The defendants were arrested as a result of the violent clashes between the police and civilians after an extended oil workers’ strike in the town of Zhanaozen on 16 December 2011. Over the course of the trial, which began on 27 March 2012 the defendants reported of torture and ill-treatment in custody by police officers and investigators and agents of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB). These allegations undermine the ability to guarantee them a fair trial, HRW says.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture visited Kazakhstan in 2009, where he received serious allegations of torture and was able to carry out a follow-up mission in 2010.
HRW: Kazakhstan: Suspend Trial, Investigate Torture Allegations
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (2009) Mission Report
