Kazakhstan senators ask human rights experts for help

Representatives of Kazakhstan International Human Rights Bureau have been invited to make a report in the Senate of Kazakhstan on the human rights situation in the country and offer their recommendations to improve it, UralskWeek writes. The human rights experts will deliver a speech on October 19. Director of the Bureau’s branch in West-Kazakhstan oblast Pavel Kochetkov was offered to make a report on freedom of speech and journalists, the magazine wrote. The human rights group was quite surprised to receive the invitation from the senators. “This is something new,” Kochetkov said. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law is a non-government and non-commercial organization. It was established in February 1993. Along with the head office in Almaty, the bureau works is Astana, Aktau, Aktobe, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Uralsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Shymkent. The bureau’s representatives also work in Taldykorgan and Taraz. According to the organization’s website, the Bureau “promotes observance of civil and political rights and freedoms and development of civil society through human rights education, collection and dissemination of information, advocacy, analysis of legislation and lobbying for its alignment with international standards”.