Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Kazakh authorities to stop targeting well-known women’s rights advocate Dinara Smailova (aka Dina Tangsari) with criminal charges in retaliation for her work.
In late December, a court in Kazakhstan issued an arrest warrant for Smailova, the self-exiled 55-year-old leader of the NeMolchiKZ group that monitors domestic violence in the Central Asian nation.
Kazakh authorities said at the time that Smailova was accused of financial fraud, violating laws on privacy and spreading false information.
Smailova registered her group in Georgia, where she lived for some time, but after Tbilisi refused to allow her back in the country following an international trip last year, she moved to an EU member state where her asylum application is currently under review.
HRW said in its February 5 statement that the due process rights of Smailova should be upheld in full in any investigation and the authorities should ensure that the criminal justice system is not being manipulated and weaponized to silence her.
Smailova faces up to 10 years in prison on various criminal charges, including large-scale fraud. The pretrial investigation is ongoing.
“The authorities appear to be on a fishing expedition for evidence of wrongdoing by Smailova, raising serious concerns about the motivations in this case,” HRW's assistant Central Asia researcher Vika Kim said.
“The authorities’ spirited efforts against Smailova look more like an attempt to discredit her organization’s legitimate work, than a move to root out criminal activity.”
Bank accounts of Smailova's organization were frozen in Kazakhstan in November.
Smailova has been known as an outspoken critic of the tightly controlled former Soviet republic's authorities for their failure to protect women and children from sexual and domestic violence.
Smailova's NeMolchiKZ foundation has consulted via the Internet thousands of women in Kazakhstan experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
The group's activities have led to the imprisonment of dozens of men on criminal charges of sexual violence.
About a dozen police officers have been held accountable for neglect and inaction, and more than 200 law enforcement officers faced disciplinary restrictions as a result of the work by Smailova's foundation.