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Catherine Putz

Catherine Putz

The Diplomat

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In Kyrgyzstan, Matraimov Wriggles Free Again With a Fine

When he was extradited to Kyrgyzstan earlier this year, Matraimov was alleged to be connected to an opaque assassination plot. He just got off with a...

11.12.2024 3

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

The Difficult Path to Justice for Rape Victims in Kyrgyzstan

After a long legal battle, the rapist of a 16-year-old disabled girl in Kyrgyzstan was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The case illustrates how...

11.12.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

No Rallies in 3 Years? Kyrgyz President Claims ‘Stability,’ Forgets Reality

Despite a ban on rallies in much of Bishkek since March 2022, there have actually been rallies, protests, and even riots in the country in recent...

09.12.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

After 33 Years, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan Announce Border Agreement

The two sides say they’ve reached an agreement and fully completed the description of their mutual border. The next steps will be even more...

04.12.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Critical Metals Key to Deepening South Korea-Kyrgyzstan Relations

The two countries elevated ties to a comprehensive partnership.

03.12.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

An Alleged Coup Plot and a Secretive Trial in Tajikistan

The alleged coup plot features every one of President Emomali Rahmon’s personal bêtes noires.

02.12.2024 9

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Security Service Shakeup in Wake of Allamjonov Assassination Attempt

Arrests, an extradition from South Korea, and a waterfall of security official resignations: One month since the Allamajonov assassination attempt.

27.11.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Vince Beiser on the Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future

“The energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables is a crucial part of the cure for climate change. But it’s a cure with brutal side...

18.11.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

On Press Day, Kyrgyz Authorities Urge Journalists To Focus on Positive News

“Let’s write about our country in a positive light and try to focus less on negative news,” Cabinet head Akylbek Japarov said.

07.11.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Central Asian Leaders Swift to Send Congratulatory Notes to Trump

The messages provide a glimpse as to what the Central Asian states wish to see from the next U.S. administration and how they aim to position...

06.11.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

The Men Jailed in Uzbekistan for Fighting Russia’s War in Ukraine 

The stories of three men jailed this year in Uzbekistan for taking part in Russia’s war in Ukraine together tell a tale of desperation and...

05.11.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Chinese Investment in Kazakhstan Deepens With $2.5 Billion in New Deals

Although branded as commercial deals, most of the agreements involve a steel and mining company recently acquired and renamed by a state-owned private...

05.11.2024 2

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Germany to Deport Another Tajik Group 24 Activist 

Over the last decade, Tajikistan has pursued Group 24 activists around the world.

04.11.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Additional Kazakh and Uzbek Companies Hit With Russia-Related Sanctions

Russia is increasingly reliant on transnational schemes to circumvent sanctions, which occasionally run through Central Asia.

31.10.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

In Uzbekistan, a Soviet Perspective on Media Lingers

Uzbekistan’s prosecutor general has urged media to reply only on official sources of information in relation to the recent assassination attempt....

30.10.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Sentence Handed Down in Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Bribery Case

Jeromy Pittmann was convicted of providing false recommendation letters to more than 20 SIV applicants in exchange for bribes, undermining an already...

29.10.2024 5

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

30 Year Sentence for Group 24 Leader in Tajikistan After Forced Disappearance

A member of the group, also kidnapped from Turkiye earlier this year, was given a 20 year sentence. The exact charges are unknown. 

28.10.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Uzbekistan’s Parliament Election Boosts Ruling Party

O’zLiDeP, already the dominant force in the country’s parliament, saw its vote share increase in an election observers said lacked real...

28.10.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kevin Rudd on Xi Jinping

“Xi has significantly moved the ideological needle -- making China more Leninist, more Marxist and more nationalist.”

23.10.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

What Does Kyrgyzstan Have to Do With the Spanish Seizure of Chemical Products Bound for Russia?

The countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus are being used to facilitate the transfer of sanctioned goods into Russia, including allegedly 13,000...

16.10.2024 40

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Trial of 11 Journalists in Kyrgyzstan Ends in Prison Sentences and Acquittals

Of the 11 journalists charged in a case that has drawn heavy criticism, two received prison sentences, two probation, and seven were acquitted.

10.10.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Afghan Arrested for Alleged US Election Day Attack Plot

A 27-year-old Afghan national in the U.S. on a special immigrant visa and a juvenile accomplice were arrested on October 7 after allegedly purchasing...

09.10.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Commonwealth of Independent States Gathers in Moscow for Annual Heads of State Meeting

Putin characterized cooperation within the CIS as “one of the Russian Federation's top foreign policy priorities.”

08.10.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Maintenance Work Brings Down Oil Production at Kazakhstan’s Kashagan

Despite Kazakhstan’s efforts to reschedule the Kashagan maintenance, the drop in production conveniently forces Astana to meet commitments it has...

08.10.2024 20

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Nuclear Power Referendum Passes in Kazakhstan

Critics argue that the Kazakh people were presented a largely one-sided positive view of the referendum, making the victory of the “yes” camp...

07.10.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Tajikistan’s Winter Electricity Rationing Starts Early

Typically, rationing in rural areas begins in late October, but this year the state power company announced the start of restrictions on electricity...

02.10.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Verdict Expected Soon in Trial of 11 Journalists in Kyrgyzstan

The case has come to define Kyrgyzstan's autocratic slide under President Sadyr Japarov.

01.10.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

The Geopolitical Logic of Humanitarian Aid Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

How and why did the U.S, China, and Russia allocate humanitarian aid during the COVID-19 pandemic?

17.09.2024 6

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Envisioning the Asia-Pacific’s Feminist Future

The sheer diversity of feminist movements across the Asia and Pacific weaves into a singular tapestry telling a story of solidarity, striving, and...

17.09.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kyrgyzstan’s First President Seeks Restoration of ‘Ex-President’ Status and Privileges

Akayev has the dual distinction of having been independent Kyrgyzstan’s first president and also its first president to be ousted in a popular...

05.09.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kyrgyz Government Again Warns Citizens Against Travel to Russia

Amid increased migration regulations and enforcement, the Kyrgyz government urged citizens to “temporarily refrain” from traveling to Russia...

05.09.2024 5

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Resurrecting the USSR via Telegram? Uzbek Man Sentenced for Engagement With Soviet Revanchists 

Based on reports of the case, it seems to be an all-too-familiar pattern of online indoctrination and radicalization. 

04.09.2024 9

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kyrgyzstan’s Kloop Denied on Final Appeal, Liquidation Order Stands

Kloop co-founder Rinat Tukhvatshin has vowed to "continue to publish the most in-depth investigations, the most balanced news, and the most incisive...

04.09.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kazakhstan Sets Date for Nuclear Power Plant Referendum

The question – “Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?” – will be put to voters on October 6.

03.09.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Amin Saikal on the United States’ Many Mistakes in Afghanistan

The United States “overestimated the power that the U.S. military could bring to bear in changing Afghanistan.”

01.09.2024 10

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

US Transferring Afghan Aircraft to Uzbek Control

The ultimate fate of the 46 Afghan aircraft that fled the country and landed in Uzbekistan as the Republic collapsed in 2021 isn’t surprising, but...

29.08.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kyrgyzstan Considers Fines for Spreading ‘False Information’

Bishkek is barreling down a slippery slope, with a history of judging as “false” reports the government simply doesn’t like the tone of. 

28.08.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Human Rights Watch Report Highlights Unjustified ‘Financing Terrorism’ Restrictions in Kazakhstan

Any conviction under Kazakhstan’s broadly, and broadly applied, extremism statues lands an individual on the Financing Terrorism List. Even if their...

27.08.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Threat Multiplier: Sherri Goodman on Climate and Global Security

“By understanding how climate is reshaping the global landscape, we can more effectively prepare our forces to operate under changing conditions.”

27.08.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Uzbekistan Forges Ahead, Deepening Relations With Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Amid a recent visit by Uzbekistan’s prime ministers, the two sides signed $2.5 billion in trade and investment deals.

21.08.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

‘No to the Taliban!’ Afghans Gather in Washington to Demand Action

Three years after the Taliban returned to power, the Afghan diaspora in the Washington, D.C. area demonstrated outside the White House calling for...

16.08.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

High on the Silk Road: Heroin Bust in Bulgaria Implicates Kyrgyzstan

Cargo reportedly originating in Kyrgyzstan was found to be concealing nearly 1,000 pounds of heroin when examined in a Bulgarian port. 

13.08.2024 4

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Japan Issues First ‘Megaquake’ Warning

Following a magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the Nankai Trough, Japanese authorities have warned of an increased risk of a significant earthquake.

09.08.2024 7

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Central Asian Energy Ministers Hold ‘First’ Meeting

Branded as the “first” gathering of the region’s energy ministers, the meeting resulted in a jint communique promising further cooperation in...

08.08.2024 3

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Armenia Skips CSTO Military Exercises

With Yerevan’s relationship with the alliance “frozen” and repeated statements of intent to leave entirely, it’s no surprise Armenia is...

07.08.2024 30

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kyrgyz-Tajik Border Agreement Hoped for in ‘Nearest Future’

Officials on both sides say they’ve agreed to 94 percent of the border and hope for an agreement soon. 

06.08.2024 3

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Kazakh Journalist Sentenced to 7 Years for Ablyazov Interview

Duman Mukhammedkarim was accused of financing an extremist group and participating in a banned group's activities for sharing an interview he’d...

05.08.2024 8

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Central Asians in the Crosshairs of Russia’s Ever-Evolving Migration Regime

New bills speeding up the deportation process and insisting on military registration for new citizens are predicted to spark a “migration crisis”...

01.08.2024 5

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

Radha Kumar on Kashmir, 5 Years After Article 370 Was Scrapped

Five years after the hollowing out of Article 370, “Alienation from the Indian union is high in the valley.”

01.08.2024 3

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

A New Dawn for Afghanistan’s Mes Aynak Copper Mine?

With a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the start of work on an access road, the Taliban and China aim to get the Mes Aynak project underway again.

31.07.2024 5

The Diplomat

Catherine Putz

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