Kazakhstan: Drop charges against Atajurt activists facing up to 10 years in prison for peaceful protest

Ahead of the start of the trial of 19 activists from the Kazakhstani human rights group Atajurt, who are being prosecuted for taking part in a peaceful protest calling for the release of a detained Kazakhstani citizen in China, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“The Kazakhstani authorities must urgently step back from the reckless misuse of criminal law and do what international human rights standards plainly require: drop these baseless charges and immediately release all the detained Atajurt activists. Peaceful protest is not a crime simply because it makes those in power uncomfortable – even when that discomfort extends to displeasing a powerful geopolitical player such as China.”