Majlis

The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met in Dushanbe on September 14-15 at a time of great uncertainty in Central Asia. The ripple effects from Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine are changing the geopolitical landscape in Central Asia, even as climate change has already started affecting the physical landscape of the region as well. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the Central Asian leaders’ discussions in Dushanbe are Edward Lemon, professor at the Bush School in Washington, D.C. and president of the Oxus Society, and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center in Berlin.

Since late October 2022, when more than two dozen opposition politicians, activists, and journalists were detained, the Kyrgyz government has been going after perceived opponents and critics. Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov was deported in November; the government blocked RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service websites and froze its bank account from late October 2022 until July this year; and the campaign continues. Between August 28 and September 7, Kyrgyz authorities moved to shut down an independent media outlet, detained a leading opposition member of parliament, and prepared to strip the Constitutional Court of its powers over a previous ruling that supported women’s rights. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss these recent moves by the Kyrgyz government to tighten its grip over the country are Erica Marat, an associate professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.; and Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at Human Rights Watch.

Turkmenistan has added another dubious distinction to its reputation: methane gas super-emitter. Satellite images have shown massive methane gas emissions for the last two years. Turkmen authorities have hinted they are taking measures, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement. How is the situation affecting the health of the Turkmen people? Joining host Bruce Pannier are Kate Watters, co-founder and executive director at Crude Accountability, an organization working to protect the environmental and human rights of people in oil- and gas-producing countries such as Turkmenistan; and Aynabat Yaylymova, founder and executive director of the Progres Foundation, which has been working to improve public health literacy in Turkmenistan over the last 12 years.

Kazakh officials are moving forward with plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, although unsurprisingly, there is public opposition. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb over an area in northeastern Kazakhstan. Over the next 40 years, there were 455 more tests in the same area and the effects of the radiation continue to cause suffering today. Joining host Bruce Pannier to talk about Kazakhstan’s nuclear legacy is Togzhan Kassenova, author of the widely acclaimed book Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb.

Kyrgyzstan’s relations with Russia have been on a rollercoaster since the Kremlin launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. At first, Kyrgyzstan seemed to support the Russian invasion but backtracked when it became apparent the war would go on for months or years. Signs still pointed to Kyrgyzstan siding with Russia until recently, when Russian officials started to publicly criticize Kyrgyzstan’s move to make Kyrgyz the language of state business and its decision to charge two Kyrgyz citizens for joining the fight in Ukraine as members of Russian mercenary forces. What is the state of Kyrgyz-Russian ties 18 months into Russia’s war in Ukraine? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this are guests: Bakyt Beshimov, a former member of the Kyrgyz parliament and currently a Global Studies and International Relations lecturer and professor at Northeastern University; Emil Joroev, PhD, a Bishkek-based independent political observer; and Medet Tiulegenov, Senior Research Fellow at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.

Central Asian governments have become adept at transnational repression. Based on warrants from the Tajik government, Germany, Poland, and Belarus have this year extradited Tajik nationals to Tajikistan where they faced serious, and some say politically motivated charges. In Turkey, the situation for migrant laborers from Turkmenistan has become more complicated since the Turkmen government started paying closer attention to their activities. Joining host Bruce Pannier to shed more light on this issue are Leila Nazgul Seitbek, a lawyer living in exile in Europe and the chairwoman of the NGO Freedom For Eurasia; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer and associate professor at the University of Southern California.

As the five Central Asian states prepare to mark their 32nd anniversary of independence, the region's future is far from clear. Governments promise reform but are changing legislation to benefit those in power, while the space for alternative views seems to be shrinking. What defines the Central Asian countries today, and where are they headed next? Joining host Bruce Pannier to explore these questions are guests Assel Tutumlu, originally from Kazakhstan but currently a lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Near East University in Nicosia, Cyprus; Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian studies at Glasgow University and author of several books on Central Asia; and Alexander Cooley, Claire Tow professor of political science and vice provost at Barnard College, former director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and also an accomplished author on Central Asia.

Resource scarcity has severely disrupted daily life across Central Asia this summer. Electricity failures have compelled Kyrgyzstan to declare a three-year energy emergency, starting on August 1. Additionally, much of the region is grappling with water shortages, which scientists say is the latest sign that Central Asia will be one of the regions hardest hit by climate change. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the water and power situation in Central Asia this summer are guests Nurzat Abdyrasulova, president and CEO of Bishkek-based strategic advisory firm Unison Group; Alisher Sidikov, the director of RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik; and Farruh Yusupov, the director of RFE/RL’s Turkmen service, known locally as Azatlyk.

The presidents of the five Central Asian countries just traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the first-ever Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia summit. Ties between the two regions have been growing since Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine. What is changing in Central Asian-Arab relations and what lies ahead for cooperation between these regions? To explore these questions, host Bruce Pannier is joined by two experts: Aijan Sharshenova, research fellow at the Bishkek-based think tank Crossroads Central Asia; and Theodore Karasik, fellow on Russian and Middle Eastern affairs at the Washington, D.C.,-based Jamestown Foundation.

UN experts released a press statement on July 4 that harshly criticizes Tajik authorities for misusing the law to convict rights defenders, activists, journalists, and others. The statement called on the Tajik government to stop using laws on extremism and terrorism to silence critics inside Tajikistan. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the deteriorating rights situation in Tajikistan are Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, and Nazila Ghanea, UN special rapporteur for freedom of religion and belief. Both were in Tajikistan on fact-finding missions in recent months.

When Shavkat Mirziyoev became Uzbekistan's president in late 2016, he promised that the "old ways" of governing the country were over, and that he would lift restrictions on the media. He even encouraged journalists to report on issues that needed correcting in society and in governance. The Uzbek Forum for Human Rights recently released a report, The President's Broken Promises Put Journalists and Bloggers At Risk, that looks at some of the cases of journalists and bloggers who ran afoul of the authorities for their reporting in the "new" Uzbekistan. Joining host Bruce Pannier are Umida Niyazova, director at the Germany-based Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, and Matthew Schaaf, the advocacy director at the Washington-based organization Freedom Now.

On July 1, 2022, thousands of people in Karakalpakstan took to the streets to demonstrate against proposed changes to Uzbekistan’s constitution which, if enacted, would have stripped the region of its status as a sovereign republic with the right to secede. When police and security forces moved to disperse the peaceful protesters, violence broke out. At least 21 people were killed. What has happened in the year since the Karakalpakstan tragedy? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss are Gulyaim Ahmedova, a pseudonym for a native of Karakalpakstan now living outside Uzbekistan; Joanna Lillis, a veteran Central Asia journalist who has been in Karakalpakstan several times since the violence; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who has spent many years focusing on Central Asia, and is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.

The Kazakh government keeps a close eye on the activities of religious communities in the country, including online posts. So-called nontraditional groups that are not part of state-sanctioned versions of Islam or Russian Orthodox teachings receive additional scrutiny. A delegation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom visited Kazakhstan in May and found that “institutional issues in Kazakhstan remain unaddressed.” Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss are Nury Turkel, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and author of the book No Escape: The True Story of China's Genocide of the Uyghurs; and Felix Corley, editor at Forum 18, one of the leading sources of information on violations of religious freedoms in countries around the world.

A recent article from the American Political Science Association (APSA) examined how the words used to describe Central Asia sometimes reinforce the region’s image as being part of Russia or the Soviet Union. Amid growing awareness of Central Asia’s colonial history, some argue it is time to move beyond terms such as “post-Soviet,” “near abroad,” or “Russia’s backyard” when referring to Central Asia today. Join host Bruce Pannier for a thought-provoking conversation on decolonizing Central Asian discourse with the co-authors of the APSA article: Botakoz Kassymbekova, a lecturer and assistant professor of modern history at the University of Basel; and Erica Marat, a professor at the National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs.

Peaceful protests calling for governmental reform in Kazakhstan in early January 2022 were hijacked by unidentified groups who deliberately sparked violence. Authorities in several large cities of southern Kazakhstan lost control of the situation, which became known as “Bloody January,” resulting in hundreds of casualties. To end the chaos, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev gave a “shoot to kill” order. On June 5, a coalition of Kazakh rights groups released a detailed report about the legality of such an order, the detentions, and the subsequent investigations and trials of suspects. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the findings of the report are guests Tatiana Chernobil, a member of the Documentation Centre of the Human Rights Alliance for Fundamental Freedoms, which produced the report; Mihra Rittmann, senior Central Asia researcher on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for Human Rights Watch; and Yevgeniy Zhovtis, director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law.

There are draft laws currently before Kyrgyzstan's parliament that, if enacted, would greatly restrict the work of nongovernmental organizations receiving foreign funding and place tight control over media. Such laws, including a "foreign agent" law, have been proposed before. This time it appears likely they will be adopted. Kyrgyzstan has been credited as the most democratic country in Central Asia, but these laws would make the country no better than its neighbors, and possibly worse than some. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what these draft laws would change are Svetlana Dzardanova, a human rights and corruption researcher at Freedom for Eurasia; and Syinat Sultanalieva, a Central Asia researcher focused on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at Human Rights Watch.

Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine is capturing much of the world’s attention, but Central Asia is more concerned about what's happening south of the border in Afghanistan. There are several militant groups in northern Afghanistan who hope to topple the Tajik and Uzbek governments. Some of these groups are allies of the Taliban, whereas others are not. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at these militant groups and the security implications for Central Asia are Lucas Webber, a researcher focusing on transnational militant movements who has written extensively on jihadist and extremist groups and is also co-founder and editor of MilitantWire.com; and Riccardo Valle, director of research at the Islamabad-based research and news platform The Khorasan Diary and an expert on international jihadist networks, particularly those in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Central Asian and Chinese presidents met at a summit in Xian, China, on May 18-19. This was the first-ever summit of just the Central Asian and Chinese leaders and it comes as the six countries’ foreign policies are evolving to cope with the political fallout from Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. What did the Xian summit tell us about Central Asian-Chinese relations and the direction those relations are headed? Joining host Bruce Pannier are Giulia Sciorati, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Trento in Italy, whose research focuses on memory and culture in diplomacy, particularly in China’s relations with Central Asia; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.

Since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, Central Asian states have been working to lessen their dependence on their former colonizer. Yet all five Central Asian leaders went to Moscow this year for the May 9 Victory Day parade, four on very short notice. And all five will be in China on May-18-19. So in terms of geopolitics: where is Central Asia now? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss are Nargis Kassenova, senior fellow and director of the program on Central Asia at Harvard Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies; Paul Stronski, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment’s Russia and Eurasia program; and Francis Olmos, senior researcher in Central Asian affairs at Spain’s GEOPOL 21 Center.

In mid-May 2022, the Tajik government initiated a brutal crackdown on the people of eastern Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region: the Pamiris. Pamiris are ethnically and culturally distinct from Tajiks; and unlike most Tajiks who are Sunni Muslims, Pamiris are Shi’ite. Dozens of Pamiris have been killed, more than 100 imprisoned, and over the course of the last year, there has been a systematic destruction of Pamiri culture in Gorno-Badakhshan. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at the repressive targeting of Pamiris are guests Suzanne Levi-Sanchez, author of the book Bridging State And Civil Society: Informal Organizations In Tajik/Afghan Badakhshan and Bakhtiyor Safarov, founder of Central Asia Consulting in the United States, who is originally from Gorno-Badakhshan.

A recent Oxus Society report on Kyrgyzstan’s resource nationalism raises questions concerning officials’ messaging about the economic value of extracted mineral wealth and environmental conservation. The report finds that Kyrgyzstan’s vast gold reserves have enriched only a select few, and mining has caused irreparable ecological damage. Authorities often target those who object to mining projects. How is resource nationalism creating slow violence in Kyrgyzstan? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this are the authors of the Oxus Society report Beril Ocakli, who leads the research project China, The EU And Economic Development In Eastern Europe And Eurasia at the Berlin-based Center for East European and International Studies; and Vincent Artman, professor of geography and peace and conflict studies at Wayne State University and the University of Delaware.

There is a national referendum on April 30 in Uzbekistan to approve amendments to roughly 65 percent of the 1992 constitution. Among the changes is one that would allow incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoev to stay in office until 2040. While headline-grabbing, this is not the only significant change under consideration. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what the constitutional changes mean for Uzbekistan’s future are guests Navbahor Imamova, correspondent for the Uzbek service at Voice of America; Alisher Ilkhamov, director of Central Asia Due Diligence; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer with many years of experience in Central Asia who is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.

Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev says he is creating a new Kazakhstan. But when unemployed oil workers from the western city of Zhanaozen made their way to the capital, Astana, on April 9, Kazakh authorities dealt with the issue in the same old way. What does the recent demonstration in Astana tell us about the government’s vision of a new Kazakhstan? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the old methods of new Kazakhstan are guests Assel Tutumlu, lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Near East University in Nicosia, and Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University.

A milestone was reached in Uzbekistan on April 6 when the country’s upper house of parliament passed a bill criminalizing domestic violence and strengthening laws that aim to curb abuse against women and children. It was a long process, involving many people to get this legislation so far. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what the draft law contains and the work that went into guiding the bill all the way through parliament are three of the women who played leading roles in the process: Nozima Davletova, the chairperson of Uzbekistan’s Mass Media Foundation; Dilfuza Kurolova, a human rights lawyer and activist for gender equality; and Irina Matvienko, a feminist activist and founder of NeMolchi.uz, an organization dedicated to ending gender violence and promoting sexual equality.

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, which some governments in Central Asia expected to complicate relations with their southern neighbor. Four Central Asian countries opened a dialogue with the Taliban, but the Tajik government did not. While there have been tensions, a Taliban delegation visited Tajikistan recently. Elsewhere, an Afghan water canal project threatens to sour the Taliban’s ties with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss these developments are Salimjon Aioubov, director of RFE/RL’s Tajik Service; Farruh Yusupov, director of RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service; and Alisher Sidikov, director of RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service.

For more than a decade, Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's first president, illegally amassed a fortune in assets and property, both in Uzbekistan and abroad, estimated to total in the billions of dollars. How Karimova managed to accumulate her fortune and who helped her is the subject of a recently released Freedom for Eurasia report. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss Karimova's ill-gotten gains and her foreign facilitators are the three primary report authors: Leila Nazgul Seitbek, chairwoman and founder of Freedom for Eurasia; Kristian Lasslett, professor of criminology at the University of Ulster; and Thomas Mayne, research fellow at the University of Oxford.

Serdar Berdymukhammedov was elected president of Turkmenistan in March 2022, taking over the position from his father in Central Asia’s first dynastic transfer of power since independence in late 1991. Expectations were low for any significant changes, but there have been a few surprises. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss Serdar’s first year as president are guests Aynabat Yaylymova, founder and executive director of the Progres Foundation, which supports progressive, educational initiatives that benefit the public in Turkmenistan, and Victoria Clement, a scholar and historian who lived in Turkmenistan and authored the book Learning To Become Turkmen: Literacy, Language, And Power, 1914-2014.

On March 19, voters in Kazakhstan will go to the polls to elect members of the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament. As a result of constitutional amendments approved in 2022, a limited number of seats are open to independent candidates. How else are the new constitutional changes affecting these elections? Does the public see any difference? What are the expectations for winning candidates? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this and more are Paolo Sorbello, the English-language editor at the Kazakh independent media outlet vlast.kz, and Darkhan Umirbekov, digital editor at the Astana bureau of RFE/RL’s Kazakh service, known locally as Azattyq.

For many women in Central Asia, International Women’s Day on March 8 holds no meaning. Too many women and girls in the region are already victims of violence, often on a regular basis, and cases of sexual violence and domestic abuse are growing. What's being done to end the violence? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this topic are Najla Ayoubi, a lawyer and former judge in Afghanistan who is currently chief of coalition and global programs at the Every Woman Coalition; Gulbakhor Makhkamova, head of the Gulrukhsor Crisis Center and Women’s Shelter located in Khujand, Tajikistan; and Leila Nazgul Seitbek, chairwoman of the NGO Freedom for Eurasia and a member of the working group for the global treaty to end all forms of violence women and girls.

It’s been one year since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a massive, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The impact of that decision has been felt acutely in Central Asia, a region with a long history of Russian involvement. How has Moscow's war in Ukraine affected Russia’s ties with Central Asia? Has it changed how people in Central Asia view their former colonizer? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the changes in Russian-Central Asian relations in the past year are Erica Marat, a professor of political science at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.

Women and girls in Central Asia who are victims of sexual violence have little chance of obtaining justice. The laws work against them. Society often works against them. The organization Equality Now, which specializes in human rights, sex discriminatory laws, and gender equality has released a report on sexual violence laws in Eurasia that includes findings from Central Asia. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this topic are Janette Akhilgova, Eurasia consultant at Equality Now; Dilfuza Kurolova, a human rights lawyer and activist for gender equality from Uzbekistan; and Subhiya Mastonshoeva, a researcher with thematic experience in human rights, gender, and justice issues including prevention and response to violence against women and girls in Tajikistan.

On January 31, all 22 defendants were found guilty at the end of trials connected to the violence that left at least 21 people dead in Uzbekistan’s western region of Karakalpakstan. One of the defendants died in custody four days later. Uzbek authorities have been trying to demonstrate a new openness in judicial proceedings, including livestreaming some of the court sessions. But most of the testimony, the confessions, and the verdicts looked to some people like the managed trials of Uzbek authorities 15 or 20 years ago. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the Karakalpak trials are Alisher Ilkhamov, director of Central Asia Due Diligence, and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who has spent many years focusing on Central Asia and who is currently teaching at the University of Southern California.

For some 30 years, Kyrgyzstan has had the reputation of being the most democratic country in Central Asia. That is changing quickly. A new constitution approved in 2021 gave President Sadyr Japarov sweeping powers, and he has been using these to clamp down on political opposition, civil society, and independent media. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the dramatic events unfolding in Kyrgyzstan are, Gulnoza Said, head of the Europe and Central Asia program at the Committee to Protect Journalists, Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at Human Rights Watch, and Bakyt Beshimov, a former member of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament and a former ambassador to the OSCE who currently teaches at Northeastern University.

For the first time in the history of independent Turkmenistan, the president is not the most powerful person in the country. Serdar Berdymukhammedov lost many of his powers as president when the Turkmen parliament passed amendments to its constitution on January 21. The head of the government in Turkmenistan now is the chairman of the People’s Council, Serdar’s father, former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what just happened in Turkmenistan, and why, are Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian Studies at Glasgow University and author of the book Turkmenistan's Foreign Policy: Positive Neutrality And The Consolidation Of The Turkmen Regime; and Farruh Yusupov, the head of RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, known locally as Azatlyk.

On January 16, Tashkent mayor Jahongir Ortikhojaev was abruptly fired for failing to prepare the Uzbek capital city for the unusually harsh winter. In office since 2018, he was often the subject of controversy, once threatening to “disappear” a journalist. But Artikhojaev was close to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, and therefore seemed untouchable. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what went wrong for Artikhojaev are Dilmira Matyakubowa, a Ph.D researcher in criminology and co-director of UzInvestigations; Navbahor Imamova, a veteran correspondent for the Uzbek Service at Voice of America; and Sirojiddin Tolibov, managing editor of RFERL’s Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, who has also been closely following events in Uzbekistan for many years.

Turkmenistan has long had a poor reputation for human rights. But recently, two activists whose cases received international attention were freed. This episode of the Majlis podcast looks at some of activists who have languished in Turkmen prisons and examines whether anything has changed since a new president took over in March 2022. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss these topics are Rachel Denber, deputy director of HRW's Europe and Central Asia division; Ivar Dale, senior policy adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee; and Farruh Yusupov, director of RFE/RL’s Turkmen service, known locally as Azatlyk.

This week, Kazakhstan marked the first anniversary of what some call, in Kazakh, “Qandy Qantar,” or “Bloody January.” At least 238 people were killed in a crackdown on nationwide protests. One year later, there are still many questions about what happened and who was responsible. There are also questions about whether Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev’s government has made the necessary adjustments to prevent a repeat of the January 2022 violence. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss these topics are William Courtney, former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan; Vyacheslav Arbamov, founder of the Vlast.kz news outlet in Kazakhstan; and Aigerim Toleukhanova, a freelance journalist from Kazakhstan and co-host of Eurasianet’s EurasiaChat podcast.

People with disabilities worldwide continue to face a range of challenges. Access to public facilities or public transportation is often far from adequate. The opportunities for education are limited. And at the root of the problem is the mentality of segregation that has long existed toward those with a disability. What is the situation in Central Asia? What is being done, and what still needs to done to improve the lives of the disabled in the region is the topic of this week’s Majlis podcast.

The Central Asian states have never experienced anything like the year 2022. There were protests that turned deadly in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan that left more than 100 people dead; political and economic fallout from Russia's war on Ukraine that affected all five Central Asian countries; presidential elections in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan; and much more. Joining host Bruce Pannier to look back at a year that in many ways reshaped and redirected the course of Central Asia are Luca Anceschi, professor of Central Asian studies at Glasgow University; Catherine Putz, managing editor at The Diplomat magazine; and Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy.

Turkey has been noticeably active in Central Asia this year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Uzbekistan twice, Kazakhstan, and most recently Turkmenistan in mid-December. Erdogan is pushing for the Organization of Turkic States, which includes four Central Asian states, to move from a talk shop about cultural affinities into a political and economic bloc with international clout. Central Asia is expanding its trade networks to Turkey and increasingly turning to Ankara for security needs. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Assel Tutumlu, a lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Near East University in Nicosia; and Mukhtar Senggirbay, managing editor at RFE/RL’s Kazakh service, known locally as Azattyq.

This year will be remembered as one of the worst for human rights in Tajikistan. Authorities imprisoned activists, journalists, bloggers, lawyers, and members of the Shi'ite Pamiri community in the country’s eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. Mary Lawlor, the UN's special rapporteur for human rights defenders, visited Tajikistan from November 28 to December 9. On this week's Majlis, she joins host Bruce Pannier to discuss her concerns about the situation there.

The trial of 22 Karakalpaks started in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on November 28. They are accused of involvement in violence that left at least 21 people dead in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Republic in early July. The defendants’ confessions of guilt, and assurances in the courtroom that they have been well treated since being detained, are raising suspicions the accused are not free to speak the truth. Two Karakalpaks living outside Uzbekistan join host Bruce Pannier to give some insight into public opinion on the July violence, the investigation into the unrest, and the court proceedings. Due to concerns for the safety of family and friends back in Karakalpakstan, this week’s guests are using the pseudonyms Aysulu Azatova and Makset Saparov. Their voices have also been altered to help conceal their identities.

The Pamiris, the native inhabitants the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in eastern Tajikistan, have been the target of a relentless crackdown since violence sparked by government security forces broke out there in May. In November alone, at least 15 Pamiris were given long prison sentences, with five sentenced to life in prison. Two of the region's four registered lawyers are about to go on trial, behind closed doors, and they also face long prison sentences. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Suzanne Levi-Sanchez, author of the book Bridging State And Civil Society: Informal Organizations In Tajik/Afghan Badakhshan; and Bakhtiyor Safarov, founder of Central Asia Consulting in the United States, who is originally from Gorno-Badakhshan.

At least 21 people were killed in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Republic in July, the worst violence in the country since the Andijon massacre in May 2005. Judging from information released by the commission investigating the causes of the violence, the role of the police and security forces is receiving little, if any, attention. A recent Human Rights Watch report, however, looks at law enforcement’s role. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Mihra Rittmann, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who has spent many years focusing on Central Asia.

President Sadyr Japarov's government is showing its intolerance for citizens who question government decisions. In a widely posted video and photos, veteran rights defender Aziza Abdurasulova, who is in her 70s, was dragged away by police outside the government building in Bishkek on November 15. Abdurasulova has been a vocal critic of the detentions of more than two dozen people who oppose a controversial border deal Japarov's government reached with neighboring Uzbekistan. Who is being targeted in Kyrgyzstan and why? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Syinat Sultanalieva, researcher on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for Human Rights Watch, and Ivar Dale, senior policy adviser at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, who was in Kyrgyzstan in October.

Incumbent Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev is sure to win Kazakhstan’s early presidential election on November 20. But this has been a tumultuous year for the country, starting with the largest outbreak of violence in its brief history and an array of problems linked to Kazakhstan’s ties with giant neighbor Russia amid the latter’s war on Ukraine. Will Toqaev’s decision to have an early vote help resolve any of these and other issues? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the topic are Ben Godwin, the head of analysis at PRISM Political Risk Management who lived and worked in Kazakhstan for seven years and continues to track events there, and Darkhan Umirbekov, digital editor at RFE/RL’s Kazakh service in Astana.

The recent detentions of politicians, activists, and journalists in Kyrgyzstan and the two conflicts the country has fought in the last 18 months with neighboring Tajikistan have one thing in common -- they stem from attempts to finally demarcate disputed areas of Kyrgyzstan’s borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Marking Kyrgyzstan’s borders with its southern and western neighbors has not only been difficult, it has been risky. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the situation are Viktoria Akchurina, author of the recently released book Incomplete State-Building In Central Asia: The State As Social Practice, and Bakyt Beshimov, formerly a member of the Kyrgyz parliament, a Kyrgyz ambassador to India and to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion on the escalation along the Tajik-Afghan border and where it might lead.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL media-relations manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on the tumultuous last year in Kyrgyzstan.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion on the facts and the fiction surrounding COVID-19 in Turkmenistan.

This week's Majlis Podcast features a discussion on the ties that bind Central Asia to China and might incline Central Asian governments to cooperate with China, even in Beijing's repressions against Muslims.

This week's Majlis podcast focuses on how the Uzbek government is dealing with the Afghan spillover since the Taliban seized control over most of the country in mid-August.

On this week's Majlis podcast, RFE/RL Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on Tajikistan’s stance on Afghanistan.

On this week's Majlis podcast, RFE/RL Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on how Central Asia has responded so far to the Taliban seizing power and what might be coming next.

This week's Majlis Podcast hosts a discussion on the latest wave of COVID in Central Asia, how bad is it, and what have the countries learned in the months that have past since the virus first appeared.

On this week's Majlis podcast, host Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on Central Asian citizens operating in northern Afghanistan, who they are, and from whom they take orders.

On this week's Majlis podcast, host Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion about the death in prison in July 2020 of Kyrgyz rights defender Azimjon Askarov and the recent passing of a controversial new Kyrgyz law on the dissemination of false information.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on what is happening in northern Afghanistan and what the governments of the countries on the other side of the border are doing.

On this week's Majlis podcast, Muhammad Tahir and guests discuss the effectiveness, and lack thereof, of bringing back those who willingly left Central Asia to join Islamic State and other extremist groups in the Middle East.

On this week's Majlis podcast, Muhammad Tahir and guests discuss a new report that delves deeply into the corruption, nepotism, and misrule that have characterized Turkmenistan's government through nearly 30 years and two presidents.

On this week's show, host Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on what has changed in Tajik-Uzbek ties since Shavkat Mirziyoev became Uzbekistan’s president and where this new spirit of cooperation might lead both countries.

On this week's Majlis podcast, Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on the obstacles faced by independent NGOs in Uzbekistan.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, Muhammad Tahir and guests look at how the departure of U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan will affect Central Asia.

On this week's podcast, a discussion on the recent investigations and court decisions that seem to go against the people who displease the Uzbek authorities.

On this week's podcast, a discussion on what led to the fighting, what happened during those three days, and how the fighting has changed the situation along the border and in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

How has Turkmenistan gone from the next Kuwait to a country where people wait in line for subsidized food?

On this week's show, RFE/RL Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion about religious freedom and the lack thereof in Central Asia.

On this week's show, RFE/RL media-relations manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion about gender violence in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and why officials in those two countries seem unable to effectively combat it.

Since Uzbekistan's first postcommunist ruler died in 2016, the country has made attempts to improve its image as a serial rights abuser. So what has gone wrong in recent months?

On this week's Majlis podcast, host Muhammad Tahir and guests discuss the problems media outlets and journalists face in Central Asia.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, we discuss the drop in remittances to Central Asia, what this means for migrant laborers from the region and their families back home, and how long the current situation might continue.

This week's discussion focuses on Turkish-Central Asian ties and what Turkey's foreign minister was doing in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

This week, the podcast hosts a discussion on what has changed in the last year, the challenges that remain, and what is being done to bring gender equality to the region and end violence against women.

This week, Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on a new luxurious resort built outside Tashkent allegedly for the use of the president, who it belongs to, and what is now being said about it inside Uzbekistan.

On this week's Majlis podcast, a discussion on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan. Despite promises made by President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, some say the situation is getting worse, not better.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL media-relations manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on what has been happening in Turkmenistan recently and if any of these events signal a change in the country's future.

Sadyr Japarov completed his amazing rise from a prison cell in early October to being elected Kyrgyzstan's president in January. What has changed since then?

On this week's Majlis podcast, we discuss the plight of lawyers in Central Asia, where being an independent attorney willing to defend people in court is often a hazardous occupation.

How might the new Biden administration change policy toward Central Asia? What might the Central Asian states be looking for from the Biden administration? And what aspects of U.S.-Central Asian relations are likely to remain the same?

Two elections -- in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion looking at what happened -- and what might come next.

How did the five countries fare in 2020 and with various vaccines being developed and gradually being made available internationally, how does 2021 look for Central Asia?

This week's Majlis Podcast discusses Kazakhstan's approaching parliamentary elections and what has changed and what looks the same under a different president.

Voters in Kyrgyzstan are heading back to the polling stations on January 10 as the country will hold both a presidential election and a referendum deciding the form of government: presidential or parliamentary.

Under President Shavkat Mirziyoev, Uzbekistan has made some progress in the four years addressing the long list of rights violations that came to characterize the government under Mirziyoev's predecessor, Islam Karimov. But while some hail what they see as major breakthroughs, others see it as small and slow change.

On this week's Majlis podcast, a discussion about what changes are taking place in Central Asia to address the scourge of gender violence, and some of the challenges that still lie ahead.

Kyrgyzstan’s new leadership has hastily written a new draft constitution and set January 10, 2021, the day already named for the presidential election, to also be the day people vote on a referendum on this new constitution.

On this week's Majlis podcast, RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion that looks at this latest revelations concerning the alleged corruption network involving the former deputy head of Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, and Chinese-born businessman Khabibula Abdukadyr, and the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from Kyrgyzstan.

President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has promised to ease past restrictions and implement reforms, some of which he says will help provide the basis for opposition groups to take a greater part in Kazakhstan's political process. So far, there seems to be little progress.

This week, RFE/RL's media-relations manager for South and Central Asia, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion on what's been happening in Kyrgyzstan since Sadyr Japarov was freed from prison during the unrest sparked by the highly questionable results of the October 4 parliamentary elections.

Twists and turns continued at lightning speed in Kyrgyzstan after protests against the results of the October 4 parliamentary elections brought down the government. On this week's Majlis podcast, a deeper look at the fast-changing developments in Kyrgyzstan in recent days.

On this week's Majlis podcast, Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion looking at the political turmoil in Bishkek, who is behind it, what their motives are, and what might get Kyrgyzstan out of this situation.

On this week's Majlis podcast, RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion looking at the Tajik president’s years in power and what can be expected on election day and in the months and years after.

On this week's show, host Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on Kyrgyzstan’s October 4 parliamentary elections.

On this week's show, host Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion about the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, a new Washington-based nonprofit whose website will open a new forum for those interested in Central Asia to connect, exchange ideas, and post material.

On this week's Majlis podcast, the discussion panel looks at the reaction in Central Asia to the ongoing protests in Belarus.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, a panel discusses on what has and has not changed since Shavkat Mirziyoev became Uzbekistan's leader.

Authorities in Turkmenistan continue to deny there are any cases of coronavirus in the country. Will a second WHO mission prove them wrong?

Ever since the coronavirus appeared in Central Asia, the authorities in countries there have used some questionable systems to count the numbers.

On this week's Majlis, a discussion not only about rights defender Azimjan Askarov, who died in a prison in Kyrgyzstan on July 25, but the fate of other political prisoners across Central Asia who have been wrongly imprisoned.