Brussels
04/04/12
MEP denied visa as Kazakhstan regime
seeks to cover up oil worker massacre
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Paul Murphy MEP denied visa to Kazakhstan
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Nazarbayev regime scared of truth getting out about December 16 massacre
against oil workers and their sympathisers.
Paul
Murphy MEP was meant to lead a GUE/NGL delegation to Kazakhstan, leaving for
Aktau and Zhanaozen in the West of Kazakhstan today.
Yesterday,
he was informed by the European Parliament's protocol services that his
passport was back with the protocol services but that no visa was issued by the
Kazakh Embassy. No reason for this decision was given to the protocol services
or Paul Murphy, MEP.
In
a letter to the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the EU, Yerik
Utembayev, Paul Murphy MEP expressed his discontent with the Foreign
Ministry's decision
"
This leaves me to conclude that you have chosen to hamper the GUE/NGL
delegation at a time when a first-hand assessment of the court hearings against
those people allegedly responsible for the tragic events of 16 December
2011 currently taking place, would be of vital importance for my political
group and my work in the European Parliament. "
"I
have strong reasons to believe that the refusal to grant visas is taking place
on political grounds"
Paul
Murphy MEP travelled to Kazakhstan in July 2011 and publicly came out in
support of the oil workers’ strike which had engulfed the Mangistau region in
the West of Kazakhstan since May 2011 and culminated in the brutal crackdown by
state forces on 16 December, which left at least 16 people dead.
Ever
since his visit in July 2011, relations with the official Kazak authorities had
turned cool. In a letter, following his visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Kazakhstan stated: "The Republic of Kazakhstan has the
right to declare the abovementioned officials as persona non-grata".
"The
refusal to grant me a visa follows the general clamp down on democratic rights
in Kazakhstan. Following December 16, we have seen increased repression against
opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders in Kazakhstan.
Leading opposition figures such as Vladimir Kozlow and prominent human rights
defender Vadim Kuramshin are in prison and could face possible sentences of up
to 15 years. Leading figures of the Socialist Movement Kazakhstan, Ainur
Kurmanov and Esenbek Ukteshbayev can not return to their country out of fear of
immediate arrest.”
“Now
we see the start of a mass show trial in Aktau against 37 strikers, at which
the judge has reportedly said that the police do not have to appear to defend
their evidence. The prosecutor is demanding sentences of up to ten years."
It is clear from the decision not to issue visas that despite their invitation
to independent observers to investigate the situation in West Kazakhstan; the
government has no intention of actually allowing any independent observers to
visit the region at this critical time”.
"Independent
trade unions in Aktau and Zhanaozen invited me to Kazakhstan and I am very upset
that I cannot travel today. However, I will continue to speak out in favour of
democratic and workers rights in Kazakhstan and call for the release of all
political prisoners in the country. I will also reapply for a visa at a later
stage".
ENDS
GUE/NGL
Press Contacts:
David
Lundy +32 485 50 58 12
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
European
United Left / Nordic Green Left
European
Parliamentary Group
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