On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution taking stock of the human rights situation in Kazakhstan.
Parliament calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to put an end to all forms of political repression, since the number of political prisoners in Kazakhstan has increased, and the right to freedom of association remains largely restricted in the country. Taking note that last year the authorities banned the peaceful opposition movement Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, MEPs urge the government to end such actions.
MEPs also call on the government of Kazakhstan to repeal its Criminal Code provisions on prohibiting ‘spreading information that is known to be falseʼ, since they are used to charge and imprison civil society activists and journalists. They finally demand an end to the Kazakh governmentʼs harrasment of and reprisals against journalists critical of the government and to the blocking of access to information both online and offline.
The text was adopted by a show of hands.
