Official photographs of three of Central Asia’s five presidents are subject to heavy photoshopping, according to a media outlet's investigation.

Azattyk Asia on September 18 reported on how it compared such photos to photos published with international news reports in a spot-the-difference exercise.

Seemingly perfect postures, pearly white smiles, smooth skin and luxurious grey hair were among flawless features subject to analysis.
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The retouched version of the photo seen at the top of this article that appeared in Turkmen state media.

It appears that, apart from in the cases of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, there is some serious retouching going on. Wrinkles are smoothed out, hair is dyed, teeth are whitened and smiles are “glued” on, according to Azattyk, which notes that “sometimes these changes are so noticeable that retouched presidents become the subject of jokes and memes on social media”.

In Turkmenistan, where the regime stringently attends to upholding the Berdimuhamedov cult of personality, the president is “processed” especially carefully, says its report.

"Compared to photographs taken, for example, by the Kremlin or [Kazakh] Akorda photographers, it's clear how old and shabby [Leader of the Turkmen Nation] Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's skin is, especially around his neck and throat. Turkmen censors carefully bleach and smooth it all out, resulting in an unnatural, photoshopped look," Ruslan Myatiev, editor-in-chief of the independent publication-in-exile Turkmen.News, was quoted as saying.

The article also tells how retouchers once replaced the “too stern” head of Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to present a softer facial expression; how the height of Islam Karimov, the short first president of Uzbekistan, was artificially increased in photos; how current Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev gets “more subtle” adjustments; and how 72-year-old Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appears in official photograph, with an “unnaturally smooth” face and “excessively white” teeth.

The article also quotes an observer as telling how in Kyrgyzstan, which has not resorted to significant photoshopping of its rulers, state leaders actively use social media and take selfies, which are circulated “even if they don't turn out well”.

In Tajikistan, meanwhile, leader of more than three decades Rahmon is said by Central Asia expert Bruce Pannier to “often appear old and grumpy” in official photos. There's certainly no evidence that his entourage has urged him to resort to photo retouching.