Kazakhstan’s current human rights-related reforms are a step in the right direction, the country’s stakeholders told the recent EURACTIV event But legislators in various political fields of the European Parliament are not fully convinced.
In June, President Tokayev of Kazakhstan signed the decree “On Further Measures in the Field of Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan”, which he said was an important step in the political modernization of Central Asian countries.
“An important stage of political modernization is to further implement specific measures in the field of human rights. The corresponding decree was signed today. The government has been instructed to adopt an emergency action plan to implement it,” Tokayev tweeted when announcing the decree. Say.
An important stage of political modernization is to further implement specific measures in the field of human rights. The corresponding decree was signed today. The government has been instructed to adopt an emergency action plan to implement it.
— Qasym-Jomart Toqayev (@TokayevKZ) June 9, 2021
The priority areas of the plan include efforts to eliminate discrimination against women and promote freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom of life and public order.
The plan also aims to increase the efficiency of interaction with NGOs and improve human rights in the criminal justice system to eliminate torture and ill-treatment of prisoners. This is all the issues raised by the EU in its previous human rights dialogue with NGOs. The largest economy in Central Asia.
The Human Rights Commissioner of Kazakhstan, Elvira Azimova (Elvira Azimova) stated that the decree “proves that our country is committed to the gradual development of human rights as a very important area of our national policy.”
Improving Kazakhstan’s human rights record can bring economic benefits, and potential foreign investors will be attracted by a more stable and less risky economic environment.
The Ombudsman told EURACTIV on Wednesday (July 17) that although the Central Asian country had previously adopted a position of “economic situation first and human rights second”, it is now preparing to say that “human rights are a very important area.” event.
Azimova sees her role as the human rights guardian of the country’s institutions as a task that requires a balanced view.
“I cannot be an exception. I cannot support NGOs because the parliament is a legislative body and should pass laws that are beneficial to Kazakhstan’s national interests,” she said, adding that civil society cannot be excluded.
According to Azimova, Kazakhstan needs to “create our own model, because a country has its own mentality, its own interests and ideology, which cannot be ignored.”
Azimova said the path to a sustainable approach is to consolidate positions, which will be welcomed by most people.
The European Parliament passed a Resolution Criticize Kazakhstan’s human rights record, emphasize gender issues, the situation of civil society groups and activists, and demand the release of detained activists.
Kazakhstan officials responded that the criticism was unfair and the EU should not ignore or block efforts to improve the country’s human rights record.
The head of the Kazakhstan delegation to the EU, Margolan Bemhan, emphasized that the EU and the largest Central Asian country are “equal partners.”
“Therefore, we should support each other’s efforts to provide our citizens with the best social, socio-economic and political framework for prosperity and development,” he said.
During this period Last round In the annual human rights dialogue between Kazakhstan and the European Union in November 2020, European diplomats “recognized the ongoing reform process in Kazakhstan”, but emphasized the importance of effective implementation, and also proposed the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Worry.
Since Tokayev became president after the sudden departure of the first leader of independent Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019, the new government has begun a reform process aimed at promoting the country’s political and civil rights.
However, international human rights and civil rights monitoring agencies continue to report suspected violations.Last week, Human Rights Watch Say The authorities have launched criminal investigations and prosecutions against at least 135 people across the country who are suspected of participating in banned political groups.
Doubts about the extent of reforms also continue to linger in the European Parliament.
“The decree is not a sufficient step in the right direction. There are some strong economic and geopolitical pillars that put countries with weak democratic systems and limited human rights in trouble,” the European Parliament of Conservatives and reformist Eurosceptic groups in Europe Congressman Yugan Yulzka told EURACTIV.
“To get rid of this trap, we need to formulate a strong and specific structural reform plan. It is more powerful than this decree,” said the lawmaker, a member of the Parliamentary and Central Asian State Relations Delegation (DCAS).
European Parliament member Viola von Cramon (Green Party) stated that the EU needs to assess these steps with “healthy skepticism” and that legal actions “make no difference if they are not implemented.”
The green politician said: “We are accustomed to seeing many surface reforms in the region aimed at whitewashing serious human rights violations, but we have no real interest in true democratization.”
According to von Kramon, the values for reform in the latest presidential decision are “very relevant to the EU,” but “just putting them in the decree without actually supporting them does not give the EU sympathy.”
However, Zhemis Turmagambetova, executive director of the Human Rights Charter Public Foundation, said that the situation is slowly changing.
“A lot of work is being done, and the extent to which civil society and human rights organizations and their participation in the determined plan will determine how far we become a human rights-based country,” the activist said. Engaged in the cause of human rights for more than 30 years.
“Defending human rights is an arduous task. I have gone through all stages of my career, starting with total ignorance and total rejection of human rights. Now we are reaching a certain consensus.”
“We started to cooperate, and our human rights organization still has a lot of work to do. We have undertaken a lot of international payment commitments in Kazakhstan, and we still have a lot of work to do,” she said.
