Kazakh authorities have released from detention two Karakalpak activists who face extradition to Uzbekistan, where supporters say they would be at serious risk of politically motivated prosecution and torture over last year's mass protests in the Karakalpakstan region.
This letter outlines several areas of human rights concern and proposes recommendations to improve Uzbekistan’s compliance with its international human rights obligations.
A fire at a coal mining site in central Kazakhstan on August 17 killed three workers and injured more than a dozen. Two more workers have yet to be found at the “Kazakhstan” mine, operated by ArcelorMittal Temirtau, a subsidiary of Luxemburg-registered ArcelorMittal. In November last year, five miners died at the “Lenin” mine as a result of an underground explosion. Coal mining is one of the main industries of the Karaganda region.