Pakistan's army chief turns on hardline Islamist groups
By: Asif Shahzad, Ariba Shahid, Mubasher Bukhari and Rick Noack August 6 2026 Police officers in riot gear stand guard as supporters of various religious and political parties attend a protest rally against Geo News over content aired during a program marking the holy month of Muharram, in Karachi, Pakistan, July 3, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - When blasphemy allegations against a Christian family prompted a mob of hundreds to as
AFP, AP and Reuters
Aug 7
Repression of Minorities in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan
By Sophia Khan and Kristie Moore Protests in Karakalpakstan in 2022. Peaceful protestors had only flags in their hands, but were met with violence (Source: RFE/RL) Central Asia has seen conflict break out frequently, in the form of interethnic violence within divided communities, border conflict over disputed territory, and skirmishes over shared resources. However, in the post-independence period, authoritarian governments and leaders have protected their own interests by us
Genocide Watch
Aug 5
Kazakhstan’s New Constitution
By the Ukraine, Russia, and Post-Soviet Space Area Task Force Picture of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev voting in Kazakhstan’s 2026 Constitutional Reform, from the Astana Times Photo credit: Akorda On April 15, 2026, Kazakhstan held a referendum on a new constitution. This constitution was promoted as a means for Kazakhstan to move away from its presidential model of governance, ostensibly giving greater powers to its parliament. These measures should have enab
Genocide Watch
Jul 17
US launches new airstrikes on Iran, Tehran Retaliates
By Jon Gambrell, Seung Min Kim, and Konstantin Toropin July 8 2026 Credit: AP News / Video by Nathan Ellgren DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by hitting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Persian Gulf. The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strai
Associated Press
Jul 9
Demolition of Uzbek Properties in Kyrgyzstan
By: Kristie Moore The Mothers’ Tears Monument located in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. The inscription is written in Kyrgyz, English, and Russian, but not Uzbek. Source: Kristie Moore (author) Kyrgyzstan has navigated a difficult path since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. While working to develop an economically and politically robust society, Kyrgyzstan has attempted to construct a Kyrgyz identity. A significant remnant of the Soviet Union is the presence of non-dem
Genocide Watch
Jul 5
Uncertain Futures and Restricted Movement: Afghan Refugees in Tajikistan
By Kristie Moore Photo showing migrants at the Tajik Border. Border signage states foreigners must follow migration rules. Source: TCA After the return of Taliban government to Afghanistan in 2021, former government employees and Afghan civilians fled the country, seeking safety in countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Like in Iran and Pakistan, where governments have initiated mass deportations of Afghan refugees, the government of Tajikistan is making a similar mov
Genocide Watch
Jun 21
Russia Uses Education to Sustain Influence in Central Asia
By Farangis Najibullah June 2, 2026 Students attend the Russian school in the southern Tajik city of Bokhtar (Facebook). When a new Russian-language school opened its doors in Tajikistan's southern city of Bokhtar in 2022, thousands of locals flocked to enroll. Named after the 18th-century Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, it was one of five Russia-funded schools that popped up across the impoverished Central Asia country that year. Part of a $150 million Russian state pro
Afghan Deportations by Pakistan and Iran
The Human Rights Implications of Afghan Deportations by Pakistan and Iran By Juliana Girotto Afghans pictured on 1 November at the Chaman camp on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, on their enforced journey back to their homeland. Photograph: Habibullah Achakzai/AP The mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 has created a significant human rights crisis, raising concerns about violations of international protection standards and the safety of people r
Genocide Watch
May 27
Genocide Warning: Trump’s Threats Against Iran
April 2026 By Grace Harris US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the White House in Washington on April 6, 2026.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters On April 7, 2026, United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump shared a threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” in a post on Truth Social. This rhetoric goes far beyond threats of traditional warfare and denotes an explicit threat of civilizational devastation. In writing t
Genocide Watch
Apr 28
Discrimination against Central Asian migrants in Russia
By Kristie Moore Central Asian migrants working in Russia's construction sector. Image: Lantyukhov Sergey/globallookpress.com/picture alliance. Photo Russia is home to a significant population of migrants from Central Asia: according to a 2024 Human Rights Watch report, approximately 1,792,000 Uzbek, 1,231,000 Tajik, and 262,000 Kyrgyz migrants reside there. These migrants come primarily in search of work, usually in unskilled labor fields, such as construction, transportatio
Genocide Watch
Apr 27
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Takes Power in Iran
By Juliana Girotto Genocide Watch IRGC military personnel at a military rally in Tehran, Iran, on November 24, 2023. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via AP) Recent evidence suggests that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has consolidated power in Iran. With the IRGC now functioning as the dominant governing authority, the situation in Iran represents a shift from theocracy to militarized rule, with significant implications for civilian protection, political re
Genocide Watch
Apr 26
Why the Israeli and US War in Iran is "Not Europe's War"
An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station destroyed during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran on March 3. (Vahid Salemi/The Associated Press) Why the Israeli and US War in Iran and Lebanon is “Not Europe’s War” April 17, 2026 By Jeanne Macé and Alžběta Frommerová Since the launch of the Israel and US war against Iran on February 28, 2026, European countries have been exposed to the consequences of a conflict they neither initiated nor sought to
Genocide Watch
Apr 17
