AKIPRESS.COM - The Kazakhstani authorities must immediately end proceedings against Janar Sekerbayeva, an activist working on LGBTI and women’s rights who is accused of “minor hooliganism” for taking part in an awareness-raising photoshoot, Amnesty International said today.

Janar Sekerbayeva is a member of the group ‘Feminita’, which held a photo session on 9 August to raise awareness about the taboo surrounding menstruation in Kazakhstani society.

Heather McGill, Researcher for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“The case against Janar Sekerbayeva is a perfect illustration of the Kazakhstani authorities’ intolerance to any views which they do not endorse.

“Rather than addressing the human rights concerns raised by these activists and seeking ways to break down the harmful stigma surrounding menstruation in Kazakhstan, the authorities have opted to shut down the discussion which Zhanar Sekerbayeva so bravely opened up.”