Oct 20, 2009

Appeals Court upholds Zhovtis' Sentence


Disappointing? Yes. Disheartening? Yes. Surprising? Not really.

Sadly, today, the Kazakhstani appeals court upheald the sentence of Human Rights Defender Yevgeniy Zhovtis. Zhovtis was convicted of manslaughter in September after unfortunately hitting a man with his car in an accident. Zhovtis' defense team and international observers have pointed to numerous procedural violations during both the investigation and trial that prevented him from presenting all evidence in defense of his innocence. This is most upsetting as Kazakhstan is set to assume the OSCE chairmanship in 2010.

Solidarity!

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