OSCE/ODIHR delegation visits Kazakhstani human rights defender in prison
A delegation of senior officials from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited prominent human rights defender Yevgeniy Zhovtis on 3 September 2011 in a settlement colony in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, where he is serving a four-year sentence for vehicular manslaughter.
A member of the OSCE/ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, Zhovtis was convicted in September 2009 for his involvement in a car accident that led to the death of a pedestrian. ODIHR and a number of other international human rights organizations raised strong concerns at the time over violations of fair-trial standards, as set out in OSCE commitments and international human rights law.
On two occasions since his conviction, requests for early parole were turned down by the authorities, citing minor infractions.
The ODIHR officials reported that Zhovtis was in good spirits, but said he was disappointed by the denial of parole. Assia Ivantcheva, the deputy head of ODIHR’s Human Rights Department, emphasized that Zhovtis should be treated in a fair and equitable manner, and expressed the hope that he be considered favorably for early release.
Bernhard Knoll, the Special Adviser to the ODIHR Director, said that although requests to allow Zhovtis to attend meetings of the OSCE/ODIHR Panel in Ust-Kamenogorsk have been denied twice, Zhovtis remains a working member of the Panel.
“ODIHR is determined to continue working with Yevgeniy Zhovtis on promoting respect for human rights in Kazakhstan and the OSCE region,” said Knoll.
As director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Zhovtis continues to practice law on a pro bono basis in the settlement colony, and has counseled more than 100 inmates on their appeal procedures.
The visit was facilitated by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry and the OSCE Centre in Astana. Stefan Buchmayer, the human dimension officer at the OSCE Centre, took part in the delegation.