Mr. Speaker, the petitioners are highlighting the fact that protesters have come to the capital city speaking out against government tyranny, and they are deeply concerned about measures that make life less affordable. The government has labelled these protesters as terrorists and used various intimidation tactics, including torture and giving police a shoot-to-kill order. I am talking, of course, about the situation in Kazakhstan, where the government has released data claiming that at least 225 people are dead and over 4,000 have been injured. Human rights organizations have reason to estimate these numbers are understated.
The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to condemn the human rights violations perpetrated by the Government of Kazakhstan, demand the release of political prisoners and human rights activists, like Bekizhan Mendygaziyev, and join the EU in its application of targeted sanctions against high-ranking officials.