Kazakhstan: Human rights groups and former UN Special Rapporteur meet authorities in Astana and urge to end torture

Manfred Nowak, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on torture from 2004 to 2010 and member of the advisory board of International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Brigitte Dufour (IPHR), Yevgeniy Zhovtis (Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, KIBHR) and Miguel Martin Zumalacarregui (World Organisation against Torture, OMCT) met government officials in Astana on 13
October and called on them to promptly implement the Concluding Observations issued to Kazakhstan by the Committee against Torture (CAT) in 2014 in order to end torture.

“Kazakhstan has made significant progress in its fight against torture and other forms of ill-treatment in recent years, but torture continues – KIBHR has registered over 70 allegations since the beginning of 2015 – and impunity is the norm”, said Yevgeniy Zhovtis.

The delegation met with the Deputy Justice Minster and her advisors; the Ambassador at Large of the Foreign Ministry; and an official of the Prosecutor General’s Office. The delegates regret that it was not possible to meet with the Interior Ministry and other agencies they had requested to meet, including the Ombudsman and the National Human Rights Commission under the President of Kazakhstan.

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