Freedom campaigners in Kazakhstan have criticised former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his governance-consulting firm for failing to make a difference in the country’s quest for democratisation.
Tony Blair Associates finished its two-year period of advising Nursultan Nazarbayev’s government in October and, while it tried to improve freedom of speech for Kazakhstan’s citizens, critics insist it has not worked.
“Unfortunately, over the two years that Tony Blair’s been a consultant for Astana [Kazakhstan’s capital], we haven’t seen any changes for the better,” opposition leader Amirzhan Kosanov told The Guardian.
Instead, there has been “a deterioration in the human rights and political freedoms situation, a further tightening of the screws”.
This includes the Zhanozen massacre in December 2011, where 15 civilians were killed after police opened fire on protesters rallying for workers’ rights.
Tony Blair’s company has maintained, however, that its work has made an impact. A spokesman said: “Of course the country faces challenges but that is precisely why we should engage and support its efforts to reform… We simply do not agree that the situation in this regard has deteriorated.”
Blair himself dismissed any accusations that he made a personal profit from the multi-million pound deal.
Both Mongolia and Albania have signed similar contracts with the firm.
