Welcome to Central Asia in Focus, a newsletter offering insight and analysis on events shaping the region’s political future. I’m Bruce Pannier. This is our 100th edition. I’d like to thank all those who read the newsletter and the many people who spread the word about it on social networks. I am grateful to all of you. In this week’s edition: Russian authorities are increasingly detaining Central Asian migrant laborers, Kazakhstan seeks more than $160 billion in a lawsuit over an oil field, and more.

In the Region

Central Asians Face Detention and Deportation in Russia

Russian authorities are increasingly detaining Central Asian migrant laborers in raids and have already deported thousands of them back to their home countries.

Tajik Minister of Labor, Migration, and Employment Gulnora Hasanzoda said on August 6 that 17,000 Tajik citizens were deported from Russia in the first half of 2024.

Kyrgyzstan’s Labor Ministry reported that 2,800 citizens were deported from Russia during the first six months of 2024 after being apprehended in raids and held at Moscow’s Sakharovo detention center.

For context, in all of 2023, 1,400 Kyrgyz nationals were deported from the Sakharovo center, which has earned an odious reputation among Central Asian migrant laborers in the Moscow area.

The center is where Moscow courts send Central Asians picked up in the Russian capital for minor violations, usually related to problems with their residency or work permits.

One Kyrgyz man who was confined there for 17 days said staff at the center “made me face the wall, forced me to raise my arms up, spread my legs, and started hitting me with a stun gun.”

Multiple people detained at Sakharovo describe being put in small rooms occupied by about 10 people.

They are only allowed out of their rooms to go to an encaged courtyard for about two hours a day.

Former Sakharovo detainees said up to 1,000 people are kept there, including mostly Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Uzbeks, many of whom are routinely humiliated and subjected to beatings.

In Yekaterinburg, 930 miles east of Moscow, Russian police and members of a nationalist group called Russkaya Obshchina (Russia Community) raided a market where Central Asian merchants work.

Nine migrant laborers whose nationalities were not mentioned were taken away, leaving their fruit and vegetable stands unattended.

Members of Russkaya Obshchnina told passersby that they were free to take whatever they wanted, and police reportedly stood by as people looted all the produce.

Why It’s Important: The treatment of Central Asian migrant laborers in Russia, never good in the best of times, has become worse since the March 22 terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.

Russian authorities blame Tajik nationals for the attack.

The treatment of Central Asian migrant laborers at Sakharovo and the incident in Yekaterinburg are signs of growing xenophobia in Russia.

Worse might be coming.

Already targeted in these police raids, the job possibilities for migrant laborers in Russia could soon be limited.

Several Russian State Duma deputies are proposing legislation that would prohibit migrants from working in schools, hospitals, pharmacies, public transportation, and other fields. 

Kazakhstan Seeks More Than $160 Billion in Lawsuit over Oil Field

Kazakhstan is looking to become a major source of critical minerals.

Kazakhstan increased its arbitration claim against the consortium operating the Kashagan oil and gas field to more than $160 billion.

The Kazakh government was already seeking more than $150 billion, but recently discovered evidence of corruption in several transactions at Kashagan led authorities to increase their demand.

When the Kazakh Energy Ministry originally filed the lawsuit against the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) consortium in 2023, Kazakhstan was seeking $16.5 billion.

In April 2024, the Kazakh government increased their claim by an additional $138 billion.

The Kashagan field is in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea.

When it was discovered in 2000, it was considered the largest oil field found since the 1970s with estimated recoverable reserves of 9-13 billion barrels of oil.

Development of Kashagan started in 2001, but the project suffered a series of delays with accompanying cost increases and was widely mocked as the “cash all gone” project.

Production finally started in September 2013 but was suspended weeks later due to leaks in the pipelines leading to shore.

Eventually, both the pipelines from the field needed to be replaced and production didn’t resume until October 2016.

The NCOC consortium is comprised of Italy’s Eni, KazMunayGaz, Royal Dutch Shell, France’s TotalEnergies, U.S. company ExxonMobil, China National Petroleum, and Japan’s Inpex. 

Why It’s Important: Foreign investors will be closely watching the arbitration process between Kazakhstan and NCOC.

In any case, potential foreign investors in Kazakhstan will be extra cautious when considering participation in Kazakh projects. 

Majlis Podcast

The latest Majlis podcast looks at fashion regulations in Central Asia.

What is and is not acceptable attire? Who makes the decisions? And who do these clothing restrictions affect the most?

The guests on this podcast are:

• Svetlana Dzardanova, Human Rights Researcher at Freedom for Eurasia who is based in Kyrgyzstan; and
• Niginakhon Saida, a researcher, educator and freelance journalist from Uzbekistan. She studies Islam, education, and gender issues in Central Asia with a focus on Uzbekistan. 

What I’m Following

Kyrgyzstan to Build Floating Solar Station

Kyrgyzstan will build the world’s largest floating solar station at the country’s Toktogul reservoir.

The panels will cover an area of more than 4.5 square miles and generate 1.785-billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

The foreign partner in the project is Sonnenenergie from Czech Republic.

Kyrgyzstan needs additional electricity. The country is one year into a three-year energy emergency declared by the government.

Beyond providing extra electricity, floating solar panels help reduce water evaporation, which is important as Kyrgyzstan and all Central Asia experienced severe drought during the summers of 2021-23. 

Karakalpak Woman Sentenced to Prison

Damezhan Esenova, a resident of Uzbekistan’s western Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

The verdict came on June 10, but rights defenders only learned about the conviction in August.

Esenova posted material about Karakalpakstan on YouTube, including comments that the republic should be independent.

She was detained in January 2024.

State-appointed experts reviewed Esenova’s content and said it had a “separatist character.”

Esenova was found guilty of insulting the president and disseminating information that endangered public security.

Proposed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution that would have stripped Karakalpakstan of its nominal sovereignty and the right to hold a referendum on secession from Uzbekistan sparked protests in July 2022.

At least 21 people were killed in the violence that started when authorities tried to disperse protesters.

At least 61 have been convicted for involvement in the violence, almost all of them protesters.

The Memorial rights group said the trials of eight more Karakalpaks started at the end of July and early August.

Fact of the Week

Thanks for Reading

Thanks for reading Central Asia in Focus! I appreciate you sharing it with other readers who may be interested.

Feel free to contact me on X, especially if you have any questions, comments, or just want to connect about topics concerning Central Asia.

Until next time,
Bruce

P.S. – If you enjoyed this newsletter and don’t want to miss the next edition, subscribe here.