Written declaration No. 638 | Doc. 14416 | 11 October 2017

Kazakhstan: political oppression, injustice and torture must be stopped

Signatories: Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Pablo BUSTINDUY, Spain, UEL ; Ms Vanessa D'AMBROSIO, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Marco GATTI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Pierre GRIN, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Annette GROTH, Germany, UEL ; Mr Matjaž HANŽEK, Slovenia, UEL ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Ms Alice-Mary HIGGINS, Ireland, SOC ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Ms Lotta JOHNSSON FORNARVE, Sweden, UEL ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Ertuğrul KÜRKÇÜ, Turkey, UEL ; Mr George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Luis Alberto ORELLANA, Italy, SOC ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Ulla SANDBÆK, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Mart van de VEN, Netherlands, ALDE ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC ; Mr Roger ZAVOLI, San Marino, FDG

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Kazakhstani authorities have used a regular practice of fabrication of criminal cases, for example the pretence of financial crimes, terrorism or social discord against peaceful protesters, bloggers, journalists, oppositionists and their associates mentioned in the written declaration No. 630. A threat to be prosecuted both in Kazakhstan and abroad is used even against their family members as a form of punishment like in the case of the Khrapunovs or in the case of the Tokmadis, in order to obtain false confessions against the opposition.

No justification can be found for the use of torture and lack of medical aid as means of pressure on political prisoners Mukhtar Dzhakishev and Muratkhan Tokmadi. They are being held as hostages by Nazarbayev’s regime as they refused to give testimonies against an opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov.

The UN Human Rights Committee demanded that the judgment of the Kazakhstani authorities be revoked and Dzhakishev be released from prison. Still, Kazakhstan refused to comply with the decision of the UN Committee, thus once again showing disrespect for its international obligations.

We hereby demand that Kazakhstani authorities full comply with their obligations to respect human rights, stop torture and oppression.