← All situations
Someone close is missing or imprisoned in Central Asia
Draft First minutes: what human rights defenders usually advise
Someone close is missing or imprisoned in Central Asia
Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.
- Record everything: date and place of arrest, who made it, where the person was taken, which charges. Demand a lawyer chosen by the family, not only an appointed one.
- In Turkmenistan dozens of prisoners have been unaccounted for for years: report the case to the Prove They Are Alive! campaign, which tracks the disappeared.
- Publicity and international mechanisms often help: the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled on cases from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. But sometimes the prisoner is punished after publicity, so decide together with the lawyer and the family.
- People die in custody after being denied treatment (Pamiri activists in Tajikistan, a blogger in Karakalpakstan) — report health problems to rights groups immediately.
current as of September 25.
More: HRW: World Report 2026, Turkmenistan; HRW: World Report 2026, Uzbekistan; HRW: World Report 2026, Kazakhstan
Who helps
5 organisations
Free legal aid, support for victims of torture and ill-treatment, monitoring of political cases. Offices in Bishkek and Osh.
Kyrgyzstan's 2024 'foreign representatives' law puts pressure on foreign-funded NGOs — ask which programmes are currently running.
If Telegram doesn't open: Bishkek: +996 501 156-390 · Osh: +996 555 161-300 · birduinokyrgyzstan@gmail.com
Kyrgyzstan
Documents persecution in Uzbekistan — bloggers, journalists, prisoners, forced labour — and campaigns for release. Does not provide legal aid.
If Telegram doesn't open: info@uzbekforum.org
abroad
Monitors human rights abuses in Turkmenistan. Accepts reports on persecution, exit bans, passports not renewed and pressure on relatives.
The old address chrono-tm.org no longer belongs to the organisation — do not open it.
If Telegram doesn't open: Telegram · hronikatm@gmail.com
Vienna
Seeks information on people who disappeared in Turkmenistan's prisons, tracking 162 confirmed cases. Accepts information from relatives and acquaintances.
If Telegram doesn't open: website
abroad
Emergency support for human rights defenders at risk: protection grants, secure contact, publicity and advocacy after detention.
For people targeted for peaceful human rights work, including activists and journalists.
If Telegram doesn't open: protection grants
worldwide
Lawyers for political cases →