Co-operation with Kazakhstan must be reconsidered in response to its rigged presidential election and mass arrests

Written declaration No. 682 | Doc. 14933 | 27 June 2019

Signatories:

Mr Roberto RAMPI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Hannah BARDELL, United Kingdom, NR ; Ms Erika BENKŐ, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Karin BROUWERS, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Reina de BRUIJN-WEZEMAN, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr Maurizio BUCCARELLA, Italy, NR ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Corneliu Mugurel COZMANCIUC, Romania, EPP/CD ; Lord George FOULKES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Marco GATTI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr André GATTOLIN, France, ALDE ; Mr Paul GAVAN, Ireland, UEL ; Mr Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Mr Attila KORODI, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Luís LEITE RAMOS, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Jacques MAIRE, France, ALDE ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Martin POLIAČIK, Slovak Republic, ALDE ; Mr Mihail POPSOI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Dana REIZNIECE-OZOLA, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Ulla SANDBÆK, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Tommy SHEPPARD, United Kingdom, NR ; Mr Raivo TAMM, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Damien THIÉRY, Belgium, ALDE ; Lord Don TOUHIG, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Martin VICKERS, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

Since May 2019, peaceful anti-government protests in Kazakhstan were followed by mass arrests of protesters. Human rights defenders Zhanbota Alzhanova, Dana Zhanay, Alimzhan Izbassarov, Daniyar Khassenov, Maxat Mukarov and other signatories of the open letter to the European Council President, Donald Tusk, have been persecuted.

As admitted by the authorities, at least 4 000 protesters were detained during protests against the undemocratic presidential election in Kazakhstan. Numerous protesters, as documented in video footages, were severely beaten by the police. Some of them face extremism charges, including mothers of minor children: Oksana Shevchuk, Zhazira Demeuova, Gulzipa Dzhaukerova, Akmaral Kerimbayeva and Gulmira Kalykova, who remain under house arrest.

Activist Serik Zhakhin was arrested for dissemination of materials related to the peaceful movement Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. As noted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the election was unfair and marred by violations of fundamental freedoms. The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Ní Aoláin, expressed her concern over numerous Internet blockages in Kazakhstan.

Given the aforementioned circumstances, we call for the implementation of the recommendations of the written declaration no. 675. We urge to impose personal sanctions upon those accountable for the aforementioned human rights violations and electoral fraud in the country.