Two Uzbek regional government officials are facing a retrial and possibly harsher sentences for the sexual abuse of children under their care. The case has been an embarrassment for the government, which disbanded Soviet-era orphanages in favor of placing children in foster and adoptive families.
Uzbek dissident artist Vyacheslav Akhunov faced censorship under the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov. Now he believes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is behind an official decision to bar his painting from being shown in the state art museum in Tashkent.
Uzbek Officials Scramble To Spruce Up Neighborhoods, Fearing A Surprise Presidential Visit
April 05, 2021 08:35 GMT
Share
share
Print
Preparations are in full swing for a presidential visit in the Uzbek city of Jizzakh and its suburbs, where roads are being repaired and walls are being repainted.
The Jizzakh provincial government has ordered all neighborhood committees to prepare for a possible visit by President Shavkat Mirziyoev. The governor s office said, The president can arrive at any moment, so be ready, one neighborhood committee member told RFE/RL s Uzbek Service on condition of anonymity.
Similar preparations for presidential visits have been under way since late March in several other provinces, with the authorities paying particular attention to renovation work in less prosperous residential neighborhoods.
Preparations Fit For A President
According to several local reporters in Qarshi, the southern Uzbek city recently welcomed the first daughter with elaborate preparations fit for a head of state.
Extensive preparations began a week before Mirziyoeva s January 27 visit as part of her Eyes of the Heart charity project, which supports blind and visually impaired children.
The Center for Journalists, where Mirziyoeva was scheduled to attend an event, was abruptly renovated, the journalists told RFE/RL, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In a carefully carved public image, Saida Mirziyoeva presents herself as an advocate of free press and promoter of women’s rights. (file photo)