Sher Khashimov

State-Connected Oligarchs and Looted Public Funds: Tracking Illicit Money Across Asia In this installment of GIJN's Asia Focus project, we look at how investigative journalists across the continent are exposing kleptocracy and documenting official corruption.

Investigative journalism in Asia continues to do important work despite a challenging press freedom environment. For @gijn.org, I spoke to journalists in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Bangladesh about their experiences, challenges, and the value of cross-border collaboration.

gijn.org/stories/asia...

‘An unusual hobby’ How Central Asian Wikipedians are closing the local-language knowledge gap in the age of AI — Meduza In April 2025, the volunteer editors and administrators behind the Central Asian editions of Wikipedia held their first ever gathering IRL (in real life). Founded along linguistic rather than nation-s...

In a dispatch from Tashkent, The Beet explores the debates about language, trust, and technology shaping Wikipedia’s development in Central Asia (and beyond) in the age of AI. meduza.io/en/feature/2... @meduza.io

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

New pub: Central Asian migrants at the US-Mexico border: An exploration of causes

Great piece analyzing spike in Central Asian migrants in 2021-2022. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Lithuania’s Migration Dept wants visa centre in Tajikistan shut down due to overstays Lithuania’s Migration Department has proposed shutting down an external visa service centre in Tajikistan that processes...

Lithuania's migration authorities are looking to close their visa center in Dushanbe due to the high number of visa overstays by Tajik citizens www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-e...

‘A Turning Point That Never Happened’: Eyewitnesses Recall the Wagner Mercenary Mutiny 2 Years Later - The Moscow Times A former employee of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s “troll factory,” a graduate student who found himself near the fighting and a soldier from Rostov-on-Don, the city occupied by the rebels.  Two years after Wag...

An ex-employee of Prigozhin’s “troll factory,” a graduate student who was near the fighting and a soldier from Rostov-on-Don shared their memories of living through the mutiny with MT.

The Most Significant Long-Term Consequence of the U.S. Strikes on Iran It’s not the damage to Fordow or Natanz.

My piece for @carnegieendowment.org on the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, including the damage, long-term pathways to reconstitution, internal debates in Iran, and the future of the IAEA carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Kyrgyz parliament backs new state controls on media outlets Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved a bill that tightens state controls over media outlets, in what critics say is a blow to press freedom in a country once seen as more open than other Central Asian nations.

This is devastating.
How much my colleagues and so many others have been fighting to prevent this.

#KyrgyzParliament passed the media law in two readings at once, making changes at the very last minute. Last hope has failed

www.reuters.com/business/med...

I can’t help but assume this includes programs for studying Central Asian languages

К чему может привести закон об обмене информацией между школами и МВД о детях иностранцев Госдума России в первом чтении приняли законопроект, который обязывает школы передавать МВД всю информацию о детях мигрантов. По словам авторов, этот документ поможет бороться с мигрантами, у которых ...

New legislation in Russia will require public schools to share the personal data of all immigrant children with the police

This is combined with other legislation that limits access of immigrant children to public education

www.currenttime.tv/a/33448907.h...

15 Years On, Ethnic Uzbeks Sill Face Bias in Kyrgyzstan Several ethnic Uzbeks from Osh said that the 2010 trauma continues to inform their daily lives and that the government’s efforts have largely been ineffective.

#Kyrgyzstan: Although 15 years have passed since the deadly ethnic clashes in the south of Kyrgyzstan, wounds still have not healed and new ones added with ongoing demolitions in Osh. I write about it in my oped here: thediplomat.com/2025/06/15-y...

«Экстремист» по госбазе: почему блокируют Qaznews24 и как живёт Темирлан Енсебек после приговора Основатель и экс-автор сатирического инстаграм-паблика, оказался в списке лиц, финансирующих экстремизм.

Temirlan Yensebek, who used to run a satirical news channel called Qaznews24 (think of it as Kazakhstan's The Onion), has been designated an extremist in Kazakhstan. He's banned from using banking, owning real estate, or being officially employed

orda.kz/jekstremist-...

South Asian men lined up in front of a Kyrgyz security services officer

South Asian men lined up against a wall with their backs facing a Kyrgyz security services officer

Kyrgyz authorities are conducting anti-migrant raids across Bishkek today, targeting South Asian workers from
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, many of whom work in the textile industry

The criminalization of migration is truly global

Investigation Uncovers Telegram's Potential Links to Russia's FSB - The Moscow Times The Telegram messaging app may be less secure than previously thought, as its infrastructure is controlled by a man whose companies have collaborated with Russian intelligence services, according to a...

The Telegram messaging app's infrastructure is controlled by a man whose companies have collaborated with Russian intelligence services, according to a new investigation by the exiled outlet IStories.

Telegram, the FSB, and the Man in the Middle The technical infrastructure that underpins Telegram is controlled by a man whose companies have collaborated with Russian intelligence services.

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reports today that Telegram's technical backbone is managed by a Russian network engineer with significant business ties to the FSB, Russia's counterpart to the FBI.

Destruction in Paradise: Kyrgyzstan’s Ala-Archa National Park Under Siege The construction of A-frame houses, cafes, roads, and funiculars in Ala-Archa National Park appears to violate multiple Kyrgyz laws protecting natural areas.

You can’t stay indifferent when your love is this deep.

This isn’t just a story about #mountains — it’s about what lives within them: the forests, waters, glaciers, and the people who protect them.

#Kyrgyzstan’s #Ala-Archa National Park Under Siege

thediplomat.com/2025/06/dest...

Uzbekistan qualify for the 2026 World Cup! Central Asian nation, ranked 57th in the world, qualify for tournament for the very first time after avoiding defeat against United Arab Emirates | Goal.com ... Uzbekistan have qualified for their first ever World Cup following a goalless draw with United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

Mashallah! Uzbekistan qualify for the 2026 World Cup! The first Central Asian nation to do so! ⚽

www.goal.com/en-us/lists/...

Trump announces travel ban on 12 countries and partial restrictions for 7 others Trump framed the new restrictions, which primarily target African and Asian countries, as necessary to fortify national security and combat terrorism.

#Turkmenistan is on the list of countries whose citizens now face restrictions from entering the US, thought not an outright ban www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

Kyrgyzstan: Incoming Peace Corps Cohort Cancelled Last Minute As DOGE takes aim at the Peace Corps, the sudden cancellation of the June departure of new volunteers to Kyrgyzstan “is particularly cruel and inefficient.”

DOGE cancels the Peace Corps program in Kyrgyzstan, the only country in Central Asia to host Peace Corps volunteers.

I can only concur with @colleenwood.rocks's words quoted in this article. Peace Corps had a huge impact in Kyrgyzstan and is generally well liked

thediplomat.com/2025/05/kyrg...

Kyrgyzstan detains eight media workers in widening crackdown National security authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained eight current and former employees of independent media outlet Kloop, their lawyers said, accusing them of inciting unrest amid a growing crackdown on media in the Central Asian country.

Ongoing detentions of former and current media workers in Kyrgyzstan

Journalism is being demolished in real time

www.reuters.com/business/med...

Central Asia's New Position In Global Politics A lot has changed in Central Asia in the more than three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As countries in the region seek to loosen Moscow and Beijing's grip on the region, how far...

It was an honor to be the guest of the final episode of THE podcast on Central Asia, the Majlis Podcast, hosted by the one&only @pannierb.bsky.social. Together w/ Bakyt Beshimov & @nargiskassenova.bsky.social, we've discussed Central Asia's position in global politics: www.rferl.org/a/majlis-rus...

Проект «Хочу жить» ⚡️⚡️⚡️ Следующее государство ОДКБ в нашем цикле публикаций данных об иностранных наемниках, завербованных Россией на войну в Украине – Республика Таджикистан. #наемники_ВС_РФ По имеющейся у нас благо...

Tajikistan allegedly has the largest number of its nationals (931) serving in the Russian forces in Ukraine from among Central Asian countries. At least 196 of them have been killed in Ukraine.
t.me/hochu_zhyt/3...

Afghan Authorities Accelerate Push for Road and Rail Projects — Bourse & Bazaar Foundation As the Taliban government pursues an assertive policy to enhance Afghanistan’s logistical infrastructure, interest in the country’s role as a southern transit hub is gaining momentum across West Asia.

As the Taliban tries to attract foreign investment, it's pitching Afghanistan as a regional transit hub.

In this analysis for @boursebazaar.bsky.social, Nargiza Umarova looks at the range of road and rail projects being pursued by Afghanistan's neighbors.
www.bourseandbazaar.org/articles/202...

Russia Eyes Budget Cuts as Sliding Oil Prices Drive Deficit Upward - The Moscow Times Russian authorities are considering forced cuts to federal spending as falling oil prices deplete the reserves needed to fund the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing an anonymous source...

Russian authorities are considering forced cuts to federal spending as falling oil prices deplete the reserves needed to fund the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the preliminary discussions.

Exclusive: Documents show differences over US peace drive for Ukraine Ukrainian and European officials pushed back this week against some U.S. proposals on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, making counterproposals on issues from territory to sanctions, according to the full texts of the proposals seen by Reuters.

Worth a read: Reuters obtained the counterproposal from European and Ukrainian officials in response to the Trump admin’s push to end Russia’s war. The document differs on territory, sanctions, security guarantees & the size of Ukraine’s army. www.reuters.com/world/docume...

Uzbekistan introduces ‘golden visas’ for foreigners from 1 June - INVEXI: Investment Consulting Management Company By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to stimulate production, export and entrepreneurial activity, increasing the efficiency of trade and industrial policy” (No. P...

Uzbekistan to introduce “golden visas” for foreigners from June 1.

The cost of the document will be $200,000 and $100,000 for family members of its holder.The document will be valid for 5 years.

Kyrgyzstan detains Russian government agency worker accused of recruiting fighters for Ukraine war Kyrgyz security services have detained four people, including an employee of a Russian government agency, on suspicion of recruiting Kyrgyz citizens to fight in the Russian army, officials said on Wednesday.

Around 60 #Kyrgyz citizens were reportedly beaten by police in #Moscow, with more than 20 detained.

Is Bishkek pushing back on Russians raids targeting Kyrgyz Nationals?

Follow the link for more
www.reuters.com/world/kyrgyz...

Сотрудницу Русского дома в Кыргызстане и еще троих человек арестовали по делу о вербовке наемников в армию РФ В Кыргызстане задержали четырех человек по делу о вербовке наемников. Об этом сообщает кыргызская служба Радио Свобода/Азаттык. Пресс-служба Первомайского районного суда Бишкека в пресс-релизах указал...

Kyrgyzstan arrests four people in the city of Osh for allegedly recruiting mercenaries to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Among those arrested is a representative of the Russian House in Osh and a member of the mayor’s communications team

www.currenttime.tv/a/kyrgyzstan...

‘Partisans should work with whoever they want’ Wealthy Russians have a history of funding the anti-Putin opposition. Here’s how they do it — and what’s in it for them. — Meduza For several months, a fierce debate has raged in Russian opposition circles over the funding of political organizations, encompassing everything from the ideal level of transparency for anti-Kremlin g...

This is probably the longest translation I’ve ever done for @meduza.io. And it tackles a question I’ve long wanted to know the answer to: Who funds the Russian opposition — and what’s in it for them? If you’re looking for a weekend read, this is it! meduza.io/en/feature/2...

The Eagle Hunters of Kyrgyzstan In the mountains of Central Asia, a Small group of outdoorsmen are keeping an ancient tradition alive.

A gorgeous piece on the ancient tradition of eagle hunting in Kyrgyzstan from @atavist.com

magazine.atavist.com/the-eagle-hu...

Hundreds of Ethnic Germans Are Dying for Russia in Ukraine. This Man Is Tracking Them. - The Moscow Times Volunteers counting Russia’s losses in the war in Ukraine have long pointed to the disproportionate numbers of ethnic minorities among the fallen soldiers.  In addition to communities Indigenous to Ru...

Andrej Triller, a descendant of Volga Germans deported to Kazakhstan by the Soviets, has been documenting the new tragedy hitting his community.