Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Recent Episodes
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Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and the Balkans.
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.
The Duma stops live transmissions and prepares broad new anti-LGBT legislation. Navalny says he's targeted in a new criminal probe. Ben Noble, associate professor of Russian politics at University College London, associate fellow at Chatham House, and co-author of the recent book Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
After Kyrgyz officials announced the terms of a proposed border agreement with Uzbekistan in early October, there were protests and a committee was established to oppose the border deal. Kyrgyz authorities have detained more than 20 opponents of the agreement, many of them well-known figures in the country with many supporters. The authorities also blocked the website of RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service. Tensions are high again in Kyrgyzstan, a country that has seen three revolutions since 2005.
Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the situation in Kyrgyzstan are Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, a lawyer and chairwoman of the NGO Freedom for Eurasia, and Saniia Toktogazieva, a constitutional lawyer and associate professor teaching international law at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.
Russia's assault on Ukraine continues eight months after the February 24 invasion. Amid setbacks on the battlefield, the Kremlin has taken a series of steps in an effort to gain the upper hand -- or avoid losing the war. Author and analyst Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to take stock.
Tajik authorities have launched sweeping crackdowns in 2022, targeting anyone who criticizes the government or challenges the state narrative of events in the Central Asian country. Scores of people -- journalists, bloggers, activists, lawyers, many influential residents of Tajikistan’s eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, and others -- have been rushed through the court system and into prison cells in recent weeks, often after being convicted in closed-door trials. It is possibly the worst wave of repression in Tajikistan since the days of the 1992-1997 civil war.
Grumbling in a security alliance and a diatribe from Tajikistan's president directed at Vladimir Putin point to tensions between Moscow and the Central Asian countries amid Russia's war on Ukraine. RFE/RL Central Asia correspondent Chris Rickleton joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has proved to be of little value for some of its members recently. The regional alliance failed to come to the aid of member state Armenia when it was attacked by non-member state Azerbaijan in September. Days later, the CSTO failed to play any meaningful role when two other members -- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – engaged in a brief conflict. With major CSTO partner Russia mired in the war it started in Ukraine, does the organization have a future?
Russia strikes Kyiv and cities across Ukraine in multiple attacks after a blast and fire the Kremlin blames on Ukraine badly damages the bridge to occupied Crimea. RFE/RL’s Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
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.
In a speech marking the attempted annexation of four Ukrainian regions amid setbacks for Moscow in its war on Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at the West in some of his most elaborately vitriolic language yet. What was the point – and will Russians buy it? Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial" mobilization for military service on September 21, tens of thousands of young Russian men and their families have left the country. More than 100,000 crossed into Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian states are also seeing a sharp increase in the numbers of Russians arriving, probably the largest influx of outsiders into the region, in less than one year, ever. Residents of the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek capitals talk about the effect this Russian migration is having on locals.
Tens of thousands of Russians have fled, and some others are protesting. Is President Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” a big mistake? And how might the mobilization and the so-called referendums that Moscow is imposing on four Ukrainian regions affect the course of the war in Ukraine? Author, analyst, and Russia expert Sam Greene joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
War broke out between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on September 14-17 and that follows the war the two countries fought in late April 2021. There have been reports about the tensions along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border for years now, and the damage done to lives and property. In this week's Majlis Podcast, we look at the people who live in this area, how they make a living, and how the outbreaks of violence have been changing their communities.
The leaders of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan met in the ancient Silk Route city of Samarkand on September 16 for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The leaders of SCO observer countries Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia were there along with special guests, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. This week's Majlis podcast looks at what was accomplished and what opportunities were missed in Samarkand, and what sort of the organization the SCO has become as it marks 21 years of existence.
Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow on Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and former British ambassador, joins host Mike Eckel to discuss the regional elections in Russia this weekend, the lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive and the war in Ukraine, and what the Kremlin might be thinking about these days.
Russia completed its colonization of Central Asia in the late 19th century, and all that territory became part of the Soviet Union after 1917. The people of Central Asia were forced to change centuries-old habits and live as Moscow dictated, including using Russian as their first language. Russia’s war on Ukraine, and chauvinistic statements from Russian officials about historic Russian lands, have stirred debate and introspection among Central Asians about Russia’s legacy in their region and in their own lives.
As autumn approaches, the future of southern Ukraine and European support for Kyiv may be hanging in the balance. Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the war -- and examine the Kremlin's handling of Mikhail Gorbachev’s death.
Kyrgyzstan has finally taken control of the Kumtor gold mine, the country’s most lucrative business, after nearly 30 years of majority ownership by Canadian companies. Kumtor was an endless source of problems and accusations. The mining operation caused ecological damage, Kyrgyz authorities signed deals that were disadvantageous to the country, and there were constant rumors of corruption. Now the gold mine is under Kyrgyz ownership, but that has not stopped the controversies.
Central Asia’s traditional trade routes with Europe through Russia have been disrupted by EU sanctions on Russia for the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine. Now, the Central Asian states are looking to open or expand alternate links to Europe across the Caspian Sea and through the Caucasus. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at the infrastructure already in place and what obstacles still remain for Central Asia to open up non-Russian trade routes with Europe.
August 24 is Independence Day in Ukraine -- and marks six months since Russia launched a massive attack against the country. Where do things stand in the war, and what has that half-year brought the invading country? Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor and former director of RFE/RL's Russian Service, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
The Tajik government has a reputation for repression and has launched several crackdowns on perceived opponents in recent years. But the Tajik regime’s current campaign to silence or eliminate any potential challenge to its authority is the country’s most sweeping yet. Targets have been detained, imprisoned, and in some cases killed, and have included residents of the eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, journalists, bloggers, activists, lawyers, poets, and even a clergyman.
In a recent article, analyst and author Mark Galeotti wrote that Vladimir Putin appears to be entering "the final, most dangerous phase of his descent into rogue state tyrant." What does that mean for the war in Ukraine -- and what can the West do about it? Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Members of opposition parties, rights activists, journalists, and others have fled Central Asia to escape persecution. Russia is easiest to reach, but some who fled there have disappeared and reappeared in custody back home. Europe is a safer destination, but there are still problems, including the threat of extradition, for Central Asian asylum seekers who reach the European Union. This week's Majlis podcast looks at the challenges for Central Asians seeking asylum in the EU.
A crucial time in the war in Ukraine, and two years since a disputed election led to protests and crackdown in Belarus. Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Across Central Asia there have been reports of abnormally high temperatures this summer and this follows the drought that the area experienced last year. In the mountains of eastern Central Asia, glaciers continue to shrink. The signs of climate change in the region are clear. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at how the bad the problem is, what can be expected in the coming years, and what Central Asia can do to mitigate the effects of climate change there.
Boris Nemtsov, a politician with presidential potential who became a vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin and Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, was shot dead near the Kremlin in 2015. His daughter, journalist Zhanna Nemtsova, talks about Another Russia, her new podcast about Nemtsov and the continuing fight for the country's future.
Uzbekistan hosted an international conference on Afghanistan on July 25-26 with Taliban representatives in attendance. Tashkent has led the way in Central Asia in engaging with the Taliban since they returned to power in August 2021, but not everyone agrees with the Uzbek government’s decision to host representatives of a group that many consider to be extremist. On this week’s Majlis podcast we look at the challenges and potential benefits for Uzbekistan, and more broadly Central Asia, in dealing with the Taliban.
Domestic violence, sexual harassment, and gender inequality are pervasive in conservative Central Asian societies. In recent years, social media have helped draw more attention to the ill-treatment of women to and have become a platform for victims to share their experiences.
Despite setbacks on the battlefield, Russia announced that it wants to control at least two Ukrainian regions beyond the Donbas. And it reached a deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports, but then fired rockets at Odesa. Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what these developments could bring.
The five Central Asian presidents met in Kyrgyzstan on July 20-21, but the preannounced crowning achievement of the event -- an agreement of friendship and cooperation in the 21st century -- was not signed by all. The Central Asian governments have been strengthening their regional ties in recent years, but there are still significant differences of opinion between them. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at what the summit in Kyrgyzstan showed about what has and has not been achieved in regional relations.
Flights have resumed, borders have reopened, and COVID-19 restrictions have eased. But the tourism industry in Central Asia doesn't seem to be fully back on its feet yet.
Are Russians hearing about the horrors of their country’s war on Ukraine, or are the state’s narratives drowning out the bloody details? And is Western resolve strong enough to stand up to the Kremlin’s framing of its invasion? Ian Garner, an expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
A recent statement from the United Nations called on Kyrgyz authorities "intensify curbing violence against women and girls." The figures provided by Kyrgyz media show an alarming spike in the number of gender violence crimes during the COVID lockdown and after those restrictions were lifted. This Majlis Podcast looks at why violence against women and girls is becoming worse and what could be done to change the situation. (WARNING: This week's podcast contains descriptions of sexual violence.)
In a live discussion, we spoke with Asem Zhapisheva, founder of Masa Media, an independent news website in Kazakhstan, and Nikita Makarenko, a freelance journalist from Uzbekistan, to talk about their difficult work conditions, the line between journalism and activism, and the future of journalism.
What's behind President Vladimir Putin's assertion that Russia has not yet begun to fight the war in Ukraine "in earnest?" And when Western officials talk about victory for Ukraine, what does that mean -- and how far will they go to achieve it? Analyst and author Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan and Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan are the only two regions in the five Central Asian states with nominal autonomy. There have been peaceful protests that turned violent in both regions in the last two months, leaving, officially, 34 people dead, though there are groups that claim the figure is higher. This Majlis Podcast looks at what is similar and what is different in the unrest in Gorno-Badakhshan and Karakalpakstan.
Iran’s relations with the countries of Central Asian have been up and down for more than 30 years. Now there are signs that their ties are again strengthening: Between May 29 and June 19, three Centra Asian presidents paid official visits to Iran. One reason for the outreach is the unreliability of the region’s traditional trade route through Russia after international sanctions were imposed on Russia for its war on Ukraine. But there are also other factors at play. This week’s Majlis podcast discusses the warming ties between Central Asia and Iran.
Over the past five years, Central Asian countries have already seen some of the worst droughts, which has led to shortages of water for irrigation and hydropower. This, in turn, pushed prices for food up and caused electricity shortages. And in 2021, the deadliest border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in years started as a water dispute between local residents, although other factors played a role too.
In 1998, days after Vladimir Putin was named to head the FSB, a journalist digging into his past was beaten to death -- a brutal attack that's examined in the final installment of an investigative series by RFE/RL on the early part of Putin's rise to power. Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck and Andrei Soshnikov, an investigative journalist and web editor for Current Time, join host Steve Gutterman to discuss the project and the story of Anatoly Levin-Utkin's killing.
The Kremlin’s decision to recognize the independence of the Russia-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, then launch an invasion of Ukraine, created new tensions between Kazakhstan and Russia. The remarks of Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Russian President Vladimir Putin when they were sitting together in St. Petersburg on June 17 showed the differences in opinion between the two governments on Ukraine and other issues. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at the growing rift In Kazakh-Russian ties.
In Central Asia, power and wealth are often kept and passed down in a family. But the concept of blood ties goes beyond immediate or extended family members. Political alliances and influential clans are also organized around tribal or regional kinship that goes back centuries to the times when today’s Central Asian nations were a group of separate tribes.
At an annual economic forum that was once his window on the West, President Vladimir Putin lashed out at Washington and repeated baseless claims in an effort to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
A video of a groom striking his bride at a wedding reception in Uzbekistan, a Kyrgyz deputy’s proposal to ban young women from traveling abroad without permission, and the growing restrictions on women’s appearance and clothing are among the latest examples of the problems women in Central Asia are increasingly facing. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at the roots and manifestations of gender discrimination and violence in Central Asia.
COVID-19, severe droughts, supply problems caused by the pandemic, and, most recently, the war in Ukraine have all been contributing factors to a steep rise in the cost of living in Central Asia.
President Vladimir Putin likened himself to Peter the Great and suggested that grabbing land is the main motive for his war against Ukraine. How might this affect the course of the conflict -- and how crucial are the actions of the West? Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
The Tajik government is continuing what it calls a counterterrorist operation in the eastern Gorno-Badakhshan region. Tales of brutality continue to circulate on social media, but the lines of communication to the region were cut immediately after violence broke out in mid-May, so it's very difficult to know for sure what is happening there. This week’s Majlis Podcast takes a look at events in the remote region and the history behind them.
The conditions for LGBT people and access to information about them vary across Central Asia.
Does President Vladimir Putin think Russia is winning its war against Ukraine? And does he face a threat from Russians who favor the war but think it’s losing? Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
On June 1, Uzbekistan banned the export of cooking oil. The same day, Kyrgyzstan banned the export of sugar. Sugar is in short supply in areas of Kazakhstan and generally across the country and prices for meat, vegetables, cereals, and sugar in Kazakhstan have increased by some 15 percent since June 2021. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at food security in Central Asia and what governments there are doing to ensure their populations have enough to eat.
Throughout its entire post-Soviet history, Turkmenistan has been ruled by eccentric dictators. It has long been at the bottom of international rankings on press freedom and civil liberties. Most of the population scrapes by, even though the state’s wealth comes from gas and oil. Corruption is rife. And the government controls most aspects of life.
Author and analyst Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies in London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the latest developments in the war in Ukraine – as well as the speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin's health and the possibility that he could pushed from power.
Kazakhstan is holding a national referendum on potential amendments to the country’s constitution on June 5. This marks the first referendum in Kazakhstan in 27 years. The amendments, as proposed, would alter more than one-third of the current constitution. Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has said that the changes would bring an end to the “super presidential” system established by Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, and would create a Second Republic. Here we take a look at the key amendments and what exactly they signify for Kazakhstan’s future.
The number of Russian speakers in the region has indeed declined since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But Russian remains strong, especially in cities. It is still the language of education, science, services, and bureaucracy. Official policies and public attitudes among the Russian-speaking are gradually shifting, however, toward a more prominent role for native languages.
What's the connection between the largest cocaine bust in Russian history and the man who was the city's deputy mayor at the time, Vladimir Putin? Current Time reporter Andrei Soshnikov and RFE/RL Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck join guest host Mike Eckel to discuss a mostly overlooked but revelatory entry in Putin's political trajectory as well as findings made in the first of a multipart series looking at the Russian president's backstory.
Tensions have been simmering in Tajikistan’s restive Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast since November, when security forces killed 29-year-old Gulbiddin Ziyobekov. A brief period of unrest followed. Investigations into the incident have gone nowhere. On May 16, fighting started. Government forces backed by helicopters moved to crush local resistance. At least 30 people were killed. Why is Gorno-Badakhshan such a volatile area and are there any prospects for a peaceful solution to the problems there?
When the war is over, will Russia end up in a worse position than it was in before it invaded Ukraine? And should making sure that it does be a goal for the West? Nigel Gould-Davies, the senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
On May 7, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group fired rockets from Afghanistan into Tajikistan. The Taliban says it controls northern Afghanistan, but IS-K is not the only armed group battling the Taliban in this area. Not far from the Tajik border, the National Resistance Front under the command of ethnic Tajik Ahmad Masud is also fighting to wrest control of areas from the Taliban. What is happening south of the Tajik border and what connection does Tajikistan have to this latest violence?
At the annual military parade in Red Square, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated the Kremlin's narratives about the war in Ukraine but made no big announcements and signaled no changes in strategy. Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
The Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK) claimed to have launched rockets at Uzbekistan from a border town in northern Afghanistan. Uzbek and Afghan officials denied it, but there is evidence that a failed attack did happen and evidence of other IS-K attacks in northern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, IS-K has been making threats on social media against Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This week’s Majlis podcast looks at the increasing violence in northern Afghanistan and what it means for Central Asia.
With Russia causing devastation in Ukraine that echoes World War II and preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat 77 years ago, are major developments likely in Ukraine – and in Russia itself? Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Central Asian governments have never respected press freedom. But in today's new era of media, in which YouTube channels, blogs, and social networks are among the most popular means of obtaining information, Central Asia's authorities have been playing catch-up. But they are, indeed, catching up, crafting new laws and rules on what people in the region can post.
Can Ukraine win the war? And as Russia's military losses mount and isolation increases, are the whispers of dismay and discontent in circles close to President Vladimir Putin growing louder? Political analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
The armies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan fought brief but destructive skirmishes along their frontier at the end of April 2021. Tensions had been building for years before that, and despite efforts to build trust and calm emotions after last year's conflict, three people have been shot dead since March in clashes between border guards. Has any progress at de-escalation been made, or is more conflict on the horizon?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left Central Asia short of basic foods, notably wheat, that the region regularly imports. People are already worried about worse times to come. This latest trade disruption comes on the heels of the global pandemic and last year’s severe drought. What are the impending challenges Central Asia faces to feed itself?
As the terrible human toll mounts and evidence of atrocities emerges, where is the war in Ukraine headed? And how sustainable is the situation in Russia? Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Trucks carrying sugar and other goods sent from India have arrived in Uzbekistan, the first shipment to travel a north-south trade route that would connect Central Asia to the Indian Ocean. On this week's Majlis, we discuss the prospects for this potentially profitable route and look at what obstacles remain to realizing greater trade from Central Asia to the subcontinent.
As Russian forces withdrew from the suburbs of Kyiv, they left a trail of death and destruction -- including mounting evidence of cold-blooded killings of Ukrainian civilians. Will this awful development change views of the war in Russia or the West? Alexander Clarkson, a lecturer at King's College London, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.