Central Asia: New briefing paper details trends of curtailing rights in the name of stability

A new briefing paper published by Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Nota Bene, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights and International Partnership for Human Rights details current trends of curtailing rights in the name of stability in Central Asia. It is based on monitoring of human rights developments in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan conducted in April 2014 to April 2015.

As documented in the briefing paper, the Kazakhstani, Tajikistani and Turkmenistani governments have increasingly portrayed alternative views and pluralism as a threat to national cohesion, values and traditions and used such arguments to justify repressive measures. This approach reflects fears on the part of the authorities of scrutiny and accountability for their policies. Developments in the wider region of the Soviet Union, in particular events in Ukraine and the recent economic downturn appear to have reinforced such fears. Legitimate security concerns have also been exploited to restrict the peaceful exercise of fundamental rights.

The briefing paper, Curtailing Rights in the Name of Stability is available here:

Download the full briefing report

Download the chapter on Kazakhstan
Download the chapter on Tajikistan
Download the chapter on Turkmenistan

See also: Central Asia: Curtailing rights in the name of stability — The EU must insist on meaningful human rights reforms 18/05/15

Reports on human rights developments in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan published in July 2014, October 2014 and January 2015.