Kazakhstan Imprisons 19 Activists for Peaceful Xinjiang Protest

Kazakhstan Imprisons 19 Activists for Peaceful Xinjiang Protest
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A court in Kazakhstan has convicted 19 activists over a peaceful protest against alleged human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region.

The move has drawn strong criticism from international rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

In a ruling issued on April 13 in Taldykorgan, the court found all defendants guilty of “inciting interethnic discord” following a November 2025 demonstration near Almaty. Eleven activists were sentenced to five years in prison—two of them receiving suspended sentences due to childcare responsibilities—while eight others were given non-custodial “restricted freedom” sentences. All were banned from public or political activity for three years.

The protest, organized by members of the Atajurt movement, called for the release of a Kazakh citizen detained in Xinjiang and condemned alleged abuses against Uyghurs and ethnic Kazakhs. Demonstrators also burned Chinese flags and an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to rights groups, the prosecution followed a diplomatic complaint from the Chinese consulate, raising concerns about external influence.

Amnesty International condemned the convictions, urging authorities to immediately release the activists and overturn the sentences. The organization said criminalizing peaceful protest under vague charges was “a travesty of justice” and a violation of international human rights standards.

Human Rights Watch also criticized the case, noting that Kazakhstan has increasingly used broad “inciting discord” laws to suppress dissent, particularly on sensitive issues related to China.