Uznews, Tashkent, 28 Aug 2008 – The Senate of the Uzbek parliament today adopted a resolution on pardoning in connection with the 17th anniversary of the country’s independence – it is a slim hope for the release of convicted human rights and political prisoners.

Day.az, Baku, 29 Aug 2008 – The Azadliq radio (RFE/RL) correspondents in Nakhchivan Malahat Nasibova and her husband Ilqar Nasibov, as well as regional correspondent of the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety Elman Abbasov appealed to the prosecutor’s office of Babek region and prosecutor’s office of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, reports Day.Az with reference [...]

NANSMIT, Dushanbe, 27 Aug 2008 – On 26 June, in Dushanbe, representatives of the government press services met with the Tajik media to discuss the issues of public awareness and timely provision of information.

NANSMIT, Dushanbe, 28 Aug 2008 – On 9 August 2008, the Sughd province prosecutor’s office filed a criminal case against Tursunali Aliyev, a local journalist who is accused of libel and defamation (Article 135 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code). The motive for filing the case was an feuilleton titled “Shame on chairman…” written by Aliyev and [...]

OSCE/CoE, Warsaw/Strasbourg, 27 Aug 2008 – The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe today expressed their disappointment at the signing into law of amendments to Kyrgyzstan’s freedom-of-assembly law. The amended law was signed by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on 6 August.

IRFS, Baku, 27 Aug 2008 – This morning in the village of Nahrem, in Azerbaijan’s Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, a confrontation occurred between village residents and police.

Uznews, Nukus, 26 Aug 2008 – The Mangit town court in Karakalpakstan’s Amudarya District today started hearings into the case of the head of the Tashkent-based Mazlum human rights organisation, Agzam Turgunov, but it was immediately postponed.

Uznews, Tashkent, 24 Aug 2008 – The EU will consider sanctions imposed against Uzbekistan for the massacre in Andijan in 2005 in September or October, the German Foreign Ministry has said.

Ferghana.ru, Bishkek, 22 Aug 2008 – Cholpon Orozbekova, editor-in-chief of the oppositional De-facto newspaper, which is involved in libel litigation, has been threatened physically by unknown persons over the phone, one of the newspaper representatives told Ferghana.ru. Orozbekova’s lawyer is to ask for the editor’s protection by the State National Security Committee.

Georgia Today, Tbilisi, 22 Aug 2008 – Georgia Today provides an open letter of Redjeb Jordania to Vladimer Putin. Son of the President, Noé Jordania, of the first democratic Georgian Republic (1918-1921), Redjeb Jordania was born in Paris after his parents were forced into exile by the invasion of Georgia by the Red Army and [...]

Gundogar, Ashgabat, 21 Aug 2008 – Acting at the expanded session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, taken place on August, 15th, 2008, president Qurbanqulu Berdymuhammedov declared an innovation in the curriculum of Turkmen high schools.

NANSMIT, Dushanbe, 21 Aug 2008 – The management of the different ministries and departments of Tajikistan have instructed the press-services not to come into contact with mass-media and not to give the information to journalists without the permission of the first persons. It is offered to journalists to direct them the questions beforehand and in [...]

Uznews, Samarkand, 21 Aug 2008 – The Samarkand police have been keeping silent about a case trumped up against three journalists and human rights activists, who were actually victims, on hooliganism charges.