Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her counterpart in Kazakhstan on the (a) use of force by security forces on people protesting against living standards and (b) repression of peaceful protest.

Following the outbreak of violence in Kazakhstan, My Noble Friend the Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met senior representatives of the Kazakh government, including President Tokayev’s Special Representative. In these contacts, he underlined the need to ensure that law enforcement responses to protests are proportionate, in accordance with Kazakhstan’s international obligations. He also stressed the importance of the investigation into the unrest being conducted urgently, transparently and effectively.