Hold Kazakhstan accountable for its transnational and domestic repression

Written declaration No. 800 | Doc. 16057 | 02 October 2024

Signatories:

Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Thórhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, Iceland, SOC ; Ms Iwona ARENT, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Theo BOVENS, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Paul GAVAN, Ireland, UEL ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Ms Kristina IKIĆ BANIČEK, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJCHEVSKA, North Macedonia, SOC ; Mr Didier MARIE, France, SOC ; Ms Wanda NOWICKA, Poland, SOC ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Mr Christian PETRY, Germany, SOC ; Mr Paulo PISCO, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Bekim QOKU, North Macedonia, NR ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, NR ; Mr Michael RUBBESTAD, Sweden, EC/DA ; Mr Axel SCHÄFER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Jessica STEGRUD, Sweden, EC/DA ; Ms Victoria TIBLOM, Sweden, EC/DA ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, EC/DA

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We express grave concerns over the assassination of opposition journalist and political refugee Aidos Sadykov in June 2024 in Kyiv, following his consistent revelations on Kazakhstani authorities’ assistance to the Russian Federation in circumventing Western sanctions. This political assassination was carried out by two Kazakhstani nationals, suspected to be special service agents.

Kazakhstan targets individuals who expose its involvement in mass political repression, torture, and its role as a "backdoor" for the Russian Federation to increase imports of dual-use goods from Western countries. We call on Kazakhstan to cease abusing international co-operation mechanisms aimed at combating cybercrime, money laundering, and terrorism financing, as well as its transnational repression against human rights defenders Lyudmyla Kozlovska, Bota Jardemalie, Daniyar Khassenov, and Barlyk Mendygaziyev; activists of the opposition movement "Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan" and its leader Mukhtar Ablyazov in Western countries.

Kazakhstan must stop abusing the banking system for political repression purposes and immediately release political prisoners, including opposition leader Marat Zhylanbayev, torture victims Timur Danebayev, Akylzhan Kiysymbayev, and Kazybek Kudaibergenov; political hostage Bekizhan Mendygaziyev; activists Kairat Klyshev, Aydar Syzdykov, Asylbek Zhamuratov, Aigerim Tleuzhan, and Shaden Karibayev; and journalist Duman Mukhametkarim.

Kazakhstan must be held fully accountable for its transnational and domestic repressions.