UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 6, The Republic of Kazakhstan, with a population of approximately 15 million, has a multiparty parliamentary system dominated by President Nazarbayev's Otan Party. President Nazarbayev was re elected for a third 7-year term in December ; observers criticized that election as falling short of a number of international standards.
The constitution concentrates power in the presidency, permitting the president to control regional and local governments and to exercise significant influence over the legislature and judiciary. Changes or amendments to the constitution require presidential consent. The president exercised control over the military and the security forces, although members of the security forces committed human rights abuses in a few instances. The following human rights problems were reported: severe limits on citizens' rights to change their government; an incident of unlawful deprivation of life; military hazing that led to deaths; detainee and prisoner abuse; unhealthy prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly of government opponents; lack of an independent judiciary; increased restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and association; pervasive corruption, especially in law enforcement and the judicial system; restrictions on the activities of nongovernmental organizations NGOs ; discrimination and violence against women; trafficking in persons; and societal discrimination.
During the year the government advanced its efforts to combat trafficking in persons by enacting a comprehensive set of legislative amendments to strengthen its ability to investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, and to increase the amount of resources devoted to victim protection and prevention. The government also repealed a law banning election-related demonstrations from the period following the end of the voting until the results are published.
Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life On February 13, opposition leader Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly was found shot to death in a remote area outside of Almaty, along with his bodyguard Baurzhan Baibosyn and driver Vasiliy Zhuravliov. Following an official investigation, 10 suspects were charged with the kidnappings and murders, including five officers of an elite squad of the Committee for National Security KNB. At the government's request, a foreign law enforcement agency provided technical support for the investigation.
On August 31, the regional court in Taldykorgan found all defendants guilty as charged. The court sentenced Rustam Ibragimov, a former ministry of internal affairs official, to death, though he will remain in prison as long as the death penalty moratorium remains in effect. The remaining defendants received prison sentences from 3 to 20 years. The Supreme Court upheld the sentences on December 8. Opposition leaders charged that the killing was politically motivated, and sharply criticized the conduct and remote location of the trial.
