LocationsKazakhstan holds first joint session of human rights councils to address penitentiary reform
April 25, 2025
An expanded joint session of the Coordination and Expert Councils under the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan was held in Astana. For the first time, the event was organized in a combined format, bringing together members of both councils for a comprehensive discussion on issues concerning the penitentiary system and conditions in closed institutions.
The meeting was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. It brought together around 100 participants, including representatives of relevant government agencies, the academic community, international organizations, and human rights advocates.
Opening remarks were delivered by key figures from both national and international human rights institutions, including Igor Rogov, Chair of the Human Rights Commission under the President of Kazakhstan; Sukhrob Khojimatov, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Kazakhstan; Yuri Fenopetov, Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana; Matilda Bogner, Regional Representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Central Asia; as well as Kazakhstan’s Commissioners for the Rights of Socially Vulnerable Groups and for Children — Kenzhegul Seitzhan and Dinara Zakieva.
The central focus of the meeting was the presentation of the 10th Anniversary Consolidated Report by participants of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), based on their preventive visits conducted throughout 2024.
In addition, research on key human rights issues was presented. Rahimbek Mamyrbayev, a member of the Expert Council, shared an analysis of the implementation of international standards within the penitentiary systems of CIS countries. Prominent lawyer Ayman Umarova spoke about the conditions faced by women with children in detention facilities, while Lyazzat Aktayeva presented a review of the state of medical care in the penal correctional system.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a set of recommendations and proposals aimed at further strengthening the national human rights protection framework and enhancing legal and institutional practices. A number of initiatives were also approved to deepen collaboration between government bodies and civil society, with the goal of more effectively safeguarding human rights in settings of deprivation of liberty.
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