Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. Mar. 6, 2003

BEWARE WHAT YOU WISH FOR -- Kazakhstan may be proudly touting its role as host for June’s Trans-Asian forum of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, but it may not be happy with what it hears from the international body. OSCE has been increasingly critical of the Nazarbayev regime's dismal human rights record, most recently leveling a harsh condemnation of its attacks on the media and the politically-motivated trial of Sergei Duvanov, a leading independent journalist and human rights activist. The Almaty meeting on June 7 and 8 will give organization leaders and delegates from 55 member countries an opportunity to make their feelings known. http://www.interfax news.com/

GETTING HIS 'GOAT' -- Nursultan Nazarbayev is known as one of the most thin skinned dictators around. Critics risk jail time, or worse. They've been beaten, harassed, investigated, fined, taxed, prosecuted, persecuted and even killed. The charge is violating the "honor and dignity" of the president. One may debate whether a corrupt dictator can claim either honor or dignity, but when he also runs the courts, truth is not an absolute defense. So where did he get the idea? France. That's the word from Kazakh prosecutors, reports the Wall Street Journal Europe. Nazarbayev's lawyers, in going after someone who allegedly called the dictator a "goat," told the court the Kazakh "insult law" is based on the French model that allowed an Arab king to win a conviction against Le Monde for insulting him. What the Kazakhs ignore is that the European Court of Human Rights later found France guilty of violating the newspaper's right to free expression. France's antiquated press law forbids insulting the French president or foreign leads of state. It hasn't been enforced in France since the 1960s but in Kazakhstan it's still very much in use. http://public.wsj.com/home.html

MISSING SOCKS ANYONE? -- As everyone who has a drawer full of mismatched socks knows, there is a parallel universe where the missing hosiery can be found. No doubt, when the first explorers arrive there they will find a Kazakh foreign ministry that issues statements like the one put out this week in Astana lauding the Nazarbayev government's achievements in democratic reform, protection of human rights, development of a multi-party system, establishment of a dialogue between government and all interested political parties and public associations, the activities of over 2,500 non-governmental organizations and more. But until then, such declarations have the same value as half a pair of socks. http://www.kazakhstan-embassy-us.org

YOU CAN BANK ON IT -- Some of the most prominent figures in the former Soviet Union, including President Nazarbayev, may soon find themselves enmeshed in a major international scandal if Swiss authorities go ahead with plans to disclose details for foreign bank accounts. Legislation being considered by the Swiss government, based on EU banking standards, abolishes bank secrecy and calls for revealing account holders and possibly freezing the funds, reports Izvestia. The new law is aimed at detecting funds used to finance terrorism as well as revealing the currently anonymous owners of secret accounts. Nazarbayev is just one of many former Soviet government officials, business tycoons and criminal bosses who have spirited money out of their country to hide it in Swiss accounts. He has admitted to at least $1 billion in such accounts. Swiss and American authorities are actively investigating Nazarbayev and his close associates for corruption and money laundering. The reputation of Swiss bankers was severely tarnished in recent years following revelations about their prominent role as bankers for Nazi Germany, and being known as a haven for the stolen wealth of dictators, despots, drug kingpins and assorted criminals does little to restore public confidence in their integrity. http://www.izvestia.ru/

'NAUGHTY BOYS' -- You'd think a guy who stashed at least a billion dollars in secret foreign bank accounts would be the last to complain about how banks do business, but maybe it's because Swiss authorities have frozen President Nursultan Nazarbayev's funds while they investigate charges that his deposits are bribes and payoffs being laundered on their premises. Nazarbayev has called Kazakh bankers "naughty boys" for interest rates and profits he considers excessive. Profit margins are " unjustifiably high" and he threatened to have the National Bank impose limits on interest rates "if you keep on being naughty boys." http://www.nationalpost.com

For the full stories, see the web citations above or contact us at News@Kazakhstan21.org. The Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation promotes democracy and human rights in Kazakhstan through public affairs and educational programs in the United States and Europe. This material is distributed by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation.