Uzbekistan Unblocks Foreign Media, Rights Groups Websites

Uzbekistan unblocked the websites of several foreign media and human rights organizations as part of efforts by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to open up Central Asia’s most populous nation after years of isolation.

The move comes after Harlem Desir, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s representative on Freedom of the Media, raised the issue with the Uzbek president. The unblocked websites include those run by the BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, the Fergana news agency, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Sans Frontieres.