30 Apr 2024
Central Asia, International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

Operator of France’s Courchevel Ski Resort to Build Slopes in Kyrgyzstan

A new ski resort called Three Peaks will soon open in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan. According to plans, Société Des Trois Vallées, the operator of the elite Courchevel resort in France, will build slopes with a total length of 200 kilometers in the villages of Jyrgalan, Ak-Bulak and Boz-Uchuk.

The first stage of construction will require an investment of $165 million. This money will be used to build 60 kilometers of ski slopes, six cable cars, as well as the full suite of hospitality infrastructure: hotels, restaurants, conference halls and recreation areas. The works are planned to be completed by the end of 2026.

Representatives of a consortium of French companies that develop and manage ski resorts came to Kyrgyzstan in the spring of last year. Later, the French ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, François Delaus, announced the construction of a large tourist facility in Issyk Kul.

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30 Apr 2024
Central Asia, International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Business & Economy, Kyrgyzstan Business & Economy

U.K. Plans to Open an Investment Fund in Kyrgyzstan

The United Kingdom is weighing up the prospect of opening an investment fund in Kyrgyzstan.

Its main function will be to support small- and medium-sized businesses, according to comments made by the British ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Nicholas Bowler during a recent meeting of the Kyrgyz-British Business Council. “Britain is interested in cooperation in mining, agriculture, consulting, the financial sphere, information technology, education and some other areas,” said Bowler.

According to him, Britain intends to invest £19.5 million ($24.5 million) to create a venture capital investment fund in the country. The series of funds will seek investments in small- and medium-sized enterprises with high potential in the region. The British embassy and business community intend to maintain contacts at the International Business Council and develop trade and economic relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Bowler said that the UK is also interested in mining metals and minerals in Kyrgyzstan. In the near future British geologists will begin work to digitize the republic’s geological data. In addition, Bowler said, negotiations are underway to engage the international consulting company Boston Consulting Group to develop a joint mining strategy.

“Work is now underway in Kyrgyzstan to introduce English commercial law. In the south of the country, United Concrete Canvas is planning to start construction of a concrete canvas [canal lining] plant in the near future, which demonstrates the trust and interest of British companies in Kyrgyzstan,” said Kyrgyz ambassador to the UK Ulan Jusupov at the meeting.

At the end of 2023 bilateral trade volume between Kyrgyzstan and the UK amounted to $92 million. This represented an increase of 287% on the previous year, as European nations looked for new trading partners in Central Asia, and searched for a way for their firms to get their goods into Russia with less scrutiny.

Recently the British authorities have adopted a new trade scheme for developing countries. Under the scheme, Kyrgyzstan can export to the UK more than 8,000 different types of goods at reduced or zero tariffs. So far the main export items are gold, generators, and chemical products.

Earlier this month, British foreign secretary David Cameron met with Kyrgyz president Sadyr Zhaparov as part of his working visit to Central Asia.
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Image TCA, Aleksandr Potolitsyn

30 Apr 2024
Central Asia, Lead Story, Home, Justice, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Kazakhstan Justice, Local Politics, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Charges Former Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev With Abuse of Power

Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed its detention of a former high-ranking police officer. Yerlan Turgumbayev, the country’s former minister of internal affairs, has been charged with abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences, during the public unrest and political upheaval in January 2022.

“The Prosecutor General’s Office continues to investigate criminal cases related to the January 2022 events. On April 29, ex-Minister of Internal Affairs Yerlan Turgumbayev was detained for abuse of power and official authority that caused grave consequences,” the prosecutor’s office said in an official statement. The office mentioned that the criminal case contains information that includes classified state secrets; therefore, the data, findings and statements included in the pre-trial investigation are not subject to disclosure.

As has already been widely reported, in early 2022 in Kazakhstan thousands of protests were organized across the country, which, when brutally suppressed by government forces, went down in history as Qandy Qantar — “Bloody January.” What began as peaceful anti-government demonstrations turned into uncontrolled riots with numerous casualties among the civilian population. Rapid response forces from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Armenia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Kazakhstan, were deployed. After the violent suppression of the protests, a number of high-ranking officials were arrested and accused of attempting a coup d’état.

In March 2024, the General Prosecutor’s Office reported that Turgumbayev was being questioned as part of ongoing investigations against security officials for failing to ensure law and order and public security during the January events, as well as for torturing citizens.

Turgumbayev became head of the Interior Ministry in 2019. Before that he headed the police department of Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty. In February 2022 he was dismissed from his post and appointed as an adviser to Kazakhstan’s president, Kasym-Jomart Tokayev.

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29 Apr 2024
Central Asia, Home, Justice, Local Politics, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Local Politics

Kyrgyz Authorities Promise Not to Persecute Human Rights Advocates Using Foreign Agent Law

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Edil Baisalov met with representatives of domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), where he assured participants that the new Foreign Agent’s Law is not aimed at restricting the work of NGOs. All rights and freedoms have been preserved, and human rights defenders can participate in the political life of the country, Baisalov stated.

“The only thing required is to be on the register. This requirement is common around the world. There will be no persecution; no restrictions on activities. We are interested in the activities of [NGOs] for the benefit of our country,” Baisalov said.

Earlier, the Times of Central Asia reported on human rights activists concerns regarding reputational risks, possible interference by government agencies in the work of NGOs, and the risk of mandatory financial audits. There were also questions about the implementation of new legislative guidelines, most of which, according to opponents of the law, are not viable.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice responded to an inquiry from the Times of Central Asia, with officials saying that bylaws and rule-making for the new law are in the works. However, more detailed information will be provided later, when the updates and amendments are submitted for public discussion.

In early April, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed the law “On Foreign Representatives,” which sparked a wave of criticism from foreign organizations, foreign governments, and NGOs working in Kyrgyzstan.
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Kazakhstan flooding: Image, TCA, Aleksandr Potolitsyn

29 Apr 2024
Central Asia, Environment, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Featurees

Military in Kazakhstan Head Back to Bases After Working to Contain Floods

Kazakh military units that deployed to help with flood control measures in the past weeks are returning to their barracks as the crisis that hit large parts of the country winds down.

“Due to the stabilization of the situation and the drop in water levels, some of the personnel and military equipment of the armed forces are returning to their permanent deployment points from the West Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan and Akmola regions,” Ruslan Zhangulin, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said on Monday.

About 2,200 military personnel and 16 pieces of military equipment were involved in flood control as of Saturday, according to Zhangulin.

The military was involved in evacuations and building barriers to prevent water flows during the flooding, which began in March and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people as winter snow melted with the arrival of warmer temperatures. Nearly 40,000 have since returned to their homes.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the floods as Kazakhstan’s worst natural disaster in 80 years.

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29 Apr 2024
Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Features, Uzbekistan Home, Uzbekistan Justice, Features, Uzbekistan Life & Culture

In Uzbekistan, Injustices Continue in Court Proceedings

The Times of Central Asia has studied the Uzbekistan section of Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of human rights in the world. The report includes profiles of 155 countries with artificial intelligence (AI)-tracked human rights records through 2023. The results of the review show that Uzbekistan still has much ground to cover to improve its standing among global peers in the sphere of human rights.

In April 2022, the introduction of constitutional amendments caused mass protests in the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan. Dozens of people involved in the brutally suppressed mass protests in Karakalpakstan have been found guilty in biased, politically motivated trials. Despite widespread allegations of illegal use of force against peaceful protesters in Karakalpakstan, only three members of the security forces have been prosecuted.

Defamation and insults, including insulting the president, remain a criminal offense. The government has tightened control over critical voices, especially on social media. At least 10 bloggers have been prosecuted on allegedly false and politically motivated charges for their online posts containing criticism.

Torture and ill treatment of those detained in prisons remain widespread. Since 2021 no progress has been made on implementing proposals presented by the Prosecutor General’s Office to eliminate torture by reforming the criminal code, creating independent mechanisms to monitor torture complaints, improving prison conditions and addressing the issue of reparations for torture.

During an October 2023 appeal hearing of the detained blogger and investigative journalist Abduqodir Mominov, he told the court that police “shocked my body, kicked and crushed my genitals, repeatedly hit my legs with special batons… [and] hurt my ribs” in order to force a confession. The court didn’t issue an order to investigate his claim of torture.

In April, legislative amendments introduced domestic violence as a separate crime for the first time — and provided additional protection mechanisms for women and children who are victims of violence. But these new safeguards officially prioritize reconciliation and family reunification over the protection of women’s and children’s rights, and have been officially described as “strengthening the institution of the family.”

Exercising the right to religious freedom remains under strict control. The report says the government continues to prosecute devout Muslims on what it describes as “extremism-related” charges — while also failing to investigate their claims of torture and ill treatment.

Sardor Rahmonkulov, a student who was sentenced to five years in prison in January for spreading religious songs through social media, claimed in court that police officers suffocated him with a plastic bag and took turns kicking him. The appeals court, as is customary, refused to consider his allegations of torture.

 

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