Frequency of rallies declines in Kazakhstan - research
ALMATY. Dec 10 (Interfax) - The majority of peaceful rallies that have been staged in Kazakhstan since October 2012 centers on social and economic issues.
Of the 119 rallies that have taken place in Kazakhstan since October 2012, 74 focused on socioeconomic matters, and the other 45 dealt with environmental issues, according to a report that assesses the observance of citizens' right to the freedom of peaceful assembly over the period between October 2012 and September 2013.
The report was compiled using annual monitoring data provided by Kazakhstan's International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
"No political actions were held" over the aforementioned period of time, it says.
"There was an upsurge in the number of rallies in Kazakhstan following the crash of Russia's Proton space rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in July 2013. A total of ten public actions were staged in different cities protesting against launches of Russian rockets and demanding a ban on their launches from the territory of Kazakhstan. Representatives of far-right patriotic organizations were the most active organizers of these actions," the document says.
The overwhelming majority of peaceful rallies (85%) were not authorized by the local authorities, which is treated as an administrative offence in Kazakhstan. Only 15% of rallies held over this period of time were permitted.
The number of rallies held in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, where civil society has traditionally been very active, decreased by 17% in 2012-2013. However, the country's capital, Astana, has seen a 35% rise in the number of rallies.
