Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday called for due process and fairness in the case of Dinara Smailova, a prominent women’s rights advocate in Kazakhstan. HRW expressed concerns that the charges brought against Smailova may be a form of retaliation for her work and an attempt to silence her activism.

Smailova is currently facing multiple criminal charges. The Kazakhstan Internal Ministry’s public statement in December 2023 states that the authorities in Almaty City, East Kazakhstan and Almaty regions are pursuing charges against Smailova for large-scale fraud, violations of privacy and knowingly disseminating false information. If found guilty, she could face the confiscation of her property and be banned from certain positions or activities for life.

HRW questions whether the charges are an effort to discredit Smailova’s organization rather than a genuine pursuit of justice. According to Smailova’s lawyer, the prosecution’s case lacks credible evidence of any alleged wrongdoing. In addition, Smailova’s legal team also publicly reported procedural violations by the authorities during the investigation, including initially denying one of Smailova’s lawyers access to case materials.

Dinara Smailova is the founder of the #NeMolchikz Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting and advocating for survivors of sexual and domestic violence across Kazakhstan.

In 2017, Kazakhstan’s criminal code underwent amendments that resulted in the decriminalization of domestic violence offenses, transforming them into administrative rather than criminal offenses. Critics argue that the decriminalization of domestic violence contributed to the casualization of domestic abuse.

HRW also criticized Kazakhstan in its 2024 World Report, stating that it “did not meaningfully address persistent human rights violations in 2023 or ensure accountability for past abuses.”