Kazakhstan: systematic violations of human rights and political freedoms through judicial, financial and transnational repression must end

Written declaration No. 804 | Doc. 16113 | 05 February 2025

Signatories:

Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Petra BAYR, Austria, SOC ; Mr Denis BEGIC, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Jone BLIKRA, Norway, SOC ; Mr Theo BOVENS, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, UEL ; Ms Sevilay ÇELENK ÖZEN, Türkiye, UEL ; Mr Christophe CHAILLOU, France, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Emmanuel FERNANDES, France, UEL ; Mr Paul GAVAN, Ireland, UEL ; Mr Mattias JONSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Claude KERN, France, ALDE ; Mr Ettore Antonio LICHERI, Italy, UEL ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Ms Agnes Sirkka PRAMMER, Austria, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Alexandra SCHOOS, Luxembourg, ECPA ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Annika STRANDHÄLL, Sweden, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We note with deep concern that Kazakhstan holds 49 political prisoners, including Daniyar Adilbekov, sentenced to four and a half years in prison for expressing criticism on social media, and Duman Mukhametkarim, sentenced to seven years in prison for interviewing opposition leader Mukhtar Ablyazov. The Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan rejected the registration of the opposition party “Alga Kazakhstan” for the 25th time, while imprisoning its leaders Marat Zhylanbaev, Askar Sembai, Asylbek Zhamuratov, Aidar Syzdykov, and Asanali Suyubaev for 5 to 10 years.Kazakhstan must cease its abuse of domestic legislation and international co-operation mechanisms on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism. The authorities must immediately release all political prisoners, including torture victims Timur Danebayev, Akylzhan Kiysymbayev, and Kazybek Kudaibergenov, as well as political hostage Bekizhan Mendygaziyev.

Furthermore, we find Kazakhstan's lack of co-operation in investigating the transnational assassination of opposition journalist and political refugee Aidos Sadykov unacceptable. We call on Kazakhstan to end its transnational repression of human rights defenders Lyudmyla Kozlovska, Bota Jardemalie, Daniyar Khassenov, and Barlyk Mendygaziyev, along with activists of the opposition movement “Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan,” its leader Mukhtar Ablyazov, and his relatives.

We call on the Parliamentary Assembly to investigate Kazakhstan's conduct of transnational repression, including its collaboration with legal entities such as Chevron, as evidenced in the case of Mendygaziyev.