LaNUBlog™

Continued,..... Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva talks in detail about her "You are not alone" foundation in support of orphaned and disabled children in Uzbekistan, work which she describes as "her calling". But even on this topic she appears to criticise her publicity-savvy sister who regularly tweets about her own charity work. "I have noticed that the more you talk about what you're doing, the less pleasure you get from your business," she says. It seems that Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva is not just distancing herself from her sister, but from the image of her country which is regularly portrayed as one of the worst dictatorships by human rights organisations. In 2011 she took legal action in France against the news website Rue 89 over an article which described her as a "dictator's daughter". The article also claimed she tried to whitewash her country's image by paying big sums to celebrities like the Italian actress Monica Bellucci to ap...

They are the glamorous daughters of Uzbekistan's authoritarian President Islam Karimov, mixing with international celebrities and enjoying a jet-set lifestyle. But now, in comments given exclusively to BBC Uzbek, the younger sister, Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva has revealed an extraordinary rift at the heart of one of Central Asia's most prominent ruling families. "My sister and I have not spoken to each other for 12 years," Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva says. "There are no family or friendly relations between us." Ms Karimova-Tillayeva's frank comments about the complete breakdown of her relationship with her sister, Gulnara, are a rare crack in the secrecy and media silence that usually surrounds Central Asia's all-powerful political dynasties. They are also highly unusual in a culture where family bonds are hugely important. We are completely different people - and these differences, as you know, only grow over the years Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva Their f...