Every governance event classified by the Civica Pulse Beta pipeline. Updated daily.
The Civica Pulse Beta is a real-time governance shock monitor under active validation. Events queued for human review (severe and catastrophic severity tiers, plus events where the classifier didn't reach consensus) do not drive published Pulse scores until a reviewer confirms them. See the Pulse methodology for the full pipeline.
On April 22, 2025, courts in Kazakhstan convicted two LGBT rights advocates in separate cases: Zhanar Sekerbaeva, cofounder of the feminist group Feminita, was found guilty of battery and fined 173,000 Tenge following a November 2024 incident where she was assaulted at a café by individuals shouting anti-LGBT slurs, while authorities did not prosecute her attackers; and Amir Shaikezhanov, an openly gay activist and bar owner, was convicted of rape and sentenced to five years in prison, though he disputed the charges despite acknowledging the sexual encounter. The cases raise concerns about potential homophobic bias and selective prosecution, as authorities appear to have pursued charges against the LGBT advocates while declining to prosecute those who targeted them with anti-LGBT harassment and violence.
On April 22, courts in Kazakhstan delivered guilty verdicts in two unrelated criminal cases. Though the cases are distinct, they share commonalities: both defendants are outspoken advocates for the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people in Kazakhstan and how the authorities handled each case raises concerns that homophobia and retaliation were factors in the defendants’ treatment and prosecution.
Zhanar Sekerbaeva, cofounder of the feminist group Feminita, was found guilty of “battery” and fined 173,000 Tenge (approximately USD$380). In November 2025, a group of people aggressively disrupted a gathering Sekerbaeva was attending with colleagues and friends at a café. In the aftermath, authorities detained and criminally prosecuted Sekerbaeva but did not pursue those who accosted the group, including by shouting anti-LGBT slurs and filming them without their consent.
Meanwhile, another court convicted Amir Shaikezhanov, an openly gay activist and the owner of a popular gay bar in Almaty, of rape and sentenced him to five years in prison. Shaikezhanov acknowledged the sexual encounter at issue, which occurred in March 2025, but denied the rape charges. The la
Politically motivated prosecution of opposition figure
Rule of LawModerate − · -4
Two LGBT rights advocates face criminal convictions in Kazakhstan where the handling of their cases raises credible concerns of politically/ideologically motivated prosecution, fitting the pattern of opposition_prosecution over the more general lgbt_rights_change category.
Run 2 · temp 0.4
Politically motivated prosecution of opposition figure
Rule of LawModerate − · -4
Two LGBT rights advocates were convicted in proceedings where authorities appear to have selectively prosecuted them while ignoring aggressors, suggesting politically/ideologically motivated prosecution rather than impartial justice.
Run 3 · temp 0.8
Politically motivated prosecution of opposition figure
Rule of LawModerate − · -4
Two LGBT activists in Kazakhstan received criminal convictions in proceedings HRW characterizes as politically/homophobically motivated, fitting the pattern of politically motivated prosecution of opposition/activist figures rather than a broader de jure LGBT rights change.