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The Tashkent regional court has dismissed an appeal by blogger Lemara Mirzaahmedova on December 13, upholding her 7 1/2-year prison term issued in October, as reported by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service. Her conviction, based on defamation, slander, and extortion charges linked to critical social-media posts about the government, faced staunch opposition from supporters who view it as retribution by authorities. Mirzaahmedova, detained in March, is seen by human rights watchdogs as part of a concerning trend in Tashkent, marked by an uptick in criminal cases targeting independent bloggers.
The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights witnessed the active involvement of Turkmenistan's justice representatives in significant high-level events held in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 11-12. Adalatchy Yazdursun Gurbannazarova, the designated human rights representative in Turkmenistan, participated in the "Human Rights 75" events, a series organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Turkmen delegation also engaged in a parallel event hosted by the non-governmental organization, BDG, and the non-commercial organization, INHR, alongside national human rights institutions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The momentous occasion, dedicated to honoring the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, convened eminent figures from international organizations, delegation leaders, and national human rights entities. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, extended congratulations during the conference's inauguration, acknowledging the milestone of the declaration's adoption. Participating in these crucial discussions, Turkmenistan’s representatives conveyed the nation's accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of human rights and the rule of law. Turkmenistan's commitments within the framework of "Human Rights 75" initiatives and its support for implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were highlighted. Key pledges encompassed enhancing international cooperation, fortifying youth policies, implementing environmental approaches to safeguard human rights, and addressing statelessness within Turkmenistan.
On December 11th, the U.S. Department of State hosted a meeting of representatives of C5+1 countries dedicated to protecting the rights of people with disabilities and finding practical solutions to their problems. The C5+1 diplomatic platform represents the U.S. Government’s holisitc approach to Central Asia, jointly engaging all five Central Asian nations. The meeting was attended by Sara Minkara, Special Adviser to the President of the United States on the International Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary John Mark Pommersheim, and representatives of government agencies of the USA. The Ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to the United States also spoke during the meeting, which was moderated by Minkara, who shared her experience and recommendations on ensuring protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Donald Lu stressed the importance of increasing cooperation within the C5+1 format on the rights of persons with disabilities in a multilateral format. Following the meeting, the participants agreed on joint actions in this direction.
This year, Kyrgyzstan became one of the seven countries whose annual ranking in terms of civil liberties worsened. This is according to the report, "People's Power under Attack - 2023" published by global civil society alliance, Civicus Monitor. The methodology applied by Civicus Monitor sees countries divided into five categories depending on the points scored: countries with open (free) civil space, narrowed (freedoms are partially limited), partially closed (oppressive civil liberties), suppressed and closed. Kyrgyzstan scored 40 out of 100 points, and was therefore classified as a State with a suppressed (repressed) civil space. Since 2018, the republic has been included in the category of countries with a partially closed civil space. The reasons for this downgrade were the promotion of draft laws restricting the activities of NGOs and the media, increased pressure on independent media, criminal prosecution of civil society activists, journalists and other critics of the government, and long-term ban on peaceful assemblies in the central districts of Bishkek. Neighbors in the region also received relatively low ratings, with Turkmenistan (8 points), Tajikistan (12 points) and Uzbekistan (18 points) classified as countries with a closed civil space, whilst Kazakhstan (27 points) was classified as a state with a suppressed civil space. According to the authors, almost a third of humanity now lives in countries with a closed civil space. This is the highest percentage (30.6%) living in the most restrictive environment since the first Civicus Monitor report in 2018. Only 2.1% of people live in open states where civil space is both free and protected. This is half as much as six years ago, the report says.
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on December 20 suggested watering down the country’s legislation regulating public gatherings and political parties. Addressing the National Council for Social Trust advisory body, Tokayev said that the current provision requiring public protests and other rallies to be approved by officials beforehand should be dropped, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. However, organizers should still give notice to the authorities. Tokayev also suggested to simplify the process for creating political parties in order to pave the way for the election of opposition figures in parliament, which is currently composed by members of the ruling Nur-Otan party and other pro-government politicians. The minimum number of people required to set up a new party would be decreased from 40,000 to 20,000, according to the president. He also said he wants to decriminalize hate speech and libel, which he said should be administrative offenses. If approved, the proposed changes would soften some key restrictions on political freedom in the country. Kazakhstan’s leadership is often criticized by human rights groups for not allowing real political opposition and for suppressing dissent and free media. Tokayev, 66, became president after his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his resignation in March after ruling the country for nearly 30 years. Nazarbayev, 79, continues to control social, economic, and political spheres by leading Nur-Otan and the influential Security Council. On December 20, he traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, to represent his country at a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union.
DUSHANBE (TCA) — A court in Tajikistan has sentenced a senior Dushanbe police officer and three other officers to time in prison after they were found guilty of torturing a man who was being held for drug charges, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported. Continue reading
