Kazakhstan Sentences Xinjiang Protesters; Human Rights Groups: Complying with China's Demands
Kazakhstan sentenced 19 individuals for protesting China's repression in Xinjiang, a move human rights groups say is a concession to Beijing to maintain relations. 11 were sentenced to 5 years in prison, 8 received movement restrictions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 17:13
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 17:31 (18 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 17:36 (4 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Taipei, April 28) According to the Associated Press, a Kazakh court recently sentenced 19 Kazakh citizens who protested China's repression in Xinjiang in November 2025 to either prison terms or restricted freedom. Human rights advocacy groups directly stated that this move represents the largest-scale suppression action taken by the Kazakh government in response to China's demands, aiming to maintain relations with China.
The report points out that these 19 individuals are all members of the Kazakh human rights organization "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" and are all Kazakh citizens. At that time, they protested by burning Chinese flags and portraits of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the border area adjacent to China's Xinjiang, demanding the release of a Kazakh citizen detained in Xinjiang last year.
Among the aforementioned 19 individuals, 11 were recently sentenced by the Kazakh court to 5 years in prison for inciting discord, while the remaining 8 were restricted in their freedom of movement.
Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, directly stated that Kazakhstan's move is "unprecedented" and signifies Kazakhstan's willingness to sacrifice the freedom of its own people to maintain good relations with China.
In Kazakhstan, Xinjiang has long been a sensitive issue due to the country's high trade reliance on China. Uluyol stated that the Kazakh government initiated criminal investigations against the protesters after receiving a diplomatic note from the Chinese Consulate in Almaty.
According to the Chinese diplomatic note obtained by the Associated Press, China stated that the protest activities of Kazakh activists were "a blatant provocation to the national dignity of the People's Republic of China and an insult to the Communist Party of China and Chinese leaders." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently declared that Kazakhstan is "a friendly neighbor familiar with China's Xinjiang policy."
The report mentions that the "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" organization has long faced pressure from the Kazakh government but has still received a certain degree of tolerance, as the Kazakh government is well aware that Kazakh citizens have widespread sympathy for ethnic Kazakhs born in China's Xinjiang.
However, Uluyol stated that this situation seems to have changed, as Kazakhstan has further aligned itself with China, and the Kazakh government's tolerance for groups protesting China's ethnic policies has decreased. Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" organization, commented that these arrests will have a widespread impact on the organization's work to advocate for those detained in Xinjiang. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150428
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, April 28) According to the Associated Press, a Kazakh court recently sentenced 19 Kazakh citizens who protested China's repression in Xinjiang in November 2025 to either prison terms or restricted freedom. Human rights advocacy groups directly stated that this move represents the largest-scale suppression action taken by the Kazakh government in response to China's demands, aiming to maintain relations with China.
The report points out that these 19 individuals are all members of the Kazakh human rights organization "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" and are all Kazakh citizens. At that time, they protested by burning Chinese flags and portraits of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the border area adjacent to China's Xinjiang, demanding the release of a Kazakh citizen detained in Xinjiang last year.
Among the aforementioned 19 individuals, 11 were recently sentenced by the Kazakh court to 5 years in prison for inciting discord, while the remaining 8 were restricted in their freedom of movement.
Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, directly stated that Kazakhstan's move is "unprecedented" and signifies Kazakhstan's willingness to sacrifice the freedom of its own people to maintain good relations with China.
In Kazakhstan, Xinjiang has long been a sensitive issue due to the country's high trade reliance on China. Uluyol stated that the Kazakh government initiated criminal investigations against the protesters after receiving a diplomatic note from the Chinese Consulate in Almaty.
According to the Chinese diplomatic note obtained by the Associated Press, China stated that the protest activities of Kazakh activists were "a blatant provocation to the national dignity of the People's Republic of China and an insult to the Communist Party of China and Chinese leaders." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently declared that Kazakhstan is "a friendly neighbor familiar with China's Xinjiang policy."
The report mentions that the "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" organization has long faced pressure from the Kazakh government but has still received a certain degree of tolerance, as the Kazakh government is well aware that Kazakh citizens have widespread sympathy for ethnic Kazakhs born in China's Xinjiang.
However, Uluyol stated that this situation seems to have changed, as Kazakhstan has further aligned itself with China, and the Kazakh government's tolerance for groups protesting China's ethnic policies has decreased. Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the "Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights" organization, commented that these arrests will have a widespread impact on the organization's work to advocate for those detained in Xinjiang. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150428
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.