Friends of Andrey Zatoka, the prominent environmental expert from Turkmenistan, addressed the letter to Ferghana.Ru, written in 2008 in expectation of possible arrest. It has to be noted that 53-year old activist was detained in the Turkmen city of Dashovuz

After ethnic clashes of July 2009 in Xinjiang autonomous region (XAR) of China special services detained 43 young Uighur men and no official information about them is available yet, Azattyk radio (Kazakh Service of RFE/RL) informs with the reference to

Andrey Zatoka. Photo from friends' archiveThe detainment period of Andrey Zatoka, prominent Turkmen environmentalist, arrested by law enforcement bodies of Turkmenistan last Tuesday expires this Friday. On October 23 the authorities must either accuse Andrey or release him. As a

This fall the Khoresm Oblast, located in the north-west of Uzbekistan, sees the tourist boom. In the last two weeks four trains and one aircraft, bringing tourists from EU, arrived here. Over 2.5 thousand foreign guests got a chance to

The European Union is preparing to lift sanctions against Uzbekistan, introduced after Andijan killings, trying to improve ties with Central Asian states to help secure and diversify future energy supplies, report with the reference to anonymous EU diplomats.On October 21

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon began his three-day visit to Russia on Wednesday with an informal meeting with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev at the presidential residence near Moscow, RIA Novosti reports.Speaking at Barvikha, Medvedev expressed hope that the Tajik leader's visit

On October 20 Andrey Zatoka, 53-year old prominent ecologist and civil society activist, was detained on his birthday date in Turkmenistan.Ferghana.Ru source in Turkmenistan notes that the ecologist was arrested at the bazaar of Dashoguz city by two policemen. He

Despite the fact that Uzbek dissident Nasrullo Saidov has been living in Canada since long ago, where he was granted political asylum, his last name is still indicated in the list of religious extremists, wanted by police. Ferghana.Ru sources in

The unsanctioned joint demonstration of four opposition parties of Kazakhstan (Azat, the Communist Party, USDP and unregistered party of Alga) took place in front of municipal authorities' office in Almaty, KazTAG reports. The representatives of other movements also joined the

On October 19, the four citizens of Tajikistan were arrested in Tajik enclave of Vorukh in the Batken Oblast of Kyrgyzstan. They found the shelter there after the fight with Kyrgyz border guards on October 14, the press-office of Kyrgyz

On October 18 four militants of Islam Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) were killed in Tajikistan while another one was detained, Interfax reports with the reference to Deputy Interior Minister Tohir Normatov. Big number of weapons and ammunitions were exempted during

Political emigrant Bakhodir Choriev, which returned to Uzbekistan on October 16, 2009 from USA, was immediately detained by law enforcement officers and delivered to the transport police department in the Tashkent International Airport.It has to be mentioned that Uzbek political

On September 27, 2009 over a thousand students of the Bukhara State University were sent to cotton fields. Ferghana.Ru found the document, proving the fact of blackmail and threat that force students to work at cotton fields. "According to the

Businessman and opposition activist Bahodir Choriyev returned from the United States to Uzbekistan to fight the regime. Choriyev was spared the indignity of arrest on deplaning. He was thoroughly searched instead, advised to forget about ever leaving Uzbekistan again or

In the mid of October the air temperature in the Republic of Karakalpakstan varies from +3 degrees in the night to +25 in the day. Under various temperatures the undersized cotton plant cracks down, forcing the cotton growers, especially kids,

Natalia Anurova-Shabunts, a citizen of both Turkmenistan and Russia, wrote an article for Ferghana.Ru that gives an account of life in Turkmenistan. How its citizens are denied permission to travel abroad, how students and instructors are compelled to wear uniforms,