Geneva, Brussels, The Hague, Almaty 12 July 2011. A UN review of Kazakhstan this week should address problematic practices that stifle dissent and limit fundamental freedoms in this country, three human rights groups said today. Among such practices are the use of libel charges and defamation suits to intimidate outspoken journalists, mass detentions of participants in unsanctioned protest meetings and raids and fines targeting religious groups that worship without state registration. In a briefing paper prepared for the review, the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, International Partnership for Human Rights and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee document these and other abuses that merit close scrutiny.
The UN Human Rights Committee, an independent expert body that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), will review Kazakhstan’s record under this treaty during its session in Geneva on 14-15 July. It’s the first time that Kazakhstan will be reviewed under the treaty since ratifying it in 2006.