Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - March 17, 2010

Kyrgyz activists call for Europe’s help over websites (Reuters)

Tajikistan: World Bank offer energizes Roghun hydropower project (EurasiaNet)

Kyrgyz activists call for Europe’s help over websites

(Reuters) - Shouting “Freedom!” and waving banners, Kyrgyz protesters appealed Monday to European organizations to help them regain access to independent news websites they say have been blocked by the state.
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Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - March 15, 2010

Torture, abuse mark Uzbekistan’s rights record - U.S. (Reuters)

China’s thirst for energy fuels westward expansion (Reuters)

China in Central Asia - latest investments (Reuters)

Torture, abuse mark Uzbekistan’s rights record - U.S.

(Reuters) - Uzbekistan jailed political opponents, routinely tortured prisoners and committed other serious rights violations last year, effectively making it Central Asia’s most authoritarian state, the United States said.
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Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - March 11, 2010

U.S. general’s Kyrgyz visit rivals Russian influence (Reuters)

Tajik court jails banned Islamic group members (AP)

Azerbaijan court rejects ‘donkey video’ bloggers’ appeal (AFP)

U.S. general’s Kyrgyz visit rivals Russian influence

(Reuters) - U.S. General David Petraeus arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, a day after the United States said it would build an anti-terrorism training center for the former Soviet republic in Central Asia.
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Tajik court jails banned Islamic group members

(AP) - Tajikistan’s Supreme Court has sentenced dozens of people to prison terms for belonging to a banned Islamic organization.
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Azerbaijan court rejects ‘donkey video’ bloggers’ appeal

(AFP) - An Azerbaijani court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by two bloggers jailed after satirizing the government with an Internet video that showed a donkey giving a press conference, their lawyer said.
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Kazakhstan Regional News Roundup - March 9, 2010

Tajik governing party declared election winner (AP)

Ukraine and Russia vow ‘new page’ in ties (AFP)

Tajik governing party declared election winner

(AP) - Election officials in Tajikistan have declared the governing party the overwhelming winner of parliamentary elections that international observers say were marred by widespread fraud.
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