Catherine Putz

Washington, D.C., United States

Managing Editor at The Diplomat Magazine

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Articles

Uzbek Human Rights Defender Prevented From Traveling to Receive Award

5 days ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

When Sharifa Madrakhimova received her passport via mail from Dublin, with her Irish visa affixed inside, the document had been rendered invalid by burns and cuts, preventing her from leaving the country. Subscribe for ads-free reading On May 22, Sharifa Madrakhimova – a journalist and human rights activist from Uzbekistan’s Fergana region – was supposed to be in Dublin to accept a 2025 Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk from Front Line Defenders.
Why Did the Mayor of Dushanbe Meet With Russian President Putin? - Tribune Content Agency

1 week ago | tribunecontentagency.com | Catherine Putz

On May 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the mayor of Dushanbe, Rustam Emomali, who also happens to be the chair of Tajikistan’s National Assembly (Majlisi Milli), the upper chamber of the country’s parliament. He’s also the son of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and considered by most analysts to be on a clear trajectory to succeed his father.
Why Did the Mayor of Dushanbe Meet With Russian President Putin?

1 week ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

Rustam Emomali is also the chair of Tajikistan’s National Assembly and the son of the country’s president. His recent trip to Moscow is stirring talk, once again, of dynastic transition. Subscribe for ads-free reading On May 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the mayor of Dushanbe, Rustam Emomali, who also happens to be the chair of Tajikistan’s National Assembly (Majlisi Milli), the upper chamber of the country’s parliament.
As Kloop Journalists Are Detained, a Familiar Refrain: Suspicion of ‘Calling for Mass Riots’

1 week ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

The head of the Kyrgyz presidential press service aired an unfounded allegation on Facebook that the detained journalists were being paid by Bolot Temirov. Subscribe for ads-free reading Several people associated with investigative news outlet Kloop were detained for questioning on May 28 and 29 in Kyrgyzstan.
Uzbekistan Seeks to Increase Tourist Flows, Floats Possibility of Visa-Free Regime for US Citizens

1 week ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

A recent presidential decree instructs the Foreign Ministry to explore the possibility of a visa-free regime for U.S. citizens, paired with an easing of visa requirements for Uzbek citizens seeking to enter the United States.
In Kyrgyzstan, Kloop Journalists Taken For Questioning

1 week ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

According to Kloop, its employees have been denied access to lawyers. Subscribe for ads-free reading At least four former and current journalists working with investigative outlet Kloop were taken in for questioning on May 28, the embattled outlet and other Kyrgyz media have reported. The Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security has not commented on the matter.
All Along a Bumpy Road: Understanding Sinophobic Sentiments in Central Asia

1 week ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

While protests against Canadian mines, or Russian businesses, occur in Central Asia, “Chinese projects overwhelmingly receive the vast majority of hostility.” Subscribe for ads-free reading In 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the land-based portion of what we now call the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a speech delivered in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.
Kyrgyzstan: Incoming Peace Corps Cohort Cancelled Last Minute

2 weeks ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

As DOGE takes aim at the Peace Corps, the sudden cancellation of the June departure of new volunteers to Kyrgyzstan “is particularly cruel and inefficient.” Subscribe for ads-free reading On May 20, the U.S. Peace Corps posted a brief statement on its website announcing that the volunteer cohorts scheduled to depart in June for Cameroon and the Kyrgyz Republic were cancelled.
Tajikistan Decriminalizes ‘Likes’ Online

3 weeks ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

A 2018 amendment had opened the door to criminal prosecution, and up to 15 years in jail, for “liking” or reacting online with an emoji to content deemed to be extremist. Subscribe for ads-free reading On May 14, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed into law amendments to the country’s criminal code that should effectively decriminalize “liking” content on the internet.
Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protections for Afghan Immigrants

3 weeks ago | thediplomat.com | Catherine Putz

Homeland Security Secretary Noem determined that “permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.” Subscribe for ads-free reading The Trump administration is moving forward with its decision, forecasted last month, to not renew temporary protected status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans who fled the country after August 2021 when its U.S.-backed government collapsed following the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The...