OSCE - The Times Of Central Asia

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Freedom in the World

Central Asia Pushes Back on “Not Free” Label as Debate Over Rankings Grows

According to Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 report, all five countries in Central Asia are classified as “Not Free.” Nevertheless, governments in the region are increasingly questioning the impartiality of such assessments. At the same time, some regional experts point to ongoing political and economic reforms as signs that the region is making progress. A “Not Free” Region In its report released on March 19, 2026, Freedom House classifies all five Central Asian states as "Not Free." The designation is based on Freedom House’s assessment of political rights and civil liberties. According to the report’s authors, the ranking reflects pressure on independent media, tightening control over civil society, and the absence of genuine political competition. Kazakhstan received 23 points out of 100. The report highlights restrictions on opposition groups and civil society activists, pressure on independent journalism, and tightly managed elections that do not ensure genuine political competition. Kyrgyzstan, long considered the most politically open country in the region, scored 25 out of 100 and was also classified as “Not Free.” The organization says the score fell by one point from the previous year, reflecting continued pressure on independent media, the designation of several outlets as ‘extremist,’ and criminal cases against journalists, alongside concerns about election integrity. Uzbekistan scored 12 out of 100. Freedom House points to the concentration of power in the executive branch, the absence of a genuine parliamentary opposition, and severe restrictions on independent human rights defenders and journalists. Since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in 2016, Uzbekistan has pursued a series of controlled political and economic reforms aimed at opening the country after decades of isolation. These have included currency liberalization, efforts to end the use of forced labor in the cotton sector, and steps to ease restrictions on business and foreign investment. While critics say political liberalization remains limited, supporters argue the reforms mark a significant shift from the policies of the previous era. Tajikistan received just 5 points. The report highlights the long rule of President Emomali Rahmon, the elimination of legal opposition, systematic persecution of its members and their families, and a de facto lack of electoral competition. Turkmenistan recorded one of the lowest scores globally, with just 1 point. The report describes the country as one of the most repressive in the world, citing total state control over political life and the media, the absence of opposition participation in elections, and harsh punishment for dissent. Turkmenistan remains one of the most closed countries in the world, with extremely limited access for foreign media and independent observers. Political life is tightly controlled, and reliable information about internal developments is scarce. While the authorities have signaled gradual generational change following the 2022 transfer of power to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, there has been little visible shift in the country’s political system. Impartiality in Doubt? Trust in international assessments has also been affected by developments in U.S. foreign aid policy and a wider shift in global perceptions about the appropriateness of Western-linked organizations categorising...

Kyrgyz Parliament

300 OSCE Observers to Monitor Kyrgyzstan’s Parliamentary Elections

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will deploy 300 observers to monitor Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming parliamentary elections. The country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) confirmed the news in a statement published on its official website. According to the CEC, 30 long-term observers will begin work next week, monitoring the electoral process across all regions of Kyrgyzstan. An additional 300 short-term observers will arrive closer to election day to assess voting procedures and the vote count. Ahead of the vote, CEC Chairman Tyntyk Shainazarov met in Bishkek with representatives from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Mission head Tamás Mészáros stated that the team had arrived in full and was ready to begin its work. The CEC noted that OSCE representatives expressed interest in attending meetings of the election commission and its working groups, both prior to and following the elections. Both sides affirmed their commitment to open and comprehensive cooperation. Shainazarov highlighted that Kyrgyzstan’s revised electoral system is designed to ensure fair representation of all regions in parliament, uphold gender balance, and facilitate remote voting. For the first time, a remote voting system will allow citizens to vote in any district without needing absentee ballots or additional paperwork. Ballots will be generated at polling stations, listing candidates from the relevant constituency. “We have achieved our goal: voters will vote only once and only for one candidate. This eliminates the possibility of fraud and other violations. I believe this is a great achievement,” Shainazarov said. The OSCE mission also showed particular interest in the technical details of the new system. Observers were briefed on the equipment and voting procedures ahead of the election, which will take place on November 30. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the parliament voted on September 25 to dissolve itself, setting the stage for early elections. The decision was approved by 84 deputies, with five abstentions and one absence. The upcoming vote will be conducted under revised rules. The country has been divided into 30 constituencies, each of which will elect three deputies.

Tajikistan Elections

Tajikistan Announces Preliminary Parliamentary Election Results; OSCE Absent

Bakhtiyor Khudoyorzoda, the chairman of Tajikistan's Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), has announced the preliminary results of the March 2 parliamentary elections to the Assembly of Representatives. According to Khudoyorzoda, 4.71 million of the 5.52 million registered voters participated in the election, representing an 85.3% turnout. The election results for party-list voting were as follows: The People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan secured the most support, receiving 2,435,541 votes (51.9%). The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan garnered 986,887 votes (21%). The Economic Reform Party of Tajikistan received 595,281 votes (12.7%). The Socialist Party of Tajikistan obtained 248,064 votes (5.3%). The Democratic Party of Tajikistan received 237,536 votes (5.1%). The Communist Party of Tajikistan received 89,738 votes (1.9%), failing to meet the 5% threshold required for parliamentary representation. Additionally, 50,895 voters chose the "against all" option. As a result of the party-list vote count, the 22 parliamentary seats allocated through the national proportional system were distributed as follows: People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan - 12 seats Agrarian Party of Tajikistan - 5 seats Economic Reform Party of Tajikistan - 3 seats Socialist Party of Tajikistan - 1 seat Democratic Party of Tajikistan - 1 seat The Communist Party of Tajikistan did not secure any seats. In total, five of the six registered parties gained representation in the Majlisi Oli, Tajikistan’s parliament. The remaining parliamentary seats were allocated through single-mandate districts. On February 6, 2025, the OSCE/ODIHR canceled a planned election observer mission, stating that the Tajik authorities' failure to accredit the observers had "denied the people of Tajikistan an impartial and independent assessment of the elections." A mission from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, meanwhile, characterized the election as "transparent, credible and democratic." In the latest presidential elections, held in 2020, incumbent Emomali Rahmon won a fifth consecutive term, securing a purported 92.08% of the vote. Rahmon has been president since 1994, having previously led the country as Chairman of the Supreme Assembly from 1992 to 1994. TCA has previously reported on long prison sentences for Tajik opposition figures. Elections to the National Assembly will be held on March 28, 2025.

Elections

Citing Restrictions, OSCE Withdraws Observer Mission Ahead of Tajikistan’s Elections

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has canceled plans to observe parliamentary elections in Tajikistan in March, saying the authorities have not provided assurances that its mission observers will be accredited for the event. The Dushanbe-based election experts of the OSCE haven’t been able to start working since their observation mission opened on Jan. 22, according to the group’s office for democratic institutions and human rights. The office had concluded that it needed 20 long-term observers and 150 short-term observers to monitor concerns about the impartiality of Tajik election officials, the lack of independence of the judiciary and law enforcement and a deterioration in the rights of expression and assembly. The OSCE office said on Tuesday that it “deploys election observation missions at the invitation of states, and host governments need to provide the necessary conditions for their effective and unrestricted operation. Prolonged uncertainty surrounding accreditation undermines the integrity of this process.” Tajikistan has a presidential system of power and longtime President Emomali Rahmon had said that elections to the lower parliamentary chamber, the 63-member Majlisi Oli, would be held on March 2. Elections to the upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli, will be held on March 28. Rahmon’s eldest son, Rustam Emomali, is chairman of the upper chamber, positioning him as a possible successor to his father, and some of the chamber’s 33 members are appointed by the president. International concerns are growing about the harsh environment for government opponents and journalists not affiliated with the state in Tajikistan, some of whom have been imprisoned. The government often casts critics as a threat to stability in a country that endured a civil war in the 1990s and – with its long border with Afghanistan - points to Islamic extremism as a perpetual threat. The biggest opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, was labeled a terrorist group and banned in 2015. Rahmon leads the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan and there are half a dozen other parties with small numbers of seats. In a speech to parliament in late December, Rahmon said “national security and sustainable economic development” were among the key goals of his administration. Despite criticism that he is authoritarian, he used the language of democracy in a brief reference to the elections. “The upcoming elections should be held in a transparent, free, and high-level manner in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Tajikistan, and voters should choose their worthy candidates,” said Rahmon, who has been in power since 1994. Observers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a group of post-Soviet states, will monitor Tajikistan’s elections.

Media Freedom

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan Discussed at OSCE Conference

The deteriorating situation for journalists and freedom of speech in Tajikistan was discussed at the plenary session of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw on October 2. Participants, including human rights defenders and civil society representatives, noted that arrests of journalists have become a common practice in the country. Some face harassment even outside Tajikistan. Gulnoza Said, program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists in Europe and Central Asia, said the situation with human rights and freedom of expression has reached a critical point. She said eight journalists, including Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva, Daler Imomali, and Khushruz Dzhumayev, are currently in Tajik prisons. Said also emphasized that the sentences handed down to the journalists are incredibly harsh, ranging from seven to 20 years in prison. Muhammadjon Kabirov, editor-in-chief of Azda TV, broadcasting from Poland, noted that Tajikistan ranks 155th on the World Freedom of Expression Index, and its authorities have created a hostile environment for the media. Kabirov also recalled the transnational repression directed against journalists abroad. In his speech, he cited the conviction of journalists such as Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda and Abdukahor Davlat, who were sentenced to long prison terms in 2015. A recent example of pressure on the independent press was the arrest of the editor-in-chief of Pike, Ahmadi Ibrohim, who has been charged with bribery and is awaiting trial. The conference also raised the issue of Tajik authorities harassing journalists and their relatives to force them to stop their activities. Interestingly, although Tajikistan had previously taken an active part in such discussions, there were no representatives of Tajikistan at this year's event. International organizations have repeatedly criticized the situation with freedom of speech in Tajikistan. Organizations such as Amnesty International and Freedom House report the constant harassment of journalists, independent media, and activists. Opposition media outlets are banned in the country, and journalists face arrests and long prison terms on charges that human rights activists call trumped-up.

Corruption Anti-Corruption International Cooperation OSCE USAID

Turkmenistan Strengthens Anti-Corruption Mechanisms With Kazakh Experience

Turkmenistan is actively enhancing its anti-corruption framework by drawing on international expertise. A delegation of senior officials from key ministries recently visited Kazakhstan to learn from its financial practices. This visit, facilitated by the USAID "Governance in Turkmenistan" project with support from the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, aimed to explore best practices in financial monitoring, investigations, and the regulation of virtual assets at the Astana International Financial Center. Therein, Turkmen officials studied national risk assessments, inter-agency cooperation, and preventive measures against corruption, with a particular focus on asset recovery and identifying beneficial owners. The GAT project underlines Turkmenistan's stated commitment to fostering transparent, inclusive governance and advancing socioeconomic development.