The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights and Freedom in Kazakhstan

https://www.humantruth.info/kazakhstan_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#gender #kazakhstan #kazakhstan_gender #misogyny #women

Kazakhstan
Republic of Kazakhstan

[Country Profile Page]
Flag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index91st best
LocationAsia
Population18.3m1
Life Expectancy69.36yrs (2017)2

Kazakhstan is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Kazakhstan does worse than average in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)3 (still good for Asia), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports4, freethought5, supporting press freedom6 and in its average Freedom in the World rating. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to combatting modern slavery7. LGBT folk hide their sexual orientation out of fear of reprisals or discrimination, and they face hostility from authorities8. Kazakhstan seemed determined in 2017 to make its overall record even worse; suppressing independent trade union activity and persecuting critics and journalists, and threatening to further decrease citizen's religious freedoms8. Torture and ill-treatment in detention persist8.


1. Kazakhstan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #kazakhstan #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)9
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank9
1Japan31.6
2Taiwan42.2
3S. Korea45.2
...
20Russia104.6
21Sri Lanka104.8
22India105.1
23Kazakhstan108.6
24Kuwait109.5
25Lebanon109.7
26Cambodia110.8
27Tajikistan111.0
28China112.5
Asia Avg110.11
q=51.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)9
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank9
1Sweden7.5
2Netherlands8.6
3Denmark9.0
...
126Cuba106.0
127Central African Rep.107.0
128Grenada107.1
129Kazakhstan108.6
130Kuwait109.5
131Lebanon109.7
132Benin109.8
133Papua New Guinea110.2
World Avg90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark10. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia10.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe10, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia10.

For more, see:

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Kazakhstan stated:

The rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association were unduly restricted, including in the context of mass protests in January. Security forces used excessive force against peaceful protesters, injuring and killing scores. Demonstrators were arbitrarily arrested and faced torture in detention. Law enforcement officers generally enjoyed impunity for attacking and ill-treating protesters. Journalists who reported on the protests were targeted and some were detained. Kazakhstan abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)11

[In 2017, Kazakhstan's] human rights record further deteriorated. Authorities suppressed independent trade union activity and continued to target government critics, including journalists, with politically motivated criminal charges and other harassment. Several activists and union leaders remain wrongfully imprisoned. The government is considering legislative amendments that appear to propose even further restrictions on freedom of religion. Impunity for torture and ill-treatment in detention persist. [...] Authorities continued to misuse the vague and overbroad criminal charge of "inciting discord" to target outspoken activists and others.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)8

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Higher is better
6
Pos.20256
1Norway92.31
2Estonia89.46
3Netherlands88.64
...
137Guatemala40.32
138Sri Lanka39.93
139Hong Kong39.86
140Kazakhstan39.34
141Honduras38.51
142Uganda37.61
143Kyrgyzstan37.46
144Ethiopia36.92
Asia Avg39.69
World Avg54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.
With respect to supporting press freedom, Kazakhstan is 140th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index12

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

Continuing a long-term trend of press persecution, in 2017 "independent and opposition journalists continued to face harassment, physical attacks, and spurious criminal prosecutions8.

Averages by decade for Kazakhstan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Kazakhstan:41.5645.82
World Rank:136th ⇣  160th
World Avg:27.4465.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s
Lower is better
7
Pos.Slavery in the 2020s
Per 10007
1=Switzerland0.50
1=Norway0.50
3=Germany0.60
...
141=S. Sudan10.30
142=Azerbaijan10.60
142=Pakistan10.60
144Kazakhstan11.10
145Belarus11.30
146Albania11.80
147Turkmenistan11.90
148Myanmar12.10
Asia Avg9.89
World Avg7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.
Kazakhstan ranks 17th-worst in the world regarding combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.13. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi14, Eritrea14, Indonesia15) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery14, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries16.

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Kazakhstan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery2010s 
Average
2020s 
Average
Kazakhstan:4.2011.10
World Rank:84th ⇣  144th
World Avg:6.547.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World
Lower is better
Pos.2024
Score
1=Norway1.0
1=Canada1.0
1=Cape Verde1.0
...
159=Zimbabwe5.5
159=Abkhazia5.5
159=Qatar5.5
162=Kazakhstan6.0
162=Niger6.0
162=Kyrgyzstan6.0
162=Ethiopia6.0
162=Gabon6.0
Asia Avg5.0
World Avg3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.
Kazakhstan ranks 162nd in the world regarding its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Kazakhstan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World1990s 
Average
2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Kazakhstan:5.35.55.7
World Rank:143rd ⇣  162nd ⇣  167th
World Avg:3.63.43.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better
4
Pos.2017
Score4
1=UK9
1=France9
1=Germany9
...
95=Bangladesh-6
95=Bosnia & Herzegovina-6
95=Jordan-6
95=Kazakhstan-6
95=Cuba-6
100=Yemen-7
100=Egypt-7
100=Equatorial Guinea-7
Asia Avg-5.0
World Avg-1.9
q=123.
Kazakhstan is 91st in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
17
Pos.2009
Treaties17
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
59=Netherlands19
59=Nicaragua19
59=Canada19
59=Kazakhstan19
59=Luxembourg19
59=Greece19
59=Ireland19
66=Lithuania18
Asia Avg12.7
World Avg15.1
q=194.
In terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights, Kazakhstan comes 51st in the world.

There are many international agreements on Human Rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of Human Rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
18
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty18
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
122Angola11.59
123Cameroon11.63
124Sudan11.65
125Kazakhstan11.67
126Switzerland11.71
127Macedonia11.71
128Czechia11.73
129Malawi11.77
Asia Avg10.97
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Kazakhstan is 125th in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Kazakhstan is on the way towards ending gender inequality, even though women were prevented equal voting and standing rights until quite late.

In July [2017], President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed amendments to the criminal code decriminalizing battery and light bodily harm, including in cases of domestic violence. The law does not envisage criminal sanctions for repeat offenses.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)8

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
19
Pos.202219
1Denmark0.01
2Norway0.01
3Switzerland0.02
...
39Latvia0.15
40Malta0.15
41Moldova0.17
42Kazakhstan0.18
43Slovakia0.18
44Russia0.18
45USA0.18
46China0.19
Asia Avg0.33
World Avg0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Kazakhstan is positioned 42nd in the world with regard to opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Kazakhstan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Kazakhstan:0.330.22
World Rank:50th ⇡  46th
World Avg:0.410.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases
Lower is better
3
Pos.2022
%3
1Sweden31.820
2New Zealand34.421
3Australia37.021
...
46Ecuador92.321
47Venezuela92.421
48Nicaragua93.221
49Kazakhstan93.421
50Morocco93.721
51Vietnam93.821
52Georgia94.720
53Thailand95.521
Asia Avg94.24
World Avg83.93
q=88.
With regard to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), Kazakhstan ranks 49th in the world.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Year Women Can Vote
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
180=Central African Rep.1986
181Namibia1989
182Samoa1990
183Kazakhstan1993
184=Moldova1994
184=Oman1994
186Qatar2003
187Kuwait2005
Asia Avg1907
World Avg1930
q=189.
In terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy, Kazakhstan comes 5th-worst in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
22
Pos.2014
%22
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
47=Russia30
47=Bolivia30
49=Georgia32
49=Kazakhstan32
49=Bangladesh32
49=Bosnia & Herzegovina32
49=Costa Rica32
54=Uruguay33
Asia Avg48.2
World Avg36.8
q=101.
Kazakhstan comes 50th in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews23,24,25,26. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East27, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews28,29. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"30. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males31.

For more, see:

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people hide their sexual orientation or gender identity out of fear of reprisals or discrimination. On rare occasions when LGBT people report abuse, they can face indifference and hostility from authorities. Transgender people must undergo humiliating and invasive procedures - including a psychiatric diagnosis and coerced sterilization - to change gender on official documents. Feminita, an Almaty-based lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) group, reported that “police not only use vulgar, evil, insulting jokes, but also blackmail, [and] sometimes violence".

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)8

LGBT Equality in the 2020s
Higher is better
32
Pos.LGBT Equality in the 2020s
Score32
1=Germany4.88
1=Spain4.88
3Portugal4.81
...
80Panama0.74
81Monaco0.72
82Thailand0.49
83Kazakhstan0.41
84Suriname0.34
85India0.30
86=Nicaragua0.23
86=Vietnam0.23
Asia Avg-2.88
World Avg-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.
Kazakhstan ranks 83rd in the world regarding LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence33. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws34. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)35. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s36,37. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

Homosexuality in Kazakhstan has been legal from 1997 since soviet-era laws were repealed, which had previously made it illegal to be a male homosexual. Same-sex marriage and civil unions remain banned. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Kazakhstan had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination and supportive NGOs are banned. LGBT people face severe social stigma, limited protections, and new "anti-LGBT propaganda" legislation passed in 2025 threatens to roll back visibility and rights.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

Averages by decade for Kazakhstan (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality1970s 
Average
1980s 
Average
1990s 
Average
2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
2020s 
Average
Kazakhstan:-3.00-3.00-4.75-2.500.450.41
World Rank:79th ⇣  85th ⇣  147th ⇡  111th ⇡  93rd ⇡  83rd
World Avg:-2.98-2.87-2.60-2.15-1.10-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
5
Pos.20215
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
141=Nicaragua3.5
141=Papua New Guinea3.5
141=Solomon Islands3.5
141=Kazakhstan3.5
141=Suriname3.5
146=Angola3.7
146=Uzbekistan3.7
146=Andorra3.7
Asia Avg3.7
World Avg3.0
q=196.
Kazakhstan ranks 132nd in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights38. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish39. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era40 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted41. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief42. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan5,43 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia5,44.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed45. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief39, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion46 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"47 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see: