Kazajstán - Still no investigation of the Zhanaozen killings

16 December 2021 marked the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy in Zhanaozen, where police opened fire on protestors, killing 17 and injuring more than 100 workers. The violence ended a seven-month long strike involving more than 3,000 workers demanding a wage increase. This case was subject to an extensive review by international supervisory bodies, all of which expressed concern about the lack of independent, impartial and effective investigation into the human rights violations committed in connection with the protests in Zhanaozen and called on the government to immediately carry out such an investigation. However, to this date the government of Kazakhstan has not responded to these recommendations and no prosecution or conviction has been made in the ten years since the events.