Background At present, and in spite of the formal separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, virtually all power is invested in President Islam Karimov. During his extended authoritarian rule the president has demonstrated an active commitment to...

The President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, officially started his third presidential term on January 16, 2008. The outcome of the elections was of surprise to no one as there is no real opposition in the country. According to the President’s administration, the...

On January 15, an amended media law came into force in Uzbekistan that defines websites as media outlets, giving the government greater dominion over the Internet and reportedly resulting in censorship by service providers. ...

Uzbek Foreign Minister Eljer Ganiyev says that Uzbekistan "lack[s] the capacities and technical abilities to restrict [Internet] access". This statement was reportedly met with sneers. Uzbekistan, in fact, blocks access to many websites critical of the Karimov government. ...