The prospect for the emergence of rule of law is bleak in many formerly Soviet states. Outside of Russia and Azerbaijan, it is bleakest in Central Asia. The latest installment of Freedom House’s annual report, Nations in Transit 2024, shows that all five Central Asian states were deemed “consolidated authoritarian regimes,” the lowest category in the survey in terms of individual rights and competitive political systems. The report evaluated the state of political freedom in 29 states that once had communist systems. In all, eight countries received the “consolidated authoritarian” designation…