Uyghur Group Condemns Kazakhstan Sentences, Warns of Shrinking Civic Space

Uyghur Group Condemns Kazakhstan Sentences, Warns of Shrinking Civic Space
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The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has condemned Kazakhstan’s sentencing of 19 activists, warning the move reflects declining civic freedoms and rising external pressure linked to China.

The activists, affiliated with the Nagyz Atajurt Volunteers Group, were convicted over their participation in a November 2025 protest highlighting alleged human rights abuses against Kazakh and other Turkic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, also referred to by activists as East Turkistan. The protest also called for the release of Alimnur Turganbay, a Kazakh national reportedly detained in China.

Citing findings from Human Rights Watch, the WUC said the convictions were based on non-violent activism and warned that criminalizing peaceful assembly undermines freedom of expression.

The case comes amid longstanding international concerns over policies in Xinjiang, where rights groups have reported mass detentions and restrictions on religious and cultural practices targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities—allegations Beijing denies.

The WUC urged Kazakhstan to overturn the sentences and called on the international community to closely monitor the situation, warning that suppressing advocacy risks weakening global accountability efforts.