Seven international human rights organizations have condemned proposed amendments in Kazakhstan that would ban the «propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation.» The groups say the move violates the country’s international commitments and United Nations recommendations.
Civil rights defenders
The joint statement was signed by Access Now, Civil Rights Defenders, the Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, the International Partnership for Human Rights, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
Anti-LGBT rules in archival law
On Wednesday, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament approved a draft law on archival regulations and restrictions on the dissemination of illegal content. A section of the bill includes measures intended to protect children from materials deemed harmful to their health and development. It prohibits the public or online distribution of information that contains «propaganda of pedophilia and/or nontraditional sexual orientation.»
Notably, Kazakh Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Yevgeniy Kochetov defined «propaganda» as any form of «encouragement of a positive public assessment of nontraditional sexual orientation.»
Human rights groups note that these provisions are unrelated to the law’s primary focus on archival matters and were added only after the bill’s first reading.
The bill now goes to the Senate for another reading before being sent to the president for signature.
«Russia-style» wording
According to the organizations, the amendments would violate basic human rights and further endanger lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people in Kazakhstan. They argue that adopting the measure would breach Kazakhstan’s international human rights obligations and deepen existing discrimination in the country.
Activists also point out that the language of the proposed amendments closely mirrors Russia’s 2013 law banning so-called «LGBT propaganda.»
In response, Kazakh MP Nikita Shatalov dismissed the criticism, calling the human rights groups’ statements «distortion and informational pressure.»
