Kazakhstan:.The Policy Towards Religions Does Not...

Freedom of worship guaranteed under Nazarbayev and perpetuated by his successor finds its raison d’etre in the careful policy of control of religions promoted in Kazakhstan, a country with a large Islamic majority, aimed at repressing the possible birth or operation of violent Islamic radical groups. To this end, the government establishes moments of encounter during the year, between the various religious leaders, thus favoring a rather formal ecumenical and interreligious dialogue

Kazakhstan: Coronavirus Tests a Stuttering Private...

The emergency coronavirus crisis plan approved in mid-March envisions greater availability of affordable financing, tax breaks and a pledge to suspend the often-arbitrary audits that are the bane of every small and medium business in Kazakhstan. Some service-based businesses, like cinemas and restaurants, will be spared having to pay property taxes until the year’s end. For others, depending on how hard the crisis hits, there may be no tax liabilities for up to six months.

International Women’s Day Celebration

Demonstrators rallying on International Women’s Day were assaulted by unidentified masked men in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, on March 8..Dozens joined an International Women’s Day march through the streets of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, to demand equality and justice for women

Dozens Detained After Activist’s Death In...

Kazakh security forces detained dozens of people on March 1 in the wake of an activist’s death in custody. Some were detained while speaking to journalists. Others ended up in police vans after standing in public places without actually protesting. Kazakhstan’s opposition called for protests after activist Dulat Aghadil died within hours of his detention on February 24

Kazakh Police Detain 20 After Funeral...

The funeral has taken place of Kazakh civil rights activist Dulat Aghadil, who recently died in police custody. Some 1,000 people gathered in driving snow for the ceremony in Aghadil’s native village of Talapker. Later, police in Nur-Sultan detained around 20 activists who had gone from the funeral to a demonstration in the capital to demand an independent investigation into Aghadil’s death

Kazakhstan: Activist Dies in Detention, Piling...

It all began with a knock on the door in the night. By the time police in Kazakhstan’s capital, Nur-Sultan, had announced the death of seasoned protester Dulat Agadil on February 25, footage of his detention had already been widely shared on social media. Videos posted on Facebook showed how Agadil, a 43-year-old father of six, was …

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Video News Digest

Dozens of protesters from across Kazakhstan gathered in the capital, Nur-Sultan, to protest against what say are “faulty mortgages” and “wrongful” court decisions by the courts…Kosovo marked the 12th anniversary of the country’s independence with a special theme for an important cultural and national icon

Kazakhstan’s Mysterious Media-Blocking Umbrella Men

Journalists covering Kazakh protests in recent months have encountered interference from masked men blocking their cameras with umbrellas. The identity of these low-tech media-jammers isn’t clear, but they seem to have no trouble with the police

Chinese Facial Recognition Tech Rolls Out...

The Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, has launched the first trials of an app that allows commuters to pay for bus tickets through facial recognition technology. The system relies on cameras supplied by Hikvision, one of the Chinese companies recently sanctioned by Washington over its alleged role in human rights abuses

Police Detain Dozens Of Protesters In...

Kazakh police forcibly detained a teenage girl in the capital, Nur-Sultan, on September 21 when she was “going to the store” with her mother and two younger sisters. It appeared that riot police officers believed the girl was participating in an unsanctioned rally and dragged her to a police van, despite her mother’s remonstrations