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Kyrgyzstan Wants to Extend Prison Terms for “Calls to Seize Power”

Kyrgyzstan's Interior Ministry has proposed toughening the criminal penalties for inciting violent seizures of power. The ministry has tabled an amendment whereby those found to have breached Article 327 of Kyrgyzstan's Criminal Code (“Public calls for violent seizure of power”) could face between three and five years in prison. The Criminal Code currently only sets out a fine of 20,000 to 50,000 som ($236 to $590), or imprisonment of up to three years. The draft law has been submitted for public discussion. In Kyrgyzstan, it is not uncommon for civic activists and those who criticize the current government to be arrested on charges of "public calls for violent seizure of power". Among Kyrgyz citizens to have been convicted of this charge are Zarina Torokulova and Kanykei Aranova, who are both currently in prison after posting messages on social media. Their sentences are harsher than the law currently calls for: Torokulova was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023, while this year Aranova was sentenced to three and a half years. In June 2024, 20 Kyrgyz citizens who peacefully protested against a land swap with Uzbekistan involving the Kempir-Abad reservoir were acquitted by the court, but the prosecutor's office appealed the court's decision, demanding that they be found guilty. Furthermore, the Interior Ministry proposes increasing the prison term to five to seven years if the offense is committed by a group of individuals, or by using the internet or mass media. The current punishment is a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 som ($590 to $1,185) or imprisonment for three to five years. The draft bill also proposes to criminalize public calls for extremist activity and possession of extremist materials if a person has previously received a warning. For this purpose, new articles will be added to the Criminal Code: “Possession of extremist materials” and “Public calls for extremist activities.”

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International Recognition for the Kazakh Tazy Dog

The Kazakh Tazy, one of the oldest dog breeds, is at last, poised to receive international recognition. The General Committee of the International Cynological Federation (FCI) has officially approved the preliminary recognition of the Kazakh Tazy as a unique breed. The move secures Kazakhstan as the holder of the breed standard and is a significant step towards the breed's global recognition. The next ten years will be devoted to collecting data on the health, characteristics, and registration of Tazy puppies, which will be submitted to the FCI for review. Since 2022, the Presidential Affairs Department (PAD) of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been working on preserving Kazakh dog breeds through scientific research, exhibitions and amendments to legislation regarding breeding. In August 2023, the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan, having fulfilled all of its requirements, became a full member of FCI which in turn, allowed the Kazakh Tazy to be declared a national breed. The Kazakh Tazy dog emerged over four thousand years ago and according to recent genetic studies, is unique in terms of genetic diversity, especially in Kazakhstan's southern and eastern regions. Renowned for its outstanding endurance, ability to withstand Central Asia's harsh climate, and skills in hunting hares, wolves, and other animals, the Tazy has long been an essential part of the nomadic people's lives.

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Uzbek President: Global Conflicts Undercut Anti-Terror Efforts

International conflicts and antagonism among the world’s most powerful countries are undermining “the fight against the threats of terrorism and extremism,” Uzbekistan’s president said at a regional anti-terror conference this week in Tashkent. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev didn’t mention any conflicts or countries by name, but he was possibly referring to Russia’s war against Western-backed Ukraine, the Gaza war that has raised fears of a wider Mideast conflict, and tension between the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies. Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries seek to balance their relations with these major powers, while also trying to address the threat of religious extremism that attracts some recruits from their region. “Unfortunately, geopolitical acrimony and the intensification of conflicts, the lack of mutual trust between the leading countries, the decline of the role of global security institutions have a negative impact on the development of open and effective international cooperation in the fight against the threats of terrorism and extremism,” said Mirziyoyev, who appealed for more dialogue and collaboration to counter the problem. He spoke to counter-terrorism delegates who were meeting under the umbrella of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, which promote cooperation on economic, security and other issues in the Eurasian region. The two-day meeting in the Uzbek capital, which ends on Thursday, is discussing education and other ways to prevent the spread of radical ideas, as well as how to prevent terrorist financing. In the biggest terror attack in the region this year, gunmen killed about 140 people at the Crocus City Hall in the Moscow area on March 22. The Islamic State group, which is believed to have successfully recruited people from Central Asia, claimed responsibility. The suspected gunmen were Tajik migrants in Russia. Threats in cyberspace are increasing, according to the Uzbek president. “Active work on illegal activities, recruitment and promotion of radical ideas is increasingly carried out through Internet networks and channels that do not recognize national borders and legal norms,” Mirziyoyev said. He warned that online manipulation is directing “relatively weak sections of the population” such as young people and labor migrants toward criminal activity.

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Empowering Kazakhstan’s Future: Navigating Diplomatic, Energy, and Geopolitical Challenges in the Nuclear Power Referendum

Never short of diplomatic acumen, on September 2, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on holding a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan. Tokayev’s goal is to ensure that arguments for nuclear energy are compelling and to involve citizens, scientists, and government officials in the decision-making process. However, it's crucial that the public are fully informed about these plans as Kazakhstan finalizes the first stage of its new nuclear development. With demand for electricity soaring, it can be argued that the case for the NPP is compelling. Officials forecast that electricity deficits are set to worsen, leading to a reliance on imports, such as was the case in the 1990s. In the first three months of 2024 alone, tariffs rose by 26%. Electricity in Kazakhstan is currently generated by 222 power plants under various forms of ownership, with 84% coming from fossil fuels, hydropower accounting for 12%, and less than 2% coming from solar and wind installations as of 2019. Renewables had expanded to 5.92% by 2023, but the deficit continues to grow. Old-Timers and Newcomers On October 6 of this year, the Kazakhstani people will give the final answer in a referendum on whether nuclear power will become a component of their everyday lives or whether nuclear-phobia, connecting both the memory of atomic testing at Semipalatinsk and persistent distrust in the ability of officials to build something grandiose without embezzlement, will prevail. The example of the LRT (the project for elevated light-rail transportation in Astana, which was to be implemented back in 2013) stands as a stark monument to corruption which has even penetrated the cultural code of today's youth. One of the first episodes of a then-popular show hosted by politician and businessman, Bulat Abilov, was devoted to nuclear energy and the need to build nuclear power plants. Abilov's inspiration for this topic was Mukhtar Dzhakishev. The former Head of Kazatomprom and Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, on November 10, 2009, Dzhakishev was charged with the theft of Kazatomprom property and the receipt of bribes, and was sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment. Subsequently found guilty on separate charges related to embezzlement, fraud, involvement in organized crime and the abuse of power, he was sentenced to a further ten years to run concurrent to his prior sentence. Dzhakishev was released in March 2020, but this episode has led neither man to change their position - nuclear power plants are the best thing for Kazakhstan in light of coming energy shortfalls. Agitators for the NPP, who also include the General Director of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants JSC, Timur Zhantikin, and specialists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Ministry of Energy, have, however, encountered vociferous opposition. Some still oppose the NPP, such as ecologist Mels Yeleusizov. The arguments among those resistant to construction of the NPP have long remained unchanged, with seismic hazards, radiophobia, and corruption at the forefront. The pressure on emotions has also remained unwavering, with slogans such...

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New Satellite Internet May Appear in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan plans to agree with Amazon to use "Project Kuiper" satellite internet, a competitor to Elon Musk's well-known Starlink. Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiev said the agreement was signed during the Asia-Pacific Conference on Digital Transformation, which will be organized by UNESCAP in Astana. Madiev emphasized that competition between satellite providers will improve the quality of internet services for citizens at an affordable price. Amazon began deploying the Project Kuiper network by launching the first two prototype satellites last year. More than 3,200 satellites are planned to be deployed in the future, but a full-fledged launch has been delayed until the end of 2024. Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, who participated in the conference, also said that the 5G network will cover all regional centers of Kazakhstan by the end of 2025. A Starlink pilot project was also launched in Kazakhstan; under this project, Starlink internet will be available to two thousand remote rural schools.

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Chinese Modernizing Two Power Units at Bishkek Heating Plant

Since July, some 350 specialists from China’s Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co. Ltd. (TBEA) have been carrying out a full overhaul of two power generating units at the Bishkek Thermal Power Plant (TPP), Taalaibek Baigaziyev, Deputy Mayor of Bishkek for Energy Issues, told Birinchi Radio. The Bishkek TPP generates 13% of all electricity produced in Kyrgyzstan (with the rest generated by hydropower plants) and provides heat and hot water to almost two-thirds of the capital. TBEA built the two power units that are currently under repair as part of the Bishkek TPP modernization that commenced in 2014. Following a loan agreement between China’s Export-Import Bank and the Kyrgyz government in 2013, TBEA was granted the contract and modernized the plant for $386 million. According to Baigaziyev, these two Chinese power units were commissioned in 2017 and were not repaired until this July. In past winters, they worked with a maximum load of 210 megawatts. This winter, their capacity is planned to increase to 300 megawatts. The Bishkek TPP has seen two significant accidents in recent years. One accident occurred in January 2018, when the plant’s breakdown left the city without heating for three days amid freezing air temperatures. The most recent accident happened on February 2 of this year, in the old part of the power plant that the Chinese did not modernize. An explosion at the plant seriously injured three people. It caused the plant’s breakdown, forcing authorities to declare hot water and heating restrictions in some parts of the city as the plant’s staff worked to repair the damage. Following the accident, Kyrgyzstan’s president Sadyr Japarov ordered the complete modernization of the aging thermal power plant.