

Kazakhstan
President Nursultan Nazarbayev has ruled Kazakhstan since 1991. Parliamentary and presidential elections are neither free nor fair, and all major parties exhibit political loyalty to the president. The authorities have consistently marginalized or imprisoned genuine opposition figures. The dominant media outlets are either in state hands or owned by government-friendly businessmen. Freedoms of speech and assembly remain restricted, and corruption is endemic.

Freedom in the World — Kazakhstan Country Report
Kazakhstan is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2022, Freedom House's annual study of political rights and civil liberties worldwide.

Freedom on the Net— Kazakhstan Country Report
Kazakhstan is rated Not Free in Freedom on the Net, Freedom House's comprehensive study of internet freedom around the globe.

Nations in Transit — Kazakhstan Country Report
Categorized as a Consolidated Authoritarian regime, Kazakhstan receives a Democracy Percentage of 6 out of 100 in the Nations in Transit 2022 report.
News & Perspectives on Kazakhstan
NEW REPORT: Regional Autocrats Exploiting Instability, Expanding Power from Central Europe to Central Asia
Press release
April 20, 2022
Kazakhstan: Freedom House Urges De-escalation of Violence, Movement Toward Rule of Law
Press release
January 6, 2022
Kazakhstan: Release Human Rights Activist and Recognize Rights of Ethnic Minorities
Press release
July 2, 2021
NEW REPORT: Attacks on Democracy Intensify as Autocracy Spreads in Europe and Eurasia
Press release
April 28, 2021
Coronavirus shows the need for a human rights–based approach to public health crises
Perspectives
August 3, 2020