Powerful Tashkent Mayor Suddenly Fired

On January 16, Tashkent mayor Jahongir Ortikhojaev was abruptly fired for failing to prepare the Uzbek capital city for the unusually harsh winter. In office since 2018, he was often the subject of controversy, once threatening to “disappear” a journalist. But Artikhojaev was close to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, and therefore seemed untouchable. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss what went wrong for Artikhojaev are Dilmira Matyakubowa, a Ph.D researcher in criminology and co-director of UzInvestigations; Navbahor Imamova, a veteran correspondent for the Uzbek Service at Voice of America; and Sirojiddin Tolibov, managing editor of RFERL’s Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, who has also been closely following events in Uzbekistan for many years.