Bruce Pannier
Bruce Pannier is a longtime journalist and correspondent covering Central Asia. He currently writes Central Asia in Focus and hosts the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 1997, Bruce worked at the Open Media Research Institute in Prague. In 1992, he led a sociological project in Central Asia sponsored by the University of Manchester and the Soros Cultural Initiative Foundation. During that time he lived in villages in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Bruce studied at Tashkent State University in the summer of 1990 and studied at Columbia University under Professor Edward Allworth. Bruce has also written for The Economist, Janes Intelligence, Oxford Analytica, Freedom House, The Cairo Review, the FSU Oil & Gas Monitor, and Energo Weekly.
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Central Asia in Focus: Independent Media Outlets Back Under Pressure in Kyrgyzstan
In this week’s edition: independent media outlets in Kyrgyzstan face renewed pressure from the authorities, Russian politicians support bans on migrant laborers bringing their families to Russia, and more.
The Racialization Of Central Asians In Russia
Racialization is the process of viewing a specific people with preconceived notions about them. In Russia, non-Russians — particularly people from Asia or the South Caucasus — have long been…
Central Asia in Focus: Kazakhstan Officially Accepts Credentials of Taliban Envoy
In this week’s edition: Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has officially recognized the Taliban envoy, Russia puts sanctions on the Aga Khan Network, and more.
Decolonizing Central Asia
Russia’s historical legacy in Central Asia has come under increased scrutiny in the region since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine.
Central Asia in Focus: Central Asians Face Detention and Deportation in Russia
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.
Legislating Fashion In Central Asia
In late June, Tajikistan passed a law on “alien clothing” that bans certain types of Islamic attire, particularly from Arab countries, and some types of Western clothing.
Central Asia in Focus: Is a Karakalpak Leader Being Tortured in Prison?
In this week’s edition: Karakalpak lawyer and rights activist Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov is allegedly being tortured in an Uzbek prison, Kazakhstan looks to become a major source of critical minerals, and…
Three Years With The Taliban As Neighbors
Nearly three years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, to the dismay of much of the world.
Central Asia in Focus: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Claim to Foil Terrorist Plots
In this week’s edition: Kazakh and Kyrgyz authorities detain people suspected of having ties to terrorist groups, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls on Tajik authorities to…
Suppressing Karakalpakstan’s Sovereignty
Two years have passed since violence erupted in western Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic.
Central Asia in Focus: Russia Continues Sending Central Asians to Ukraine
In this week’s edition: Russia continues to send Central Asians to fight in its full-scale war on Ukraine, the Kazakh government faces criticism over its new media law, and more.
The Threat Posed by IS-K To Central Asia — And Beyond
The threat of terrorism is never far from the minds of officials in Central Asia, who know that their region shares a 2,000-kilometer border with Afghanistan.
Central Asia in Focus: ISKP Members Detained in Kyrgyzstan
In this week’s edition: multiple ISKP members were detained in Kyrgyzstan, a Tajik town lives in fear of mysterious men in black, and more.
The Rise Of The Organization Of Turkic States
Turkey is building up its influence in Central Asia — as shown by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
Central Asia in Focus: The Difficult Russian Partner
In this week’s edition: Russia is on the minds of parliamentary leaders in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Tajik authorities published their updated list of groups that are banned in Tajikistan, and…
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