Kyrgyzstan

• March 11, 2025

  Exclusive: Suspected Russian Spy Seeks Top Security Post In Serbia, Central Asia

  A Russian diplomat, quietly pressured to leave Brussels amid espionage allegations, has been nominated for a leadership role in the OSCE.

• February 18, 2025

  Russia's War On Ukraine Fuels Kyrgyz Passport Boom

  A burgeoning market for Kyrgyz passports has sprouted in Russia, offering greater travel and other freedoms amid international sanctions and domestic repressions since President Vladimir Putin launched all-out war on Ukraine. Not everyone in the Central Asian nation is happy about it.

• February 13, 2025

  Kyrgyzstan Promotes 'Traditional Names' Amid New De-Russification Drive

  In Kyrgyzstan, where many still use Russian-style last names, parliament has adopted a bill that promotes traditional Kyrgyz surnames. The move comes amid a renewed de-Russification drive in Central Asia.

• February 02, 2025

  Central Asians Illegally Fighting For Russia Face Few Consequences

  Kyrgyz and Uzbek nationals who looked destined for lengthy jail terms after fighting for Russia in Ukraine have ended up returning to their normal lives, despite the harsh stipulations of national laws on mercenaries. Pressure from Moscow may be part of the story.

• February 01, 2025

  Kyrgyzstan Bans Islamic Niqab As Critics Warn It Could Alienate Some Women

  Kyrgyzstan has outlawed the all-covering Islamic niqab. Authorities insists the ban does not extend to the hijab, the Islamic headscarf that has long been outlawed in schools and offices in all other Central Asian countries.

• January 19, 2025

  Kyrgyz Students On Edge Amid Trump Travel Ban Concerns

  Several U.S. universities have urged international students to return to campus early to avoid possibly being denied reentry to the country. Students from Kyrgyzstan, which was affected by travel restrictions during Donald Trump's first term, say they are wary that their studies might be disrupted.

• January 18, 2025

  Food For Snow Leopards: Mountain Elk Reintroduced In Kyrgyzstan

  Activists in a nature reserve in central Kyrgyzstan have reintroduced elk in a bid to restore the local ecosystem and preserve snow leopards, who traditionally feed on the elk. Thirty elk from the Altai Mountains were introduced to the area two years ago.

• January 15, 2025

  Central Asian Migrants Held In Russian Jails Without Access To Proper Food

  Dozens of Central Asian migrants are being held in Russian jails with no access to proper food as they wait for deportation orders. Incarcerated migrants told RFE/RL they were being held in jails as special migrant detention facilities "were full."

• January 04, 2025

  Amid Russia Pain, Central Asian Migrants Find New Destinations, Fresh Problems

  Amid the economic fallout from the Ukraine war and a growing crackdown on migrants after a terrorist attack, it is little surprise Central Asians are looking beyond the Russian labor market for better paid work. But is the grass always greener?

• January 01, 2025

  China In Eurasia Briefing: The Stories To Watch In 2025

  Xi Jinping’s headwinds for 2025, Ukraine and Taiwan’s linked future, China’s business expansion in Central Asia, EU’s tightrope 2.0, and much more.

• December 27, 2024

  Tajikistan Clamps Down On Fortune Telling, Faith Healing Amid Difficult Times

  Tajikistan has detained thousands of faith healers and fortune tellers in an ongoing government clampdown, with the president praising the police raids. But many Tajiks say the government should instead tackle more pressing issues, such as unemployment and a shortage of electricity.

• December 26, 2024

  2024 Was The Year Of Floods; Expect Climate Crisis To Continue

  From Central Europe to the Caucusus to Central Asia and Afghanistan, 2024 saw extreme flooding across many of the countries in RFE/RL's region. We look back at the impact and ask Ayesha Tandon, a science journalist at the U.K.-based website Carbon Brief, what's causing the increased flooding.

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