Human rights defenders Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan were this week sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Atyrau City Court in Kazakhstan for organising and participating in peaceful protests in April 2016. The penalisation of such acts contravenes Kazakhstan's commitments under international law on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.

The European Union calls for the release of Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayan, for Kazakhstan to cease the criminalisation of dissenting opinions and to ensure that the freedoms of speech and of assembly are protected