The Open Dialogue Foundation, the Italian Federation for Human Rights and Freedom Kazakhstan Foundation invite you to attend the online event “Authoritarian countermeasures to targeted sanctions: China’s and other autocratic responses”. On Monday, 21 June 2021, our distinguished guests will gather to discuss Russia’s and China’s countermeasures in response to the EU’s first designations under the new EU Global […]
On 25 March 2021, human rights defenders from Kazakhstan, EU representatives, academics, and journalists gathered for an online discussion “Addressing human rights abuses in Kazakhstan: a need for the EU response” to provide an overview of the ongoing human rights violations and an update of Kazakhstan’s implementation of the European Parliament urgent resolution of 11 February 2021. The event was co-hosted by MEP Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe; Lithuania) in cooperation with the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF). The discussion was moderated by Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President of ODF.
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The Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) is pleased to invite you to an online event “Addressing human rights abuses in Kazakhstan: a need for the EU response” co-hosted by MEP Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe; Lithuania) in cooperation with ODF. The event will be live-streamed on Thursday, 25 March 2021, 14:00 – 15:30 CET / Brussels time, and will feature interventions […]
A debate during the European Parliament’s plenary session on February 11, 2021, led to the adoption of an urgent resolution concerning the human rights situation in Kazakhstan. The MEPs voted in favour of one of the strongest appeals ever issued by the EP, firmly condemning the current situation in the country. The resolution is a […]
The purpose of the coalition and Facebook group #ActivistNotExtremists is to collect information and organise legal and humanitarian aid for all those who have been politically persecuted for participating in peaceful protests in Kazakhstan. The monitoring is a part of the civil society control for the implementation of the international obligations undertaken by the Kazakhstani […]
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Electoral fraud, obstruction of independent observers & massive arbitrary arrests. Welcome to elections in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan fails to meet OSCE standards for democratic elections – in its statement of preliminary findings and conclusions the observation mission points out to: lack of competition, limiting voters’ fundamental rights & freedoms, and the politicized Central Electoral Commission (CEC). […]
Kazakh regime flexes its muscles in the run-up to the January elections Tightening the authoritarian grip (source: Int. media coverage) Despite the encouraging news of Kazakhstan abolishing the death penalty on Jan 2nd, the wider picture is not all so rosy. With the elections approaching, the authorities put further pressure on the civil society – […]
On Dec 21st, armed to teeth Kazakhstani officers stormed the houses and farms of Eric and Kalyk Mendigazievs. As the official line went, they were investigating the theft of 10 horses. In a rush to find them, they checked all the usual places: wardrobes, baths, and sofas – not bothering to visit the stables… This ludicrous operation of the security forces has taken aback even the horses’ owner himself, stunned that the theft was used as a pretext for harassment of his fellow farmers. Yet, this kafkaesque sequence of events has become depressingly familiar to those monitoring the ways and means of pursuing the opponents and critics of the regime. And, although the story sounds all Borat, unlike Borat that is just a comedy, the ongoing situation in the country is a far cry from it. The odd “rodeo” played by the authorities is really just another attempt to silence Eric and Kalyk’s close relative and human rights defender, Barlyk Mendigaziev.
Please, listen to the citizens of Kazakhstan January 10, 2021, is upon us, and with it comes a critical time for Kazakhstani civil society. With the parliamentary election looming large, the authorities are trying to ruthlessly silence any voice of dissent. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan plays a deceptive game with the international community by inviting – to […]
With the parliamentary election in Kazakhstan looming large, the authorities are trying to ruthlessly silence any voice of dissent. Since June 2020, we have observed a significant deterioration of the human rights situation in the country – the latest figures show at least 28 political prisoners and 95 cases of ongoing political persecutions. Now, just a month before the January 10 elections, the regime is using Chinese technology to attempt to cut the citizens off from the internet and social networks, which provide the only alternate source of reliable information and the only channel through which citizens can report electoral fraud. Simultaneously, the Central Election Commission has just imposed further draconian restrictions on election observers’ rights that amount to a de facto ban on their participation altogether. The authorities also rushed to ban online donations for NGOs. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan plays a deceptive game with the international community by inviting – to only a limited number of polling stations – ODIHR international observers.
On 25 November 2020, Italian Senator and Member of the Special Commission on Human Rights, Emma Bonino, submitted a written question (WQ) to Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi di Maio. The WQ is particularly focused on the case of the political killing of Zhanbolat Agadil and the request for individual sanctions on violators of human rights in Kazakhstan.
On 25 November 2020, 6 members of the Italian Parliament addressed President Tokayev with a letter, expressing their deep concern about the worrying state of fundamental freedoms in Kazakhstan; the mass repression puts Kazakhstan’s international credibility and its intention of becoming a ‘listening state’ (i.e. open to dialogue with civil society) at stake right before its parliamentary election.
Over the last 2.5 years, the authorities of Kazakhstan have arbitrarily detained over 7,000 peaceful protesters, which is an unprecedented amount in the history of the country.
