When Security Threatens Human Rights: Reviewing the Case of Central Asia

On joining the OSCE, states undertake comprehensive human-rights commitments. How have the states of Central Asia, whose regimes are not known for their progressive character in such matters, balanced concerns for security with human rights? The paper examines four incidents of human-rights abuses by state security forces. It further critically considers the efforts of the EU and the OSCE to pursue a security agenda while also promoting human rights in Central Asia; the latter have often suffered at the hands of the former. This looks set to continue as the focus on “hard security” issues remains.