the late 1990s. Trade has grown and officials meet regularly to discuss cooperation.

There appears to be a small, but growing problem with terrorism and extremism in Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov says he has the backing of an overwhelming number of the country's people.

Tajikistan recently passed a law on "alien clothing" that bans certain types of Islamic attire, particularly from Arab countries, and some types of Western clothing. Svetlana Dzardanova and Niginakhon Saida join host Bruce Pannier to discuss the rules, which exist throughout Central Asia.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, a growing number of people in Central Asia are reassessing the years under Russian and Soviet rule and what the region’s relationship with Russia should be going forward. Bruce Pannier and guests discuss this issue in the latest Majlis podcast.

Trade between Central Asia and Afghanistan has been expanding since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021.

In the latest Majlis podcast, Bruce Pannier and guests look at the impact of racialization and ethnic discrimination on Central Asians in Russia.

The world's largest uranium producer, Kazakhstan's state atomic company Kazatomprom, is looking to expand its uranium mining beyond Kazakhstan's borders.

Alisher Kadyrov is 49 years old, the leader of Uzbekistan's Milli Tiklanish (National Revival) party, the deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament, and a former presidential candidate.