Uran Botobekov

Botobekov was born on May 1, 1967, in the village of Jangy-Jol (now Malkaldy), in the Aksy District of Osh Region (now Jalal-Abad). His father, Toktonazar Botobekov (born February 15, 1938 – died September 14, 2006), was a farmer. His mother, Tajykan Botobekova (born February 2, 1947), is a pensioner who lives in the village of Malkaldy in the Aksy district of Jalal-Abad. He graduated from secondary school in his home village. In 1984, he enrolled in Kyrgyz State University's (later Kyrgyz National University) Department of Journalism, graduating it in 1992.

He speaks and writes in Kyrgyz (native), Russian (native), Kazakh, Uzbek, Uyghur, English, German and Turkish.

From 1990 to 1993, he worked as a correspondent, and as the head of the Department of social and political issues at the weekly "Kyrgyzstan Madaniyati" (The Culture of Kyrgyzstan) newspaper, then deputy editor of the educational newspaper "Kut Bilim", in Bishkek. In 1994, he worked as the head of the Press service of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan.

In November 1994, he joined the diplomatic service. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as the head of the Information and Analytical Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. From 1996 to 1998, he worked as the first secretary at the Kyrgyz Embassy in Ukraine. From 1999 to 2000, he worked as the main expert of the International Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

From 2000 to 2001, he worked as a freelance analyst based in Bishkek, contributing to the international organization "Internews" (USA), the Carnegie Centre in Moscow (USA) and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (UK). In 2001, he was invited to work at the Administration of the President the Kyrgyz Republic.

He then led the President's press service, Askar Akayev, until 2003. From 2003 to 2005, he worked as Advisor to the Kyrgyz Ambassador in Turkey. From 2006 to 2008, he worked as the head of State Policy Department at the Agency for Civil Service Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

From 2008 to 2010, he worked as deputy director of Organization and Control of Work at the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Starting from the beginning of 2016 he became a contributing writer at The Diplomat as an expert on Political Islam in the Central Asia and the Middle East.

From 2007 till 2009, Uran Botobekov was a research associate at the Institute of Philosophy and Political and Legal Studies at the National Academy of Sciences.

From 2010 till 2012, he worked as a Scientific Secretary of the President of the National Academy of Sciences.

In 2011, he successfully defended his PhD thesis in Political Science, "The Political Aspects of Islamic Radicalism in Central Asia".

Since 2016, Uran Botobekov worked as an Expert on Radical Islam, Independent Analyst Author and Scientific Researcher, Contributor Writer of Modern Diplomacy.

In December 2017 he was elected as a Member of the advisory board of The Modern Diplomacy, a think-tank platform.

His scientific research focuses on the radical ideology of Sunni Wahhabism in Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as the Salafi-Jihadi movements underpinning such groups as al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Uran Botobekov's book "Think like Jihadist: Anatomy of Central Asian Salafi groups' has been published by the Modern Diplomacy Platform in May 2019.[2]

From 2011 until the end of 2015, Botobekov engaged in opposition political activities in Kyrgyzstan.

In 2013, at the congress of the opposition political party Uluttar Birimdigi (The Unity of the Nations) he was elected as a deputy chairman of the party.

From 2012 to 2016, he was a member of the "National Opposition Movement of Kyrgyzstan," a coalition of opposition parties and politicians. Botobekov criticized the Kyrgyz government and the President of Kyrgyzstan for their pressure upon freedom of speech and persecution of opposition journalists and politicians in 2012–2016.

He spoke strongly against seizure attempts of the popular Russian-language newspaper The Evening Bishkek (Vecherniy Bishkek) by people who allegedly had close relationship with the government officials.[3] In 2015, due to his active participation in opposition meetings for freedom of speech and human rights, he was shortly detained by the Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies.

The Freedom House report for June 2015 – May 2016:[4] stated:

In June 2015, Uran Botobekov, a journalist for the news portal Kabarordo.kg, was fined KGS 1.8 million (US $28,000), for accusing a former deputy chief of staff of the president's office, of corruption. Botobekov left Kyrgyzstan for Turkey in January 2016, after which he was subject to a smear campaign initiated by Russian state TV, accusing the journalist of having to ties to former Kyrgyz President Bakiev.”

Thus, in January 2016, due to the ongoing political pressure upon him and after receiving some warnings about his possible murder, he temporarily lived in Turkey before moving to the US.

• On August 28, 2003, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (UP No 284) awarded Uran Botobekov a diplomatic rank of "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic".
• On February 17, 2003, the Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (UP No 53) awarded him the Class rank of "State Counselor of the Kyrgyz Republic of the Third Class".

He is married to Aitbu Botobekova; they have a daughter Aruuke and two sons – Aituran and Elturan.