Dissent squelched
The week's news at a glance.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Uzbek authorities this week jailed an opposition leader and a human-rights activist in a continuation of a wholesale crackdown on dissent. Sandjar Umarov, head of the opposition party Sunshine Uzbekistan, was given nearly 11 years in prison for operating a “criminal group.” Umarov has been a vocal critic of last May’s massacre in Andijan, when government troops systematically killed hundreds of protesters. Human-rights activist Mukhtabar Tojibayeva was sentenced to eight years for vaguely defined economic crimes. “This is a puppet show,” she shouted to the judge as she was led away, “and a tragedy.” Since the Andijan uprising, Uzbekistan has jailed nearly 200 people and booted numerous foreign charities out of the country.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Some mainstream Democrats struggle with Zohran Mamdani's surprise win
TALKING POINT To embrace or not embrace? A party in transition grapples with a rising star ready to buck political norms and energize a new generation.
-
How to make music part of your vacation
Let the rhythm move you
-
What is credit card churning and why is it risky?
the explainer Churners frequently open new credit cards with the intent of earning a welcome bonus and accessing other perks