Amnesty International on Jan. 22 called [7] on Kazakhstan to immediately drop criminal charges against 19 activists who are part of the Atajurt human rights movement and face up to 10 years in prison for participating in a peaceful protest near the nation's border with China. Marie Struthers, Eastern Europe & Central Asia director at Amnesty International, condemned the case as a misuse of criminal law to silence dissent, stating:
The Kazakhstani authorities must urgently step back from the reckless misuse of criminal law and do what international human rights standards plainly require: drop these baseless charges and immediately release all the detained Atajurt activists. Peaceful protest is not a crime simply because it makes those in power uncomfortable, even when that discomfort extends to displeasing a powerful geopolitical player such as China.
The call for the protesters' release comes directly before their trial is to open in the city of Taldykorgan. The group is charged under Article 174 [9] of Kazakhstan's Criminal Code for "inciting ethnic or national discord."
Police detained the 19 activists on Nov. 13 for their peaceful protest near the Kazakhstan-China border in the Almaty region. The demonstrators, many of whom are ethnic Kazakhs originally from China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, had demanded the release of Alimnur Turganbay, a Kazakhstan citizen detained in China since July under unclear circumstances.
Following the protest, authorities initially pursued administrative charges, including "hooliganism," imposing fines and short-term detention of up to 15 days. Reportedly, following a diplomatic note from Chinese authorities, prosecutors escalated the case with criminal charges. Thirteen activists were remanded in custody, while six were placed under house arrest.
Human Rights Watch also urged [10] Kazakh authorities to drop charges and release the activists. Maya Wang, the organization's deputy Asia director, said the prosecutions signal Kazakhstan's willingness to "aid China's repression" rather than defend the freedom of expression. The International Partnership for Human Rights [11] and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights & Rule of Law [12] have similarly warned [13] that the case is inconsistent with international standards for protecting the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
Kazakhstan shares a long border with China and is home to a sizable Uyghur and Kazakh diaspora from Xinjiang, where the Chinese authorities have carried out widespread repression [14] since 2016. Human rights groups have documented abuses including mass arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, pervasive surveillance, cultural and religious persecution, and forced labor–acts some organizations and governments have characterized as crimes against humanity.
Notably, this case marks the first time Kazakh authorities have sought to criminally prosecute such a large group of activists in a single proceeding for advocacy related to human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
From JURIST [15], Jan. 22. Used with permission.
See our last report on Chinese extraterritorialty [16].
