Aigerim Toleukhanova

@BrucePannier @TuranCenter Congratulations 🎊

Thank you, @TuranCenter for the invitation to join your team. I'm looking forward to working with you.

The end of an era as the prominent English-language podcast on Central Asia comes to an end. I had the pleasure of appearing numerous times and benefited from listening and learning.

Is it possible to reform a dictatorship? My interview with Azattyk on my new book on #Uzbekistan, Silk Mirage, out in November and available for pre-order now on Bloomsbury, Amazon, etc (Kazakh-language video report, with interview in English) youtube.com/watch?v=qaOZEq…

Today I, like virtually every other full-time employee at VOA, was placed on administrative leave indefinitely. I'm not allowed to report the news to our hundreds of millions of viewers at this time. Let's hope this is temporary. A silencing of VOA will be celebrated by communists, autocrats and ayatollahs whose lies we shed light on. What a mission I've been lucky enough to embark on--a mission to grow American influence around the world, not by sharing slanted American propaganda, but by giving them the TRUTH! Why? Because America has the truth on its side. VOA, too, has the truth in its corner. Don't let me or anyone else tell you what to think about VOA. I encourage all of my friends to go to voanews.com and read as much there as you can. It's been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve my country and follow my passion as a journalist. As we say at VOA, a free press matters. To all of the service members and civilians who have trusted me with their stories during my 16 years at VOA and nearly 11 years as our Pentagon correspondent, I owe you a big "thank you" for putting your trust in me. Let's hope that this isn't my last report as a VOA journalist. voanews.com/.../shortage-o…

Devastating: the 48 Uyghurs in Thai detention have apparently been deported to Xinjiang (Kashgar). Further evidence on this shocking development has been gathered by @nyrola and local Thai journalists.

✨☀️💫

@RayhanAsat Hey, I can help

Kazakh-speaking friends are needed!!! We need help with a Kazakh survivor’s asylum application, and I would greatly appreciate your help filling out English forms by speaking to the family.

@ZohraSaed Get well soon💕🙏

🇺🇿 The new star of Uzbekistan: Diyora Keldiyorova is the first woman to win the gold medal in Uzbekistan's history at the Summer Olympics. Congratulations! Women of Uzbekistan - go go go!

@niginakhon_ Haha that’s literally me, even sending this chocolate via post to other countries 😂😂

No one: Kazakh girls in any corner of the world: here is Kazakhstan chocolate for you

Dimash Alzhanov, a political analyst, reported that he was attacked in front on his house in Almaty. Today opposition Kazakh journalist Aidos Sadykov died after a man shot him in the head in Ukraine (where he was residing) by allegedly a Kazakh national. What’s up?!

Khiva will be hosting its annual Melon Festival from 9-11 August 2024. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. 📸 Xorazm Tour and Travels

Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have been systematically changing hundreds of village names with religious, historical, or cultural meaning for Uyghurs into names reflecting recent Chinese Communist Party ideology. @hrw hrw.org/news/2024/06/1…

Omg!🤦🏻‍♀️

Said Maximov is trying to bring a Silicon Valley start-up mindset to help solve the problem of keeping Uyghur culture and traditions alive in Central Asia. @ReidStan rferl.org/a/digital-yurt…

In Kazakhstan, 'The Floods Are Over But The Problems Have Just Begun' For @RFERL with reporting @RadioAzattyq rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-f…

Toregeldi Sharmanov, ex-healthcare minister of Soviet Kazakhstan, academic, has died today at the age of 93. I interviewed him in 2017, when he created a unique chocolate and ice cream from horse milk. He brought immense value to society. Иманды болсын!🤲🏼 eurasianet.org/kazakhstan-hor…

A politician's killing of his wife has fueled demands for better protection of women in Kazakhstan, reports @aygeryma. While Kazakhs were forbidden from protesting, 150,000 have signed a petition demanding improvement.newlinesmag.com/spotlight/the-…

This article by @aygeryma explains well what this trial said about societal change in 🇰🇿 and beyond. twitter.com/newlinesmag/st…

There are some new, intriguing details about the trial that I’ve learned from the interviews. Read and let me know what you think 🙌🏽

My article is out! Thanks to @Amie_FR for editing and to all the people whom I’ve interviewed for this important piece.