startnewlife Mendee CIC ยท London
๐ŸŸข Full ยท updated 2026-05-27 ยท 20 ะผะปะฝ

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Kazakhstan โ€” Country of Origin Information for UK asylum

January 2022 ("Bloody January / Qandyly Qantar") โ€” mass protests and crackdown. Tightening control of dissent, pressure on civil society. December 2025 โ€” "LGBT propaganda" ban law (Russian-style). Persecution of Kandas (Xinjiang Kazakh repatriates) for activism.

COI is not immigration advice. This page lists reference sources, not individual advice on your case. For an asylum claim you need an IAA L2/L3 or SRA solicitor โ€” find in directory, Russian-speaking with Legal Aid.
PoliticalLGBTQ+ReligionEthnicPressRecent events
01

How to use this COI at your interview

  • Before the substantive interviewPrint or save 2-3 key sources (CPIN if available, HRW World Report, local NGO). Interviewers may ask โ€” best to have them ready.
  • Link source to your storyIf CPIN says "in country X, Y happens" โ€” your job is to show Y happened to you / your family / your circle. Not just citation โ€” connection to facts.
  • Give your lawyer all sources before submissionThe solicitor / IAA adviser will draft the skeleton argument with the right citations. Your job is to provide materials and context.
  • If refused โ€” COI for the appealAppealing at First-tier Tribunal without COI is nearly impossible. SAR + new sources after refusal = key to a successful appeal.
02

Authoritative sources

ranked by strength in UK Tribunals

UK Tribunal hierarchy: CPIN > UNHCR Eligibility > HRW World Report > Amnesty annual > Freedom House > country-specific NGO. Higher = more cited in Tribunal decisions.

CPIN ยท UK Home Office
UK Home Office CPIN โ€” Kazakhstan ยท 2024

CPIN Kazakhstan if available; alternatively rely on UNHCR Refworld + HRW. CPIN coverage limited.

Human Rights Watch ยท World Report
HRW World Report 2026 โ€” Kazakhstan ยท 2026
Freedom House
Freedom House โ€” Kazakhstan 2025 ยท 2025

Score: 23/100, Not Free

03

Recent events

for context at interview
February 2025 โ€” at least 48 political prisoners (Freedom House Kazakhstan 2025). Alga Kazakhstan leader Marat Zhylanbaev โ€” 7 years, Aidar Syzdykov โ€” 5 years, journalist Daniyar Adilbekov โ€” 4.5 years. Freedom House 2025: 23/100, Not Free.
January 2022 "Bloody January": 238 deaths, 6 from torture, 172+ torture complaints. Timur Danebayev case: torture filmed and public; all 12 prison officers acquitted February 2025 despite video evidence. Only 40-50 low-level officials convicted.
June 2024 โ€” Aidos Sadykov assassination in Kyiv: opposition journalist shot. Suspects linked to Kazakh security services. Kazakhstan refused extradition. November 2025 โ€” widow reports ongoing surveillance in Kyiv. Marker case of transnational repression.
December 2025: Tokayev signed Criminal Code amendments criminalising "LGBT propaganda" โ€” similar to Russian 2013-2023. April 2026: Almaty court sentenced Atajurt activists (Xinjiang cases) to 5 years prison.
"Saltanat Law" (April 2024) criminalised domestic violence โ€” 3,382 DV cases in 2024 (from 923 in 2023). But 400+ women die annually from spousal violence. Bride kidnapping not separately criminalised until 2025. Dina Tansari (NeMolchiKZ founder, 35,000+ survivors supported) prosecuted in absentia, faces 10 years, granted refugee status.
Religious freedom: USCIRF recommends Special Watch List. Jehovah's Witnesses face administrative charges, raids, CO detention. At least 7 Muslims imprisoned for peaceful online religious activity. 13 Jehovah's Witnesses detained in conscription offices in 2024 despite CO claims.
Press: RSF Index 141/180 ("very serious"). 2024 media law expanded government oversight. CPI 38/100, acquittal rate ~2%, 99.8% judicial deference to prosecution. Anti-Corruption Agency dismantled June 2025, functions transferred to National Security Committee.
04

What to gather for interview

UK Tribunals assess credibility from concrete evidence. Cases from Kazakhstan typically need:

  • Detention documents during "Bloody January" (January 2022)
  • Court decisions under "inciting discord", "mass unrest" articles
  • Telegram / Facebook screenshots with regime criticism + administrative protocols
  • For Uyghur / Xinjiang Kazakh cases: Atajurt documents on relatives persecuted in China
  • For LGBT cases: December 2025 context, gay-app screenshots as evidence
  • NGO letters from ECOM, IPHR, Kazakhstan Bureau for HR

Tip: file a SAR request to the Home Office before submitting additional evidence โ€” you'll see what they already hold.

Important: StartNewLife UK is a referral directory, not an immigration advice service within the meaning of the UK Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, s.84. This page is general information and navigation, not individual legal advice. All lawyers in the database are regulated by the SRA, IAA or BSB โ€” verify their status on the public registers before instructing. For individual advice on your case, contact an SRA solicitor or IAA adviser directly.

โš ๏ธ StartNewLife is an information project โ€” not regulated by the IAA (Immigration Advice Authority). We do not provide immigration advice within the meaning of Section 84 of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999. All content is general information only and does not replace advice from a regulated lawyer (IAA / SRA / BSB) about your specific case.