During UK PM Cameron’s visit to Kazakhstan, first ever visit by serving UK PM, leaders 1 July signed partnership agreement. Amnesty International accused govt of concealing evidence of police torture of prisoners, called for independent international investigation into Dec 2011 violence in Janaozen. Opposition politician and activist arrested ahead of opposition meeting 12 July.

President Nazarbayev visited Uzbekistan mid-June, issued call with Uzbek President Karimov for dialogue and agreement over upstream hydropower projects in Kyrgyzstan and  Tajikistan.

Aqtobe city court sentenced 2 men to jail for religious extremism, illegal weapon possession. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan opened new railway connection between countries. Authorities freed 6 men convicted for role in Dec 2011 Janaozen unrest.

Almaty 5-7 April hosted fresh round of international talks on Iranian nuclear program. European Parliament adopted resolution criticising Kazakh govt for failure to respect political, media, religious freedoms, called for release of Algha party leader.

General Prosecutor proposed new police unit to deal with public unrest; citing Dec 2011 unrest in Janaozen, said police unprepared to protect citizens or themselves. Amid dispute with Russia over gas price, oil and gas minister 7 March said Kazakh gas could be redirected to China if pricing agreement with Russia not reached.

Kazakhstan 30 Jan signed common regional  air defence system with Russia, includes missile defence; also continued expanding cooperation with NATO member states, signing transit agreement with Italy 19 Feb. Hosted international nuclear talks with Iran late Feb.

Following Nov closures of opposition media, opposition website guljan.org suspended, independent TV channel StanTV and opposition TV channel K-Plus banned along with associated websites and print publications; ongoing lawsuits put further media outlets under threat. Rights activist who filed lawsuits on behalf of citizens claiming police abuse during Dec 2011 unrest in Janaozen jailed 7 Dec for 12 days for hooliganism, resisting arrest. Opposition activists gathered in several cities 16 Dec to mark anniversary of police killings of protesters. Activist Vadim Kuramshin jailed for 12 years 8 Dec for extorting bribe; rights groups condemned case as politically motivated. Vladislav Chelakh, border guard accused of killing 15 people in May on Kazakh-Chinese border, found guilty of murder, sentenced to life in prison 11 Dec.

State prosecutors 21 Nov filed applications to ban 2 opposition movements and close around 40 media outlets for “propagating extremism”, citing links to Oct jailing of opposition Alga leader Vladimir Kozlov. Almaty court subsequently banned 3 opposition newspapers and suspended Alga party. Court in southern city Qyzylorda sentenced Amangeldy Aitkulov, former deputy governor of western region Manghystau, to 12 years’ jail for abuse of office, bribe-taking; Aitkulov arrested in connection with Dec 2011 violence in Janaozen. Trial began of Vladislav Chelakh, border guard accused of killing 15 people in May on Kazakh-Chinese border. UNGA 12 Nov elected Kazakhstan to UN Human Rights Council, despite opposition from rights groups.

3 opposition activists including opposition party leader Vladimir Kozlov convicted 8 Oct of forming illegal group,seeking to overthrow govt, inciting social hatred. Charges linked to oil workers strike which led to Dec 2011 violence in Janaozen; Kozlov jailed for 7.5 years. U.S. expressed muted “concern” over apparently politically-motivated case. Witness in case related to Janaozen violence who testified that investigators had tortured him found dead 15 Oct. Court in western city Atyrau 10 Oct jailed local man for 10 years for terrorist activities, illegal arms possession; court in Aqtobe 23 Oct jailed 3 for plotting to blow up police station, creating terrorist group. Sole survivor of June police special operation in Aqtobe jailed for 12 years for terrorism, murder. Al-Qaeda-linked website 15 Oct announced Tunisian  leader of Kazakh-linked extremist group Jund al-Khilafah killed in N Waziristan, Pakistan; group has claimed credit for 3 attacks in Kazakhstan. Head of Agency on Religions said number of legal religious groups reduced from 46 to 17 following new law requiring re-registration.

Series of violent attacks in western region Atyrau: 1 killed in 5 Sept explosion near mosque; 5 alleged terrorists suspected of involvement killed during anti-terror operation 12 Sept; at least 2 police injured 15 Sept following bomb blast in interior ministry offices in regional capital; 4 suspected terrorists killed by security forces 20 Sept. Orak Sarbopeev, major of Janaozen at time of Dec 2011 clashes, found guilty 25 Sept of abuse of office and corruption, sentenced to 10 years jail; Zhalghas Babakhanov, Janaozen mayor from 1999-2009, jailed for 2 years for abuse of office. Human Rights Watch released report accusing govt and oil firms of systematic violations of rights of oil workers. Court in western city Oral sentenced man to 5 years jail for propagating religious extremism. Ministry of culture and information 11 Sept proposed to limit media reporting based on unofficial sources. PM Masimov and his govt resigned 24 Sept; Masimov appointed as head of presidential administration, widely seen as a step up. Parliament unanimously approved new PM Serik Akhmetov.