Between 12 and 14 June, 2017, a delegation of the Open Dialog Foundation and Destination Justice was present at the 35th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The aim of the visit was to discuss the current human rights and political situation in Moldova and Kazakhstan, as well as the reform of International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
The participation of Moldovan and Kazakh civic activists: lawyer and a human rights defender, founder of #NuMaTem – #I’mNotAfraid civil movement, Mrs Ana Ursachi; former Ambassador of Moldova to the United Nations in Geneva, ex-Permanent Representative of Moldova to the Council of Europe and Executive Director of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly of Moldova, Mr Alexei Tulbure; CEO of the ICT “StarNet” holding, Mr Alexandru Machedon; President of the Open Dialog Foundation, Mrs Lyudmyla Kozlovska; as well as a relative of the Kazakh dissident Mr Mukhtar Ablyazov, Mrs Leila Khrapunova, helped to raise the most urgent human rights cases in both countries, as well as the need to continue the reform of INTERPOL, which is often misused by non-democratic UN member states to persecute their political opponents abroad.
The delegation held a series of bilateral meetings with UN institutions like the the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as the UN member states permanent representations.
The recent statements of the international organizations and other human rights NGOs on human rights situation in Moldova and Kazakhstan are available below:
The case of Ana Ursachi in Moldova:
The cases of journalist Mr Zhanbolat Mamay and Mr Ramazan Yesergepov in Kazakhstan:
ODF: “Journalist Zhanbolat Mamay was beaten in Kazakhstani detention centre” & “Journalist Zhanbolat Mamay arrested in connection with the criminal proceedings against Mukhtar Ablyazov in the BTA Bank case”
Committee to Protect Journalists: “Editor arrested in Kazakhstan“& “Journalist and press freedom defender stabbed in Kazakhstan”
Reporters Without Borders: “Kazakh editor’s arrest aims to silence opposition paper”
International Federation of Journalists: “Kazakhstan: campaigners call for end to persecution of jailed journalist”
Freedom House: “Kazakhstan: Authorities Arrest Editor of Last Independent Newspaper”
Human Rights Watch: “Kazakhstan: Journalist Stabbed En Route to Brief Diplomats”
International Partnership for Human Rights: “Kazakhstan: Attack on journalists’ rights advocate must be properly investigated”
The cases of oil-workers leaders Mr Amin Eleusinov and Mr Nurbek Qushaqbaev:
Human Rights Watch: “Kazakhstan: 2 Union Leaders Arrested”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: “Kazakh Oil Workers Prosecuted For Hunger Strike” & “Kazakh Union Activist Sentenced Over Oil Workers’ Strike” & “Kazakh Labor Union Leader Sentenced To Two Years In Prison”
Eurasia.net: “Kazakhstan: Union Organizer Jailed for Helping Strikers”
The cases of land-reform protesters Mr Maks Bokayev and Mr Talgat Ayan:
ODF: “Kazakhstan: Maks Bokayev and Talgat Ayan sentenced to five years in prison for their participation in a peaceful rally” & “Report: Oppression of participants in rallies against Land Reform in Kazakhstan”
Amnesty International: “Kazakhstan: Further information: Prisoners of conscience’s conviction upheld: Maks Bokaev and Talgat Ayan”
Human Rights Watch: “Kazakhstan: 2 Activists Sentenced to 5 Years”
Freedom House: “Kazakhstan: Court Imposes Harsh Terms on Activists”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: “Kazakh Journalist Joins Hunger Strike By Jailed Activist” & “Kazakhstan Jails Two Land-Reform Protesters”
The case of a bloger Mr Sanat Dosov:
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: “Kazakh Jailed For Anti-Putin Facebook Posts”
The case of a businessman Mukhtar Dzhakishev:
ODF: “The case of Mukhtar Dzhakishev – The life of the political prisoner is in danger”
UN: “Communication No. 2304/2013”
The cases of associates of Kazakh political dissident Mr Mukhtar Ablyazov – Anatoliy Pogorelov (United Arab Emirates), Ierzhan Kadesov (Hungary), Tatiana Paraskevich (the Czech Republic), Roman Solodchenko (UK) and Zhaksylyk Zharimbetov (Turkey –> Kazakhstan):
ODF: “Report: Kazakhstan pursues former top managers of BTA Bank in order to obtain their testimonies against Mukhtar Ablyazov” & “Turkey helped Nazarbayev to kidnap political refugee Zhaksylyk Zharimbetov” & “The case of Tatiana Paraskevich: Through misuse of the EU’s justice system, Kazakhstan’s lobbyists seek to have Paraskevich’s asylum status revoked”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: “Fugitive Kazakh Banker Ablyazov Sentenced To 20 Years In Absentia, Decries ‘Farce’“