Britain as a ‘force for good’ in Central Asia Working Group: Kazakhstan paper

In Tokayev’s state of the nation remarks on March 16th he pledged renewed reform (including a cut to the number of signatories required to register a political party) and publically recognised that police had participated in torture in the aftermath of the January events, but still defended many aspects of the current system.8 The dominant political party in Kazakhstan renamed itself from Nur-Otan. [...] Given the centrality of the UK to the development of kleptocracy in Kazakhstan, it is not unsurprising that the first trip by Abilov, Yerzhanov and Kazhegeldin was to the UK where they met with anti-corruption researchers and Dame Margaret Hodge MP.33 The UK should look again at ways to use its new Global Ani-Corruption Sanctions and the further deployment of UWOs, with a particular focus on asses. [...] The Coalition Against Torture (a group of local NGOs) has documented over 200 reported cases of torture in the aftermath of the January events.40 The UK and its international partners should continue to call for an independent investigation of treatment of peaceful protestors and for the country to fully comply with its international obligations under the Convention against Torture, Convention on. [...] Given the central role of the Metropolitan police in normalising the use of kettling in the policing protests, the UK has a particular duty to provide guidance and technical support to the Government of Kazakhstan and to caution against its improper use.42 For several years prior to January the focus of police and security service ire has been on activists linked (or claimed to be linked to the De. [...] In cooperating with the Kazakh authorities, the UK should make it clear – through the issuing of sanctions and the launching of civil recovery proceedings – that it will no longer play host to the proceeds of kleptocracy and will target the assets of all those holding them in Britain, whether or not they remain in favour with the government of Kazakhstan.