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Kazakhstan has established a new Presidential Commission on Human Rights, with its composition recently approved by a decree from the President. Notably, the commission includes Igor Vranchev, the lawyer who represented the victim's side in the high-profile trial of Kuandyk Baimbaev.

New Leadership and Diverse Membership

The commission will be chaired by Zhaqyp Assanov, the Deputy Speaker of the Senate. Serving as deputy chairs are Aydyn Bikenbayev, a member of the Republican Bar Association, and Aigul Sabitova, Director of the Sorbonne-Kazakhstan Institute at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.

The newly formed commission features representatives from various government bodies, including the Prosecutor General, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, and ministers of internal affairs, foreign affairs, justice, health, labor and social protection, and science and higher education.

Broad Representation in Human Rights Advocacy

In addition to government officials, the commission comprises human rights ombudsmen, the children's rights ombudsman, the ombudsman for the protection of vulnerable social groups, the ombudsman for the protection of entrepreneurial rights, the ombudsman for family matters, and a deputy chairman of the National Security Committee.

The commission's membership also extends to parliament members, lawyers, representatives from non-governmental organizations, academia, trade unions, religious associations, and human rights defenders. Among these are Senate deputy Zhanna Assanova, Chairman of the Council of Judges Doszhan Amir, head of the Union of Crisis Centers Zulfiya Baisakova, Member of Parliament Nurlan Baitilesov, representative of the International Organization for Migration Svetlana Bekmambetova, President of the "MEDIALIFE" Foundation Olga Volkova, and lawyers Vitaly Voronov, Igor Vranchev, Daniyar Kanafin, and Irina Osokina.

Further members include Nurlan Dulatbekov, Rector of Karaganda University named after E.A. Buketov; Members of Parliament Daniya Espaeva and Unzila Shapak; Svetlana Zharkenova, Professor at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University; journalist Yerkanat Kopzhassaruly; Chairman of "Civic Peace" NGO Ruslan Kaskenov; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan; Constitutional Court Judge Kanat Musin; President of the "Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan" Banu Nurgaziyeva; Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Birzhan Nurymbetov; Supreme Mufti Nauryzbay Otpirov; Sergey Pen from KAZGUU University named after K.S. Narikbayev; human rights expert Aisana Sman; head of the Association of Environmental Organizations of Kazakhstan Aigul Solovyeva; Director of the "Charter for Human Rights" Foundation Zhenis Turmagambetova; and Director of the "Sana Sezim" Legal Center for Women's Initiatives Shakhnoza Khasanova.

The Presidential Commission on Human Rights serves as a consultative and advisory body focused on safeguarding the rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens.

This was reported by the Infohub.kz information agency.