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Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Thursday, 13 January 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 27 January 2022. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Thursday, 27 January 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Kazakhstan: Demonstrations

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many human rights and social media activists they believe to have been arrested in Kazakhstan in the last month; what is known about their status and wellbeing; and what estimate they have made of the number of fatalities involving protestors.

Answer

We are aware of reports that human rights activists and social media activists were among those detained during recent unrest in Kazakhstan and we are seeking further information from the authorities.

In recent meetings with the Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan, the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Kazakh Ambassador to the UK, I underlined the importance of respect for international human rights obligations, including commitments to freedom of speech and expression. I also sought assurances that due process will be followed as those who were arrested are processed through the Kazakh judicial system.

We greatly regret the loss of life during the recent violent clashes. We are aware of figures from official sources that indicate that as many as 225 were killed in addition to 19 law enforcement officers. Many hundreds are reported to have been injured. We have urged the Kazakh authorities to make available further information, including numbers of casualties, as part of a thorough and transparent investigation into the causes and consequences of recent events.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL5375
Session
2021-22
Subjects
Death Demonstrations Arrests Kazakhstan
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk