Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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3. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make representations to the Kazakh Government on the imprisonment of leading human rights lawyer Vadim Kuramshin; and if he will demand the ending of state persecution of Mr. Kuramshin, who has highlighted brutal civil rights transgressions in Kazakhstan. [28359/14]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Go raibh maith agat agus gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí eile as sin. I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to make the strongest possible representations to the Government of Kazakhstan with regard to bringing to a complete end the state persecution of leading Kazakh human rights lawyer Vadim Kuramshin, who was jailed for 12 years on trumped-up charges and who has suffered brutal treatment in prison since his incarceration.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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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.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I urge the Government to continue to exert pressure in respect of the case of Vadim Kuramshin. He is a very heroic defender of human rights who has been hounded and persecuted by the authoritarian regime in Kazakhstan. He has courageously exposed the horrific regime of brutality which obtains in the country's prisons, in one of which he has suffered ill-treatment. This matter came to a head in 2010 when a number of prisoners mutilated themselves as a result of the horrific treatment to which they had been subjected.

I visited Kazakhstan as a Member of the European Parliament in August 2010. My first meeting was to be with Vadim Kuramshin but two days beforehand he was detained by the police, arrested and kept in preventative detention until after I left the country. This was so he could not meet me and inform me in detail about the terrible conditions which obtain in Kazakh prisons. Mr. Kuramshin is currently in prison on a trumped-up charge. It is an horrific situation and I urge the Government to ensure our ambassador presses this matter very strongly with the Kazakh authorities.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is correct to raise concerns in respect of the wider human rights environment within Kazakhstan. He has touched on one particular issue but it is clear there are wider concerns regarding other fundamental freedoms. I refer, for example, to the right of assembly and peaceful protest, the right to choose one's own religion or to not do so and the right to follow one's conscience. It is as a result of these broader issues and the specific matter to which the Deputy refers that a structured human rights dialogue between the European Union and Kazakhstan is in place. The wider human rights issues were raised by the outgoing President of the European Commission, Mr. Barroso, on his most recent visit to Astana. I reiterate that, as a result of our concerns regarding human rights, the Tánaiste has instructed our ambassador to raise this matter directly on his next visit to Kazakhstan.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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A jury threw out the trumped-up charge of extortion against Mr. Kuramshin in August 2012. In September of that year he gave a speech on human rights abuses in Kazakhstan at the OSCE conference in Warsaw, at which the Tánaiste may have been present. On returning to his country, Mr. Kuramshin was again arrested and sentenced by the court - in respect of the same charge of which the jury had previously found him not guilty - to 12 years in prison, which is where he is at present. I again urge the Government to make very strong representations on this matter, about which, unfortunately, the bureaucracy at the top of the EU is conflicted. The EU is courting President Nazarbayev and his regime because it wants to exploit the fabulous mineral resources that Kazakhstan possesses. Shamefully, the EU entertained President Nazarbayev following the arrest of Vadim Kuramshin and my return from Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, a conflict exists in this regard. The Government must fight its Kazakh counterpart in respect of this matter. I ask it to keep me, as a representative in this country of Mr. Kuramshin and others who are engaged in the struggle for human rights in Kazakhstan, informed of progress.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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On the Deputy's last point, we will make sure, given his personal interest in this matter, that he is informed of representations and progress that is made. As I said in my earlier reply, I am very much aware of the significant difficulties and problems in regard to human rights in that country. I acknowledge the progress that has been made in some areas but I am also aware of the fact that we are talking about a country and an environment which, for example, ranks 154 out of 179 countries in terms of press freedom and that in December 2012 more than 40 media outlets were shut because of issues and concerns they were raising. The Deputy will be informed of efforts our ambassador makes.

On the Deputy's point regarding conflict and bureaucracy, no such conflict exists. President Barroso in his last visit to Astana raised issues in regard to human rights and the grave concerns we had. As I said in my initial response, our European Union representative was present at the preliminary trial that took place. We will continue to raise this issue bilaterally and within the European Union.