Ramazan Yessergepov
Ramazan Yessergepov is a Kazakhstani human rights defender and journalist. He is chairperson of the foundation, 'Journalists in Need.' Through his journalistic work, Ramazan Yessergepov exposes and denounces corruption by government and law enforcement officials. Before 2009, when he was arbitrarily arrested and sentenced to three years imprisonment on false charges of disclosure of a state secret. Ramazan Yessergepov was a founder and editor in chief of the independent newspaper, “Alma-Ata Info,” which highlighted and criticised the human rights violations and corruption of the government of Kazakhstan. Shortly after his detention, the newspaper was shut down.
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.
