Ermek Narymbaev
Ermek Narymbaev is an independent human rights defender. He has been actively involved in exposing financial fraud carried out by a number of banks in Kazakhstan and is outspoken about the government's failures to protect the human rights and interests of Kazakh people. Furthermore, he provides legal advice to people who have been deliberately misinformed by their banks. In 2011 he was honoured by Kazakh civil society and received a national “Freedom” award.
Human rights defenders in Kazakhstan are particularly active on legal and penal reform, social rights, freedom of expression, and ethnic minorities’ rights as well as democratisation. Unlike other central Asian countries, instances of direct targeting of critical media and influential NGOs are limited. Repression against human rights defenders often takes the form of economic and legislative obstacles, which are effective in hindering their work and more difficult to challenge.
