Human rights conditions: This year's report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) shows that authoritarianism, abuses, and injustice are once again widespread around the world.

The situation in 100 countries is described in a 546-page report, focusing on the situation in Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, China, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and many others.

It is emphasized that the government must protect the rights of its population; ensuring security and the rule of law is the primary task of every system.

HRW is a non-governmental, non-profit international organization based in New York and receives no funding from any government. It operates with the support of donations and private sources.

According to the organization, the rule of law in the United States deteriorated during Donald Trump's previous presidency, and since this man returned to leadership, concerns have increased, including racism, negative attitudes towards immigrants, and the erosion of freedoms for women and minorities.

The HRW report describes the five Central Asian republics as lawless and authoritarian. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have seen little improvement. The analysis emphasizes that courts are not independent, parliaments are puppets, and presidents are dictators.

Human rights protection in Uzbekistan remains poor, and in 2024, dozens of activists, bloggers, and others were persecuted for advocating for justice. Citizens were imprisoned for insulting the president online. Criticism of the regime, especially the leadership, is criminalized, HRW says. There is no visible reform in the justice sector, and torture and inhumane treatment in custody continue, the international organization concludes.

In Uzbekistan, HRW notes, officials who violate human rights are not punished, and this has not happened in the past year.

Civil society is not independent, and only non-governmental organizations that support the government can operate freely. Activists in Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Kashkadarya, Tashkent, and other regions have been arbitrarily convicted and imprisoned, HRW observes.

Under a new law adopted in Uzbekistan, those who criticize the state from the outside will now be punished, including being expelled from the country or denied entry.

Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, religious freedom, political freedoms, and dissent from politics in general are increasingly restricted, the HRW report says, and questioning the government in any way is increasingly seen as a dangerous step.

Activists fighting against forced labor are still under surveillance by security forces, and those who seek to protect the rights of homosexuals face violence, HRW reports.

Turkmenistan is one of the most closed systems in the world, making it difficult to enter and exit the country. The analysis shows that obtaining personal identification documents, renewing passports, working for international organizations, working abroad, and migrating are all painful for people.

The government can imprison a citizen without any explanation, withhold their documents, prevent them from traveling abroad, fire them, force them to confess to a crime they did not commit, and impose other penalties.

No matter how much the UN and other international bodies condemn and reprimand, the leadership of Turkmenistan does not respond to any side and keeps repeating that the population of the republic lives comfortably.

In 2024, pressure on the families of Turkmen activists abroad continued unabated. Persecution of religious and independent-minded people increased. It became even more difficult for Turkmen to travel to neighboring countries.

HRW concludes that in Kazakhstan , like in neighboring countries, rights such as freedom of association, speech and expression, the establishment of non-governmental organizations, and the right to protest are limited, and no matter how much reform is promised and the government makes a fuss about it, the situation has not improved.

Domestic violence is rarely investigated. Bribery is widespread in the justice and law enforcement system. The organization also highlights the relentless prosecution of political activists and the almost complete lack of investigation into violations.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pledged to build a democratic system, but no dissenting views or actions are tolerated. Forming an independent party and coming up with a critical platform is seen as a crime against the system.

HRW reminds us that violations in the areas of migrant rights, poverty alleviation, and other social areas are also common in Kazakhstan.

The year 2024 has been a very difficult time for the media, journalists, and bloggers in Kyrgyzstan , and the situation is not improving.

Dozens of journalists are in prison, organizations and individuals labeled as foreign agents are operating under pressure, and freedom of speech and the press has regressed, HRW describes.

Independent media outlets like Kloop Media have been shut down, and new ones are not allowed to open.

The UN and other international organizations have urged President Sadir Japarov and his administration to be fair, but to no avail, the analysis says.

In Kyrgyzstan, tougher procedures and penalties have been proposed for insults and defamation.

HRW notes that in this country, like Kazakhstan, serious measures are not taken against domestic violence and even murder of women. The government is still taking steps in this regard, and the system still does not consider the torture of women as a heinous crime.

According to the international organization, human rights are also systematically violated in the regions of Kyrgyzstan bordering Tajikistan. The lack of rule of law on both sides further complicates the lives of the population, the report says.

The Tajik government is busy forcibly repatriating and imprisoning its critics abroad, and even complaining about the situation at home is considered illegal, HRW says.

In Gorno-Badakhshan, resistance to Dushanbe has been violently suppressed, and no one can verify the situation there.

Women are oppressed at home, at work, and in religious and public settings, yet none of them are considered a crime, says the HRW analysis.

The fields in which women are allowed to work have now expanded, but they still face restrictions everywhere.

The Tajik government also keeps its citizens under pressure through its partners abroad, ensuring their extradition. From European countries to Turkey and Russia, President Emomali Rahmon is busy using all means to silence the opposition, an international rights organization describes.

The crackdown on migrant workers in Russia has increased, particularly after the terrorist attacks in Moscow, and HRW sees a broad government role in these abuses. VOA/SP