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| Image: Flickr User - U.S. Department of State |
By Ryskeldi Satke
Moscow appears to be flexing its muscles in Central Asia’s most troubled state.
The little-known mountainous nation of Kyrgyzstan canceled a cooperation treaty with the U.S. last week after a diplomatic row with Washington over the granting of a human rights award to imprisoned activist Azimjon Askarov. The Kyrgyz move wouldn’t have come without an obvious push from the Kremlin. Ethnic Uzbek human rights defender Askarov’s name has been in the headlines worldwide since his arrest in 2010, and eventual imprisonment on fabricated criminal charges. Since his incarceration, the activist has received a number of international awards from renowned watchdog organizations in the U.S. and EU. In 2011, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay criticized Kyrgyz authorities for mishandling the jailed activist’s case. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has stayed in close contact with the Kyrgyz government regarding the status of Askarov’s proceedings. For this reason, Kyrgyzstan is no newcomer to widespread condemnation from abroad.
Read the full story at The Diplomat