Everyone has heard the joke or some variation of it: Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the president of Uzbekistan, walks into a local restaurant, has dinner and is impressed with the place. So, she takes the whole business—and its bank account—for herself.
It’s not really funny. But like most jokes, this one is based in reality.
The first family’s extortionist activities are notable even for Uzbekistan — a country the size of California in the heart of Central Asia. Its 28.9 million citizens are beset by corruption at every level of society and government—starting at the very top. This malady causes or exacerbates Uzbekistan’s other crises: poverty, environmental destruction, and appalling human rights abuse.
Corruption is rampant because nothing blocks it. Not independent media, nor civil society — neither of which exist. The legal system is opaque, inconsistent, and distorted to favor the political regime. There is no independent judiciary or law enforcement, and no government anti-corruption monitor. Neither foreign media outlets nor international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) are allowed to operate in Uzbekistan.
Most of the power and wealth in Uzbekistan is in the hands of Islam Karimov — president since 1991. He shares it with his family and a coterie of friends.
Recently, the President’s elder daughter Gulnara came under scrutiny for her shady business dealings. Her assets were frozen and it is believed that she is under house arrest. Yet, it is questionable to what extent this is intended to serve as a distraction from the regime’s continuous atrocious record. Karimov suffers from almost no western pressure to reform. The US and the European Union overlook all but the most blatant human rights offenses and corruption in exchange for use of Uzbekistan’s strategic location in the “war on terror” and its abundance of fossil fuels.
Uzbekistan is the biggest family business in the world.
Scott Horton, Central Asia specialist & editor of Harpers Magazine