Mr Josè Ignacio Sanchez Amor, Chair of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, signed two letters on Friday 23 February 2018, one addressed to the President of Kazakhstan, Mr Nazarbayev and one to the Ministry of Justice and General Prosecutor of Moldova.
Mr Sanchez Amor expressed his deepest concern over the holding of political prisoners in Kazakhstan and urged the authorities of the country to take measures regarding two specific cases: Mr Mukhtar Dzhakishev and Mr Iskander Yerimbetov. As the Kazakhstani Commission on Amnesty is expected to meet in March, Sanchez Amor called on the President to grant pardon to Mr Dzhakishev, whose health conditions have seriously worsened, and to release the two prisoners in the near future.
Mr Sanchez Amor also addressed the authorities of Moldova on the case of Ms Ana Ursachi, which is an example of the persecution of lawyers in the country. Amor expressed his regret over the practice of exerting pressure on lawyers and judges in the country (such as Eduard Rudenco, Domnica Manole anDorin Munteanu) and called on the authorities to respect the international obligations in the judicial field and the rule of law – commitments that also stem from agreements undersigned by the country, such as the Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU.
This address is an achievement of ODF’s mission at the OSCE PA Winter Meeting on 22 and 23 February 2018 in Vienna, where the event “Persecution of lawyers: selected cases from Moldova, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan” was held.
- Download the letter addressed to the authorities of Kazakhstan
- Download the letter addressed to Moldovan judicial authorities
Read our reports and statements:
- The case of Mukhtar Dzhakishev: release the political prisoner to save his life
- Report: Iskander Yerimbetov, political hostage of Nazarbayev’s regime
- Moldova: prosecution of counsel Ana Ursachi
- Report: the authorities of Moldova roll back the democratisation process and fail to fulfil their obligation to the EU
- The Captured State: politically motivated prosecution in Moldova and usurpation of power by Vladimir Plahotniuc
