TCA
BISHKEK (TCA) — A team of Russian investigative journalists has reported that U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, worked in Kyrgyzstan in 2005 to promote the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests — including the closure of a U.S. air force base at Bishkek’s Manas airport that was the main logistics hub for NATO forces in Afghanistan, RFE/RL reports.
TCA
KABUL (TCA) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to appoint Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born former U.S. ambassador to Kabul, as his special envoy on Afghanistan, RFE/RL reported citing media reports of August 22.
EurasiaNet
DUSHANBE (TCA) — Authorities in Tajikistan persecute members of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan and their family members, and the latest sensational allegation posted on social media by a renegade security agent claims that they have even resorted to an assassination plot. We are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by Eurasianet:
A man identifying himself as an officer with Tajikistan’s security services has claimed he was tasked with assassinating the self-exiled leader of a banned opposition party.
The sensational allegations could not immediately be confirmed, but within hours of the 16-minute video featuring the claim being uploaded to Facebook on August 22, the social media website was blocked inside Tajikistan. The video was also posted on YouTube, which has also been blocked. Officials in Tajikistan have not commented on the allegations.
The man, who identified himself as Mahmadali Rasulov, stated that he has been an officer with the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, since 1997 and that he began his service posing as an activist in Russia. Online searches indeed confirm that Rasulov was once the head of a migrant rights group in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk krai, a region in the middle of the country.
Rasulov alleges that this February, GKNB chief Saymumin Yatimov began to devise a plot to assassinate Muhiddin Kabiri, who leads the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, or IRPT, and who now enjoys political asylum in Europe. Rasulov likened the plot to the fate that befell another self-exiled political figure, Umarali Quvvatov, who was gunned down in Istanbul in March 2015.
Investigations into Quvvatov’s murder ultimately proved inconclusive, although most observers of Tajikistan’s decline into deep authoritarianism strongly believe the government was involved.
Rasulov said he traveled to Europe several times to run surveillance operations on Kabiri and his children.
“Our task was to collect information. For the murder of Muhiddin Kabiri, we would of course have had to bring specially trained employees over to Germany. And let me assure you that the plot to kill Muhiddin Kabiri is still in place. Until this happens, the country’s leadership and at the leadership of the GKNB will not rest,” Rasulov said in his video.
Rasulov said that his decision to resign from the GKNB was prompted by his unwillingness to get involved in a murder plot. It is unclear from what location Rasulov was making the video appeal, although he stated that he is in an undisclosed location in Europe.
In another section of his account, Rasulov claims that infighting now apparently taking place between members of the exiled opposition is the fruit of a GKNB operation.
The Tajik authorities have to date focused on legal means to get their hands on Kabiri, who has been outside the country since 2015, following a likely inexistent armed coup attempt in September that year. Law enforcement officials issued a warrant for his arrest through the auspices of Interpol. But in March, Kabiri was removed from the Interpol wanted list following a legal campaign.
Rasulov said he met personally with Kabiri and other Tajik opposition figures based overseas — including Sharofiddin Gadoyev and Temur Varki.
“To some, I passed on the proposal from the authorities that they return to their homeland [of their own will]. I have to say that they were prepared to return and only advanced one condition. They said that if the authorities freed all political prisoners, then they would return to Tajikistan within one day,” he said.
Kabiri’s team have confirmed that Rasulov met with him.
In a follow-up message after posting his video online, Rasulov said that police in his native Panjekent disrict, in northern Tajikistan, had summoned his brother and elderly father for questioning.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — In the first half of 2018, Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector grew 5.2% on-year, with the main drivers of growth being engineering, chemical industry, food production, oil refining, metallurgy, and construction materials production. It was said at the Government meeting on August 22 which reviewed results of the State Program for Industrial and Innovative Development of Kazakhstan for 2015-2019 achieved in the first six months of 2018, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
TCA
ASTANA (TCA) — Construction of a plant for the processing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and the production of staple fiber was completed in the Turkestan region in southern Kazakhstan, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
Investors in the project were Kazakhstan GreenTechnology Industries in cooperation with the foreign partner — Hong Kong General Industry and Commerce (China).
The plant started production of the first stage — washing, drying and crushing PET waste, where 73 people are already employed. Now the company has started to launch the next stage — organization of staple fiber production.
With the full launch of the plant, more than 250 jobs will be created.
Hong Kong General Industry and Commerce Co Ltd is a subsidiary of the international holding company Tianrun Group. It is the largest manufacturer and exporter of sectional heating radiators. The holding’s turnover is $400 million a year; it has production facilities in China and Europe.
Kazakh Invest national investment promotion company provided assistance in connecting the project to gas supply networks, as well as obtaining a working visa for the management and specialists of the Chinese company.
According to official statistics, 5-6 million tons of solid household waste are stored annually in Kazakhstan, of which about 150-200 thousand tons is PET waste. At the same time, only a small proportion of solid household waste, from 3% to 5%, is estimated to be disposed of or recycled.
“The project is unique in that for the first time in Kazakhstan PET waste will be processed with the production of finished products — staple fiber. This type of synthetic fiber does not crinkle, does not burn out and for a long time retains high strength, possesses a hypoallergenic property. Things made from it are pleasant to the touch, easily washable. Also, the products will be used in construction mixtures, which will improve the quality of construction works,” Executive Director of GreenTechnology Industries Clara Abdrakhmanova said.
The total cost of the project is $20 million. It is planned that 50,000 tons of finished products will be produced annually at the plant.
TCA
DUSHANBE (TCA) — Tajik authorities released prominent journalist Hairullo Mirsaidov from detention after a court on August 22 converted his 12-year prison sentence to a fine and community service in a case widely seen as politically motivated, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported.
