Munich, April 17 -- The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has condemned the sentencing of 19 Kazakh activists in Kazakhstan, calling it a worrying sign of shrinking civic freedoms and growing external pressure linked to China.

In a press release shared on X, WUC stated that the activists affiliated with the Nagyz Atajurt Volunteers Group were punished for taking part in a protest in November 2025.

The demonstration had sought to highlight alleged human rights abuses against Kazakh and other Turkic communities in East Turkistan, and to demand the release of Alimnur Turganbay, a Kazakh national reportedly detained by Chinese authorities since July 2025 under unclear circumstances.

Citing findings by Human Rights Watch, the WUC stated that the ...