Central Asia: Political Prisoners and Ongoing Human Rights Abuses Date:

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a briefing on political prisoners and the current human rights situations in the five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Since 2015, the United States has maintained an annual diplomatic summit with the five Central Asian governments, C5+1, focused on strategic and economic matters. The most recent meeting, hosted by President Trump at the White House in November 2025, resulted in deals on critical minerals, connectivity, and trade.

The governments of all five nations have authoritarian characteristics and records of serious human rights abuses, including increasing cases of politically motivated imprisonment and a broadening crackdown on civil society organizations, political opposition, and the independent media. While the scale and scope of violations vary, the populations of each country experience severe restrictions on their civil and political rights.

• In Kazakhstan, a court recently sentenced 19 persons associated with the Atajurt movement, an advocacy group that works with families who have relatives missing in Xinjiang, China, in a case that highlights concerns over PRC influence and transnational repression.
• In Uzbekistan, victims of a 2022 massacre in Karakalpakstan still seek justice for at least 21 deaths and hundreds of injuries caused when Uzbek security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators protesting a government proposal to withdraw the area’s autonomy.
• Once described as the most democratic country in the region, Kyrgyzstan has experienced democratic backsliding in recent years, with closure of major media outlets and erosion of freedom of expression. 

The briefing will also highlight ongoing human rights concerns in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, both known for policies of transnational repression, enforced disappearances, and wide-ranging restrictions on their citizens’ freedom of speech and religion. 

Panelists will formulate recommendations on U.S. policy toward this critically important region, including on how to support civil society and secure the release of imprisoned human rights defenders, journalists, and peaceful opposition activists.

The briefing will be in person and will be livestreamed on the Commission website. For any questions, please contact Todd Stein (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Mark Milosch (for Co-Chair Smith).

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