The Mysterious Case Of Karimova's Missing Diplomatic Posting

Gulnara Karimova's name has suddenly disappeared from the Uzbek Foreign Ministry's official list of ambassadors, but it remains unclear whether the first daughter has indeed left her diplomatic post in Geneva.

The official website of Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry on April 24 showed that the position of the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva was vacant.

Karimova has been Uzbekistan's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary permanent representative to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva since September 2008.

According to the UN's official website, she still occupies the post. The UN office in Geneva told RFE/RL on April 25 that it has not received any official notification from Tashkent indicating Karimova had left the post.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL that it "cannot confirm or deny" any changes regarding the post of Uzbekistan's permanent representative in Geneva.

The ministry said it was unable to comment on why Karimova's name had disappeared from its online list of ambassadors representing Uzbekistan abroad.

On April 25, the ministry removed the list from its website altogether. Late the same day, the link took readers to a notice saying that the page was being updated.

In Geneva, Karimova was absent from a UN meeting on April 24 in which Uzbekistan's widely criticized human rights situation was discussed. Uzbekistan's delegation was led by Akmal Saidov, the head of Uzbekistan's Human Rights Center.

There was no hint of any possible career change on Karimova's official website or Twitter accounts. Same for the website of the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation -- known as the Fund Forum -- the biggest public organization in Uzbekistan chaired by Karimova since 2004.

-- Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service