Tag: freedom of speech

According to this year’s Human Freedom Index 2016 survey measuring widely understood personal and economic liberty, Eastern Europe is departing faster and faster from the western part of the continent.

On 28 November, 2016, a Kazakh court sentenced activists Maks Bokayev and Talgat Ayan to five years in prison. The court also banned them for three years from engaging in social activities and ordered them to pay 530,250 tenge (approximately 1,500 euros).

The Kazakh authorities have detained more than 1,000 and arrested more than 30 protesters. Several activists, who, via social networks, expressed their intention to attend rallies faced criminal charges of ‘attempting to seize power’, ‘inciting social and national hatred’.

In a recent interview conducted by Domenico Letizia for Cronache di Napoli, an Italian newspaper, Anna Koj, head of the Open Dialog’s EU Office, spoke about the Foundation’s work in promoting democracy and the rule of law in the post-Soviet states.

Geneva 23 June 2016 – On 22 and 23 June 2016 the UNHRC – the body that monitors the implementation of the rights enshrined in the ICCPR – reviewed for the second time since Kazakhstan is a party to the ICCPR the status of civil and political rights in the country.

On 22-23 June 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee will consider the implementation of Kazakhstan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

In April 2015, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights initiated consultations on the development of recommendations, aimed at creating of a favourable environment for civil society’s activities.

On Thursday 10 March, 2016, during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, a debate on freedom of expression in Kazakhstan was held. After the discussion, an urgent resolution was adopted.

The Open Dialogue Foundation, an international NGO active in promotion, support and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the post-Soviet area supports a political asylum request filed to the Dutch authorities by a Turkmen citizen, Mr Uhmyt Hallyyev and his family.

Kazakhstan demands that administrations of social networks disclose personal data of independent journalists, bloggers and political opponents. In retaliation for criticism, the authorities bring criminal charges of ‘spreading false information’ against inconvenient journalists.

On behalf of the Open Dialogue Foundation, non-governmental human rights organisation, we would like to congratulate you on your election as the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The Open Dialogue Foundation welcomes the initiative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on consultations regarding the creation of a favourable space for civil society activities and the development of a report with practical recommendations on this matter.

Since Kazakhstan’s last Universal Periodic Review, the situation regarding human rights has deteriorated. Kazakhstan’s government has failed to implement many of the reform commitments to which it agreed.

Over the past 1.5 years, independent and opposition media in Kazakhstan have found themselves on the brink of annihilation.

As a result of the events connected with the mass protests in Ukraine, in two months (January and February 2014), one journalist was killed and approx. 130 sustained wounds and injures of varying severity.