Two Violations of Justice in Kazakhstan

As Kazakhstan’s accession to the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in January 2010 moves closer, it seems as if the rule of law is all but suspended for journalists and human rights defenders critical of the incumbent regime. Despite strong international protests, Kazakh courts recently rejected the appeals of Yevgeniy Zhovtis and Ramazan Yesergepov, who had been critical of the Kazakh regime in separate rulings under dubious circumstances.

At a recent forum, distinguished human rights defenders from Kazakhstan reported on the latest developments. They also analyzed the current political situation in Kazakhstan and the implications for the Zhovtis and Yesergepov cases and spoke about policy implications for Western governments as Kazakhstan approaches its year at the helm of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Listen to the discussion above.