On 6 March, the European Union and Kazakhstan held their 16^th Human Rights Dialogue and had a comprehensive exchange on a broad range of human rights topics. The EU welcomed Kazakhstan’s overall political commitment to reforms. The EU reconfirmed that human rights remain a key priority of the EU’s external action towards the country and the region of Central Asia, and both parties agreed to continue cooperation in this regard.

The EU stressed the importance of a transparent and independent investigation into the January 2022 events, including into human rights violations and abuses, in line with international standards. The accountability of perpetrators is a key element towards reconciliation, especially in cases of torture or power abuse.

The European Union and Kazakhstan agreed on the importance of the work of civil society and of safe and conducive environment for civil society organisations. The EU welcomed the Kazakh Ministry of Justice’s recent clarification that it has no intention to propose a law on ‘foreign agents’, despite recent calls.

Kazakhstan and the EU stressed the need to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association. The EU encouraged Kazakhstan to make concrete progress in this regard, including by implementation the ruling of the Constitutional Court from 25 January 2025 on freedom of assembly.

The EU and Kazakhstan highlighted the prominence of freedom of expression and freedom of media. The EU welcomed some positive improvements in the newly adopted law on media, while regretting that several OSCE recommendations were not taken on board, and that the law grants broad government powers to deny accreditation to journalists and foreign media outlets. The EU also expressed concern over the growing number of bloggers and journalists being charged of disseminating ‘false’ information.

The EU welcomed recent developments fostering gender equality and encouraged Kazakhstan to fully implement the recent legislation on criminalisation of domestic violence. The EU also addressed the treatment of LGBTI persons, expressing concerns about discrimination and stigmatization and called for antidiscrimination legislation in this regard.

The two sides took stock of progress to prevent and eradicate torture and ill-treatment, acknowledging Kazakhstan’s efforts to reduce the prison population and the overall decrease of torture cases.

The EU thanked Kazakhstan for the constructive cooperation in the UN Human Rights Council and other international fora and welcomed Kazakhstan’s open engagement during the Universal Periodic Review in January 2025. The EU encouraged the country to prioritize the implementation of the list of recommendations.

During the meeting, the exchanges were held in an open and constructive atmosphere, reconfirming the enhanced level of engagement between the EU and Kazakhstan.

The EU delegation was headed by Dietmar Krissler, Head of Central Asia Division of the European External Action Service. The delegation of Kazakhstan was headed by Galymzhan Koigeldiyev, Deputy General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan.