The Atajurt volunteers on trial committed no crime. Theirs was a legitimate political protest.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s Detention of Xinjiang Witnesses: Beijing’s Long Arm Reaches Across the Border
Protesting against China now results in activists being detained—and held in a unclear legal situation.
A New Hate Crime, “Jehovahphobia.” 2. New Countries, Including Japan, Enter the USCIRF List of Countries Persecuting the Jehovah’s Witnesses
The American federal commission mentioned recent Japanese incidents. Other democratic countries could have been included, too.
Another Human Rights Problem in Kazakhstan: Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse in Kazakhstan must stop, demands a new generation of students, dismayed by entrenched attitudes in their culture.
In the Shadow of Russia: Jehovah’s Witnesses and Central Asia
Scholars from different countries discussed how Russian influence created serious problems of religious liberty, although there are also signs of improvement.
Allya Ayat: A Global Kazakh Esoteric Movement Persecuted in Russia
Russian FECRIS affiliates instigated for years a police repression of the group, which has started again in July 2022.
Kazakhstan: Mass Arrests and Surveillance—With Some Help from China
Chinese high-tech equipment plays a significant part in the repression, which also targets those who protested against atrocities in Xinjiang.
Serikzhan Bilash Wins His Case in Almaty
Alatau District Court refuses to declare the human rights activist a wanted fugitive.
Kazakhstan: Serikzhan Bilash Trial Postponed
The activist’s trial was “reactivated” after he was instrumental in the publication of testimonies of ethnic Kazakhs persecuted in Xinjiang in Bitter Winter.
Kazakhstan: Bilash Threatened with Arrest After Acclaimed Bitter Winter Series
The activist Serikzhan Bilash may be put in the wanted list by Kazakh authorities, obviously as the result of Chinese pressures.