No improvement in Kazakhstan's human rights situation - activists
ASTANA. Dec 10 (Interfax) - The human rights situation in Kazakhstan has not improved in spite of assurances from the authorities, the Kazakh International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law said in its report 2012.
"Despite all efforts of human right activists and statements of the authorities about their readiness to comply with international standards, situation with human rights in Kazakhstan stays put and even declines from year to year," the report said. "All diseases that have been inherent in Kazakhstan's community for past years especially exacerbated in 2012."
"Human right activities pinned their hopes on implementation of 2009-2012 Nationwide Human Rights Action Plan by the state. However, experts indicate that target for 13 major sections related to civil and political rights and freedoms has been only 17% implemented. These mainly include scheduled arrangements and adopted legislative initiatives that contributed almost no changes to the practice," the report said.
"Regrettably, nothing has been made to bring institution of Ombudsman in line with Paris principles as regards national human right institutions. Simultaneously, transfer of the penitentiary system to jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and attempts to create concurrent Public Monitoring Commissions make it possible to say that Kazakhstan has likely opted for a path of not zero tolerance to tortures but deliberate silencing of their occurrence," it noted.
"Meanwhile, among positive moments it is possible to mention that authors of 2011 Human Rights Report in the Republic of Kazakhstan prepared by the government have used information and taken into consideration recommendations from export reviews of NGOs.
"Along with that, it is necessary to point out that this year Kazakhstan has compelled heightened attention of international human right organizations which is testified by dozens of reports about situation with observance of human rights in our country. It is clear that the situation will not improve by year-end and this means that the year 2012 will remain a year of continuous violations of human rights and freedoms in the country. This also means that in new 2013 Kazakhstan will join a list of countries that violate human rights. Therefore, community of Kazakhstan as never before faces an urgent task to amend the situation with human rights for the better," the report said.
