(Washington, D.C. — January 16, 2026) On January 15, ChinaAid held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., issuing a statement on the case of 19 Kazakh human rights defenders who have been arrested by the authorities of Kazakhstan and may face severe sentences. Experts and officials attending the event stated that the case demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “long arm” of transnational repression has deeply penetrated Kazakhstan’s judicial system in Central Asia, attempting to silence overseas dissent through local proxies.
Burning of Portraits Triggers Diplomatic Note
On November 13, 2025, a group of Kazakh activists held a peaceful protest condemning the illegal detention by CCP authorities in Xinjiang of a Kazakh driver, Alimnur Turganbay. During the protest, some participants burned the Chinese national flag and portraits of CCP leader Xi Jinping.
It was reported that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately issued a diplomatic note to the government of Kazakhstan, signaling that the individuals involved should be severely punished. Subsequently, Kazakhstan’s national security authorities launched arrest operations under pressure from the CCP.
The lawyers of the defendants noted that wording from the CCP’s diplomatic note was directly quoted in the indictment. At present, the 19 individuals have been charged with “inciting ethnic hatred” and could face up to 10 years in prison.
International Condemnation: Judicial Sovereignty Undermined
The press conference brought together a number of prominent human rights advocates and legal experts.
Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the Kazakh human rights organization Atajurt, criticized the authorities for adopting the CCP’s high-pressure governance model and even employing surveillance measures more frightening than those used by the CCP, stating bluntly that “the CCP has turned the whole of Kazakhstan into a second Xinjiang.”
Piero Tozzi, Deputy Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), pointed out that the core of this case lies in the long-arm of China and the will of its leadership. He criticized the CCP for overreacting to symbolic protest actions and exporting repression overseas.
Serkan Tas, a representative of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, warned that the CCP is attempting to label any overseas diaspora members who search for missing relatives or raise questions as “terrorists.”
ChinaAid Statement: Reject Transnational Censorship
ChinaAid emphasizes that these Kazakh individuals are not criminals, but tellers of the truth. This case is a typical example of transnational repression. Prosecuting these 19 human rights defenders would set a dangerous precedent by criminalizing peaceful human rights advocacy.
Dr. Bob Fu, ChinaAid’s founder and president, states that “This case is not about Kazakhstan’s internal security. It is about China’s transnational repression, the export of censorship, coercion and punishment beyond China’s borders.”
ChinaAid urges the government of Kazakhstan to immediately drop all charges against the 19 individuals and fulfill its international human rights obligations. It also called on the international community and the United Nations to take decisive action to stop authoritarian regimes from exporting censorship and retaliation beyond their borders.
