#ActivistsNotExtremists
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 authorities. Most essential posts are translated into English from Kazakh and Russian language:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ActivistsNotExtremists
The information collected is also used to generate lists of candidates for personal sanctions:
🔻 based on the records of human rights violators in Kazakhstan – police officers, NSC, prosecutors, judges, local executive bodies – executors of orders.
🔻 based on the records of political decisions and orders from key officials in Kazakhstan responsible for systemic political persecution, political killings and restrictions on civil liberties. The most frequent and widespread calls for personal sanctions from Kazakhs are against:
- The head of the NSC, Karim MASIMOV,
- Prosecutor General, Gizat NURDAULETOV,
- Minister of Internal Affairs, Yerlan TURGUMBAYEV.
On 11 February 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Kazakhstani authorities to stop ALL forms of political persecution, immediately release and fully rehabilitate all political prisoners, and urging EU member states to consider the imposition of targeted sanctions for human rights violations in Kazakhstan.
Source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/…/TA-9-2021-0056_EN.html
The European Parliament, members of PACE and national parliaments of European countries, and the U.S. Department of State have also condemned political persecution in Kazakhstan in their letters, reports and declarations.
Due to growing international and domestic pressure, President Tokayev has tried to imitate democratic processes by promoting a “listening state” concept. For this purpose, the “National Council of Public Trust”, the “Supreme Council for Reforms”, and the “National Coordination Council” (“the opposition”) have been established with the main aim of imitating “political reforms” and “respect for human rights”. Simultaneously, the NSC, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office continue to increase pressure on civil society.
The group actively exposes the propaganda of the Kazakhstani authorities, as well as the people knowingly involved in shaping a facade image of a “listening state” and imitating democratic reforms in Kazakhstan in front of the international community.
Monitoring is carried out on a volunteer basis by human rights defenders and lawyers sympathetic to the organisation of urgent aid for detainees/persecuted persons in Kazakhstan: Open Dialogue Foundation, volunteers of the Human Rights Foundation #Qaharman, human rights movement #405, “Elimay”, “Veritas”, “BostandyQ Kz”, “Article 14” and the “Femina Virtute”. Freedom Kazakhstan Foundation and the Italian Federation for Human Rights are also helping to raise awareness on international organisations like the OSCE, the UN and the EU national parliaments, the European Parliament.
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