OSCE Calls For Fair Trials In Kazakhstan

February 23, 2007 (RFE/RL) --An OSCE trial-monitoring report released in Kazakhstan has identified the need for further steps to be taken to uphold fair trial standards in the country.

They include the right of the public to attend court, equality between the parties, and the presumption of innocence.


The deputy head of the OSCE center in Almaty, Bjorn Halvarsson, said improving Kazakhstan's compliance with OSCE commitments on the right to a fair trial is crucial in light of the ongoing criminal justice reforms.

Kazakhstan And The OSCE

Kazakhstan And The OSCE



READY TO LEAD THE OSCE? Kazakhstan has been lobbying to be granted the rotating chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2009. In March, current OSCE head Karel De Gucht visited the country and said Kazakhstan is better prepared to head the OSCE than any other Central Asian country. But concerns about the state of democracy, the media, and ethnic relations make Kazakhstan's bid extremely controversial....(more)


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RFE/RL's coverage of Kazakhstan. The website of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service.