Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is concerned about the case of Vadim Kuramshin, a human rights lawyer and civil society activist in Kazakhstan, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in December 2012 following his arrest for alleged extortion of an employee in the legal profession. Mr. Kuramshin’s trial was reported as not conforming to international standards. It will be recalled that the case was raised in this House May 2012, during a debate on Ireland's chairmanship of the OSCE. Mr. Kuramshin had become well known, in particular, for his activities to raise awareness of violations of inmates' rights in Kazakh penitentiaries, including the prison colony in which he has been incarcerated.

Reports indicated that Mr. Kuramshin went on hunger strike on 2 June last in order to protest against his treatment while detained, which he claims has included beatings and harassment by prison authorities. There are now indications however, that he has ended his hunger strike and that he is to be moved to a different facility where he will get the medical treatment he needs. This case is being monitored by our embassy in Moscow, which is accredited to Kazakhstan. In light of these new developments, the Tánaiste has instructed our ambassador to raise the matter directly with the appropriate Kazakh authorities on his next visit to Astana.

The EU has also monitored Mr. Kuramshin’s case closely and a representative from the EU delegation in Astana attended the preliminary appeal hearing in November 2013, at which the Supreme Court refused to hear his full appeal. In addition, the case was among those raised specifically with the Kazakh authorities in the course of the most recent EU-Kazakhstan human rights dialogue, which took place in Astana in November. We will continue to monitor this case closely and avail of opportunities, both nationally and within the EU, to highlight our serious concerns about Mr. Kuramshin's case and the wider human rights situation in Kazakhstan.

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