OSCE Chairman calls for investigation into death of imprisoned Turkmen journalist

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, today expressed deep concern about the death in custody of Radio Free Europe reporter and human rights activist Ogulsapar Muradova. Her relatives were informed of her death on Thursday.
“I urge Turkmenistan’s authorities to immediately begin a full and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death,” Minister De Gucht said. “The results of the investigation and a full explanation should be made public as soon as possible.”
On August 25, a court in Turkmenistan sentenced Muradova, 58, to six years in prison on charges of illegal possession of ammunition following a trial held behind closed doors.
“I once again call on Turkmenistan to adhere to its OSCE commitments,” the Chairman-in-Office added.

It’s Showtime for the Real Kazakhstan

NPR Morning Edition, September 14, 2006 · Kazakhstan’s president is meeting with President Bush soon. On the agenda: Borat the bumbling, anti-Semitic Kazakh TV host. Borat is played in a new movie by Sacha Baron Cohen, best known as Ali G. The opening scene features Borat setting off for America in a car pulled by a horse. Kazakhstan’s not laughing. The country has threatened legal action. Now it’s buying ads in the United States to show what they call the “real” Kazakhstan. Listen

OSCE: Transparency in handling death of imprisoned Turkmen journalist

OSCE media freedom representative calls for transparency in handling of imprisoned Turkmenistan journalist’s death

VIENNA, 14 September 2006 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today urged the Turkmenistan authorities to handle the death of Radio Free Europe reporter Ogulsapar Muradova in a transparent way

Kazakh Government: Borat has to be an issue at talks in White House

Borat, the bad and ugly guy from Kazakhstan, (MTV and, soon, at the movies) should be thr issue of discussion between Kazakh President Nazarbayev and US President Bush during the State Visit of Nazarbayev to US. The Kazakh Government still thinks, that the Borst-Show is a PR-action by forces outside the country (Western NGO’s members of the opposition who live in exile), that want to undermine the integrity of Kazakh President.

ETG would like to state that it is not behind this campaign. We do not have so much money to pay and manipulate MTV.

Business opportunities for Western investors

ETG published a report on business opportunities in Tajikistan. You can download the file here.

Welcome

Welcome to the Central Asia Blog.
This Blog is hosted by ETG (Eurasian Transition Group) and we would like to discuss current issues on Central Asia, concentrating on human rights, democratization and freedom of speech.