Paris - Geneva, July 6, 2010. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), undertook a visit of Mr. Evgeny Zhovtis in prison. Mr. Zhovtis is a founding member and the Director of the Kazakhstan International Human Rights and the Rule of Law Bureau, as well as a member of the Council of Experts of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR) under the Organisation on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in charge of freedom of assembly1.

Concerned by the situation of Mr. Evgeny Zhovtis, the Observatory, represented by Mr. Ales Bialatski, FIDH Vice President and President of the Belarusian Human Rights Centre “Viasna”, carried out on July 1, 2010 a visit of Mr. Zhovtis, detained in the penitentiary colony of Ust- Kamenogorsk, in North-East Kazakhstan, 1,000 km away from his residence in Almaty. The purpose of this visit was to express international support to Mr. Zhovtis, who was convicted in 2009 following criminal proceedings marred with violations of the right to due process and fair trial.

At the end of the mission, Mr. Ales Bialatski declared that “the ongoing detention of Evgeny Zhovtis as well as the conditions he faces in that framework remain preoccupying”. Mr. Bialatski stressed that Mr. Zhovtis was subjected to stricter detention conditions than his prison inmates, and was de facto isolated. “He is among the few ones who is denied the right to work outside of the colony during the day. Mr. Zhovtis is forced to stay within the detention facilities, where he was given the “responsibility” to look after an inactive warehouse of the colony. This would be risible if this was not so tragic”. According to Mr. Bialatski, detention practices inherited from the past, with tough wake up, sleeping and meal hours to be strictly followed, are also difficult to bear for a person over 50 years' old. “Mr. Zhovtis has even no right to lie down before the lights are turned off”.