Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) published a report on 9 May 2023 explaining the involvement of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in the circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia, which were imposed in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. On 3 July 2023, a further report on sanctions circumvention was submitted to the European Parliament and […]
The Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) welcomes the European Parliament’s efforts to develop accountability mechanisms using EU–Kyrgyzstan trade relations to address the transnational financial repressions through weaponisation of the financial sector and the misuse of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) frameworks, SLAPP tactics by Kyrgyzstan. We are particularly grateful to the European Parliament for recognising […]
Commercial Court Upholds Press Freedom, Denies All Provisional Measures Sought by Kyrgyz Bank BRUSSELS, Belgium – July 31, 2025 – The Brussels Commercial Court has rejected all provisional measures sought by Bakai Bank OJSC Kyrgyzstan against the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF), protecting the organization’s constitutional right to publish investigative reports on sanctions circumvention. The court […]
Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President of the Open Dialogue Foundation, will take part in a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on transnational repression and potential policy approaches to addressing this problem. The event will take place on 24 June 2025 at the seat of the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. The hearing will […]
Executive Summary Nature of the Proceeding: The report examines a civil legal action initiated in Belgium by Bakai Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in Kyrgyzstan (Bakai Bank or the “Claimant”), against the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF). This civil action represents a clear instance of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). Bakai Bank […]
Executive summary This report is the eighth in a series of reports on how third-party countries, especially Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, are assisting Russia in its war against Ukraine. This report focuses on: the interim results of Western and Ukrainian policies towards Russia and recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of sanctions mechanisms; analysing the consequences of […]
In an article entitled “Russia circumventing Canadian sanctions to buy mine detonators: report” for The Globe & Mail, Steven Chase wrote about Russia evading sanctions imposed by Canada for its invasion of Ukraine through Central Asia. According to the World Liberty Congress, an alliance of pro-democracy activists from authoritarian countries co-founded in 2022 by the […]
Read the full article on: theglobeandmail.com See our report: Russia’s Accomplices in the War Against Ukraine: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Army’s Reliable Rear (May 9, 2023) and also: Jan Rymszewicz: The Globe & Mail: “Russia circumventing Canadian sanctions to buy mine detonators: report” (January 12, 2024)
Executive Summary This report is the sixth in a series of reports on how Russia circumvents sanctions with the help of Central Asian countries, particularly by way of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The subject of this report is an analysis of global trends and facts that point to Russia’s ability to accumulate sufficient resources for at […]
The Open Dialogue Foundation would like to thank the experts in the preparation of the submission. The Foundation would also like to express its gratitude to Mukhtar Ablyazov, an opposition politician and former Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan, for his advice. This submission contains the following information: Overview of Russia’s economic ability […]
Executive summary To analyse Kyrgyzstan’s capacity to help Russia circumvent sanctions, it is important to consider the internal political situation in Kyrgyzstan under President Sadyr Japarov. Kyrgyzstan has long been considered an “island of freedom” in Central Asia, with a number of independent media outlets, independent MPs and an active civil society. However, the authoritarian […]
On 17 and 18 April 2023, a delegation led by the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) conducted an advocacy mission to Rome to raise awareness on the abuse of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) rules perpetrated by authoritarian regimes as a tool for transnational repression, and to expose how Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan […]
Mr Orhan İnandı, the current President of the “Sapat” International Educational Institution, has been missing since May 31, 2021, from around 21:00; according to statements made by the wife of İnandı, in a video posted on her social media on June 6, 2021. Orhan İnandı had been working in Kyrgyzstan since 1995. İnandı’s car was […]
In the present document, the Open Dialogue Foundation, the Italian Federation for Human Rights, the Arrested Lawyers Initiative, the Human Rights Defenders e.V. and the Kharkiv Institute for Social Research attempt to fill the gaps in the PACE report and propose recommendations with respect to improving cooperation among the member states of the Council of Europe in the sphere of extradition.
Undemocratic states are applying increasingly sophisticated methods of repression. They are now using the mechanisms of Interpol and international legal cooperation to persecute their opponents. Dissidents and activists who are critical of governments are the victims of the lack of control mechanisms in this area.In our reports, the Foundation monitors violations related to the abuse […]
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