The Parliamentary Assembly should support Kazakhstan in continuing its democratic reforms
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 30 September
2025 (31st sitting) (see Doc. 16245,
report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur:
Mr Zsolt Németh). Text adopted by the
Assembly on 30 September 2025 (31st sitting).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its
Resolution 1506
(2006) “External relations of the Council of Europe”
and reiterates its commitment to enhancing the role of the Council
of Europe in promoting democracy, the rule of law and respect for
human rights beyond its borders, in particular in neighbouring regions,
as an essential contribution to security, stability and development.
2. The Assembly recalls its
Resolutions 1526 (2006) “Situation
in Kazakhstan and relations with the Council of Europe” and 2193
(2017) “The relations of the Council of Europe with Kazakhstan”
and reiterates its view of Kazakhstan as one of the pillars of stability
in the Euro-Asian region. This role has gained particular relevance
in the increasingly strained geopolitical environment that has emerged
following the Russian Federation’s unprovoked war of aggression
against Ukraine. It further notes Kazakhstan’s growing international
profile, supported by its strategic geographic location and balanced
foreign policy, and welcomes Kazakhstan’s contributions to international
diplomacy.
3. The Assembly reiterates its commitment to the 2004 Co-operation
Agreement with the Parliament of Kazakhstan, which, over the past
two decades, has served as a cornerstone for enhancing interparliamentary dialogue
and fostering mutual understanding between the Council of Europe
and Kazakhstan. It welcomes the commitment by the Parliament of
Kazakhstan to uphold and further develop the structured dialogue
with the Assembly, as underscored in the joint declaration by the
President of the Assembly and the Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament
of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 20th anniversary
of the agreement.
4. The Assembly further welcomes the commitment of Kazakhstan’s
political leadership to the democratic transformation of the country
and takes positive note of the constitutional and legislative reforms
undertaken since 2019. It particularly commends Kazakhstan for the
abolition of the death penalty in 2022, which has been one of the
Assembly’s key demands since the outset of its relations with the
Parliament of Kazakhstan. At the same time, the Assembly deplores
credible reports that Kazakhstan has recently acquired and deployed commercial-scale
internet censorship and surveillance infrastructure from China,
severely restricting free expression and digital rights. These systems
reportedly include deep packet inspection, real-time subscriber monitoring,
website and application filtering, regional traffic control, internet
throttling and blackouts, virtual private network (VPN) detection
and the ability to target individuals based on online activity –
capabilities which researchers have characterised as “terrifying”
and far in excess of any legitimate lawful interception framework.
5. The Assembly welcomes the comprehensive co-operation between
Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe within the framework of the
Neighbourhood Co-operation Priorities, which have served as a valuable instrument
for aligning Kazakh legislation with the Council of Europe’s standards.
At the same time, the Assembly expects tangible progress in justice
reform, anti-corruption measures, promotion of human rights and support
for democratic governance, inter alia through
co-operation with the Assembly, in particular: releasing 39 political
prisoners, individuals targeted for their involvement in peaceful
protests, civil society and anti-corruption activities, social media
publications or their support of peaceful opposition movements;
and fulfilling obligations to ensure freedom of political association
and to stop the domestic and transnational persecution of representatives
of the peaceful political opposition movements “Democratic Choice
of Kazakhstan”, “Koshe Partiyasy” and “Alga Kazakhstan”, as recalled
in the European Parliament resolutions of 20 January 2022 on the
situation in Kazakhstan and of 17 January 2024 on the EU strategy
on Central Asia.
6. The Assembly highly appreciates the fact that Kazakhstan is
party to a growing number of Council of Europe conventions and instruments
and has requested to accede to a number of others. The Assembly
has particularly taken note of Kazakhstan’s request for a two-year
extension of the invitation to accede to the Council of Europe Convention
on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic
Violence (CETS No. 210, “Istanbul Convention”), with the expressed
aim of continuing to align its legislation and acceding to the convention
thereafter. The Assembly is determined to follow up on this issue
in due course.
7. The Assembly recalls that the 2004 Co-operation Agreement
with the Parliament of Kazakhstan commits to the principles of parliamentary
democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. The Assembly expresses
its grave concern at the ministry of justice’s persistent refusal
to register the peaceful opposition party “Alga Kazakhstan” for
the 25th time and condemns the criminalisation of fundraising for
opposition campaigns and the weaponisation of financial and anti-money
laundering measures to restrict critics’ access to essential services
and employment. The Assembly calls for the full rehabilitation and
immediate release of imprisoned opposition leaders such as Marat
Zhylanbayev, Asqar Sembai, Asylbek Zhamuratov, Aidar Syzdykov, Asanali
Suieubaev and journalist Duman Mukhametkarim – sentenced to terms
of five to ten years for exercising their civil rights, including
exposing Kazakhstan’s assistance in evading sanctions against the Russian
Federation. The Assembly further condemns the absence of an independent
investigation into the transnational assassination of opposition
journalist and political refugee Aidos Sadykov, as well as the violent crackdown
on protesters in January 2022, the unclear role of external intervention
following the request by President Tokayev to President Putin and
the subsequent order to shoot without warning. The Assembly calls for
an end to these practices and calls for the immediate cessation
of all forms of harassment and intimidation against human rights
defender Bakhytzhan Toregozhina, in full respect of Kazakhstan’s
international obligations regarding political participation and
fundamental freedoms.
8. The Assembly remains committed to co-operation with Kazakhstan
that is based on shared values and is determined to support Kazakhstan
in continuing its democratic reforms. This support should be strategic
and principled, encouraging Kazakhstan to continue with the implementation
of reforms and exploring ways of closer co-operation.
9. Therefore, the Assembly encourages the Parliament of Kazakhstan
to:
9.1 use its strengthened position
within the country’s institutional framework – a positive outcome
of the recent constitutional reforms – to drive forward the democratisation
process in Kazakhstan;
9.2 encourage the authorities of Kazakhstan to broaden the
country’s participation in the European legal space and to accede
to relevant Council of Europe conventions which are open to non-member States,
in particular:
9.2.1 accelerate progress towards the ratification
of the Istanbul Convention;
9.2.2 consider becoming a member of the Council of Europe International
Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou Group);
9.3 increase its participation in the work of the Assembly
and its committees.
10. The Assembly calls on the authorities of Kazakhstan to:
10.1 continue with their reform agenda
and translate political commitments into sustained, transparent and
measurable progress;
10.2 make full use of the expertise and tools available under
the Council of Europe Neighbourhood Co-operation Priorities, particularly
in the newly expanded fields of justice reform, anti-corruption,
human rights protection and democratic governance.
11. The Assembly urges the authorities of Kazakhstan to:
11.1 acknowledge the importance of
open public discourse and constructive criticism in a democratic society,
foster genuine political pluralism and ensure meaningful political
competition and participation;
11.2 ensure a pluralistic and independent media environment
and avoid disproportionate restrictions on independent journalism
and civil society, including by removing legal and administrative
obstacles that hinder their operation;
11.3 align with international human rights standards by ensuring
that its domestic legislation, policies and practices reflect these
norms, take into account the views and recommendations of domestic
and international human rights bodies, including the United Nations
Human Rights Committee, and implement their recommendations in full;
11.4 advance reforms aimed at enhancing judicial independence
and accountability, reinforcing access to justice and the right
to a fair trial;
11.5 ensure full accountability for past human rights violations,
including those linked to the January 2022 events, and strengthen
safeguards against torture and ill-treatment in all places of detention.
12. The Assembly encourages the authorities of Kazakhstan to:
12.1 continue their constructive
engagement with the Council of Europe and other international bodies in
the field of protection of democracy, human rights and the rule
of law, and intensify efforts to address the concerns raised;
12.2 build on Kazakhstan’s active participation in international
diplomacy by supporting dialogue, regional stability and co-operation
in line with international norms and Council of Europe values. This includes
the steadfast commitment to preserving and strengthening fundamental
principles such as respect for the sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity of States, the non-use of force or threats
of force, and the peaceful resolution of disagreements and disputes
between countries;
12.3 maintain their support for a peaceful resolution to the
unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, guided by the principles
of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and
consider joining international efforts aimed at creating a comprehensive
approach to accountability, ensuring justice for victims and reinforcing
international law.
13. The Assembly should regularly assess the situation in Kazakhstan
and its adherence to the values of the Council of Europe, and stresses
that any positive assessment must remain conditional on measurable progress
in the reform agenda.
