WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) -- A bi-partisan group of four U.S. senators has written Secretary of State Colin Powell with concerns over human rights in Kazakhstan.
In their letter, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., quoted Human Rights Watch, which recently reported "a clear crackdown on opposition political parties" in Kazakhstan, including unreasonable requirements for registering political parties that have reduced the number of registered parties from 19 in 2002 to seven in 2003.
"While we welcome the Department's role in achieving the release from prison of opposition member Mukhtar Ablyazov, his forced announcement that he will no longer participate in politics sets a poor precedent for other political prisoners," the letter said.
The senators also expressed concern for freedom of the press, noting Kazakh journalists are engaging increasingly in self-censorship for fear of reprisals.
