MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Human rights situation in Kazakhstan

B9‑0148/2021

European Parliament resolution on Human rights situation in Kazakhstan

(2021/2544(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Kazakhstan,

- having regard to the outcome of 12th Human Rights Dialogue between EU and Kazakhstan of 26-27 November 2020

- having regard to OSCE Statement of the Preliminary findings and Conclusions regarding the elections in Kazakhstan of 10 January 2021;

- having regard to the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Kazakhstan;

- having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. Whereas the principles of democracy, rule of law, human rights and good governance represent a cornerstone of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Kazakhstan;

B. Whereas the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan held on 10 January 2021, despite some political reforms and good coordination of the authorities with the OSCE/ODIHR, were marked with limitations on fundamental freedoms, including the detention of peaceful demonstrators, as well as systemic shortcomings in relation to respect for freedom of association, of assembly and of expression;

C. Whereas several prominent human rights non-governmental organisations working in Kazakhstan have been subjected to increasing pressure and penalisation by the country’s tax authorities;

D. Whereas in recent months Kazakh authorities imposed fines upon and suspend the activities of local civil society organisations that monitored the presidential elections in 2019 and elections to the lower house of parliament in January 2021; whereas the procedure, according to local civil society groups,  ignored statutes of limitations and omitted procedural steps designed to ensure a fair hearing;

E. Whereas in January tax officials in Almaty fined and suspended for three months the operations of elections monitoring group Echo and at the same time at least five other groups and media centres working on election integrity, human rights and public oversight have been summoned to local tax offices and have been under threat of fines and having their operations suspended;

F. whereas, however, in the recent days the Kazakh authorities have dropped charges against some of the non-governmental organizations monitoring media, rights, and elections, following a sharp domestic and international outcry;

G. Whereas following the 12th Human Rights Dialogue, the EU acknowledged the continuing reform process in Kazakhstan, including the establishment of a Supreme Council for Reforms, and underlined the importance of effective implementation with the active participation of civil society, while expressing concern in relation to increasing reports that activists, bloggers and journalists are facing increased harassment;

1. Calls on the government of Kazakhstan to immediately cease using tax authorities and other bodies in order to exert pressure and penalize actions of human rights NGOs in the country and to repeal or significantly reform the scheme for reporting foreign income to tax bodies introduce in 2016, which serves as a basis for current attacks;

2. Takes good not of the statement of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi in which he opposed the suspension of the activities of several NGOs and underlined that such actions may underline country’s international image;

3. Urges the government of Kazakhstan to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as freedoms of expression, media, association, peaceful assembly and religion;

4.  Underlines that democratic elections are cornerstone of achieving political reforms and building free and open society; in this regard expresses concern about the failure to register opposition Democratic Party by preventing it from holding founding congress prior to elections;

5. Welcomes the ongoing reforms in the country, including establishment of a Supreme Council for Reforms and takes note of announcement by Kazakh authorities of a new stage of reforms, in particular on issues of law enforcement, the judicial system and prioritizing human rights; stresses the importance of continuing with this process, including changes in the electoral law and full implementation of the OSCE / ODIHR recommendations;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the HR/VP, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Government and Parliament of Kazakhstan.