(5 January 2026 | Source: Human Rights Ombudsman in the Republic of Kazakhstan)
A prisoner's report of being subjected to torture in a Shymkent colony led to the criminal prosecution of institution employees. Following intervention by the human rights institution and the General Prosecutor's Office, the investigation was tightened, and the suspects were placed in custody, marking a rare example of a strong response to such complaints.
HOW INFORMATION ABOUT VIOLATIONS WAS UNCOVERED
The facts of possible human rights violations were established during visits to closed institutions and the review of prisoner complaints by representatives of the Human Rights Ombudsman. Particular attention was paid to signs of ill-treatment and inadequate detention conditions.
As part of this work, the regional representative for Shymkent, Nurzhan Abdessov, held a personal meeting with one of the prisoners, who reported that in June 2025 he had been subjected to torture by institution employees.
ESTABLISHED FACTS OF VIOLENCE
During the meeting, another incident was also identified — the beating of another prisoner, which resulted in them suffering a broken jaw. The materials do not specify the circumstances of the incident, but the fact of causing serious harm to health was recorded.
RESPONSE AND MEASURES
Based on the identified facts, the regional representative immediately took response measures. In particular, medical workers at the institution were held accountable for failing to provide timely medical assistance.
Additionally, a pre-trial investigation was initiated against institution employees under Article 362 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Exceeding authority or official powers").
RECLASSIFICATION OF THE CASE AND ARRESTS
The human rights institution sent an appeal to the highest supervisory authority demanding a review of the actions of the institution's employees, pointing out that they contained signs of torture.
The General Prosecutor's Office supported this position. As a result, at the end of last year, the pre-trial investigation was reclassified to Part 3 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, torture"), which provides for liability for torture. Three institution employees were taken into custody.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The prevention of torture and ill-treatment, including those related to the detention conditions of prisoners, has been identified as a priority area of activity for the Human Rights Ombudsman. However, the materials do not provide data on how typical such cases are, or how often they progress to the stage of arresting suspects.