Speech by Barlyk Mendygaziev, Chairman of the Freedom Kazakhstan Human Rights Foundation, at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw on October 9, 2023. ⠀
Barlyk Mendygaziev began his speech by showing a photograph from the trial of political prisoner and torture victim Timur Danebayev. The photo shows Timur himself with a paper on which is written: “Right to life.”
⠀ Barlyk Mendygaziev pointed out that “democratic reforms” in Kazakhstan are disinformation. The case of Timur Danebayev is one of thousands in recent years, and an indicator that anyone can be convicted for dissent and demands for a fair trial. ⠀
In 2022, Timur Danebayev filed a police report against Tokayev for disseminating deliberately false information (for words about “20 thousand terrorists”), which led to mass torture, executions and arbitrary arrest of over 10 thousand people. Timur Danebayev was arrested for publicly expressing disagreement on the issue of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and the use of CSTO troops in Kazakhstan in January 2022.
⠀ Barlyk Mendygaziev recalled that the Kazakh authorities are misinforming the international community. For example, during the visit of members of the European Parliament delegation to Kazakhstan in August 2023, led by MEP David McCallister, Timur Danebayev was tortured, and the EU delegation did not invite human rights activists working on cases of torture and executions to a meeting with MEPs.
As a result, European deputies adopted an interim report supporting “reforms” in Kazakhstan.
⠀ The situation is similar in PACE, reported Barlyk Mendygaziev. Special Rapporteur Alexander Pochey is preparing a report on supposed “democratic reforms” in Kazakhstan without consulting independent human rights activists and victims of torture.
⠀ Barlyk Mendygaziev appealed to the OSCE member states with a request to hear the voices of political prisoners and human rights activists in Kazakhstan. Barlyk Mendygaziev also recalled that the Kazakh authorities are abusing interstate cooperation mechanisms for the political persecution of human rights activists of the Open Dialog Foundation and opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov.