Evaluation of the EU’s human rights policies and engagement in Central Asia

This report, that was commissioned by the European Parliament, argues that European support for human rights in Central Asia mostly seeks to tackle technical matters in the judicial sector while often leaving deeper shortcomings in protection of human rights untouched. The EU has had little impact on Central Asia’s human rights record, due to the region’s deeply embedded authoritarian rule, as well as the EU’s limited leverage and inconsistencies in implementing values-related policies and projects. The report is also available here.

About Author

Vera Axyonova

Vera Axyonova is a postdoctoral researcher / assistant professor at the Justus Liebig University Giessen and an adjunct lecturer at Fulda University of Applied Sciences. She completed her PhD in Political Science at the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences and holds an MA in Intercultural Communication and European Studies and a Diploma in International Relations. Her primary research interests are external democratisation and human rights promotion, security in the post-soviet space, and Central Asian affairs.

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