Jailed Kazakh activist denied parole

[January 18, 2011]  ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) -- A respected human rights advocate in Kazakhstan serving a four-year jail sentence for manslaughter has been denied parole.

The head of a committee set up to defend Yevgeny Zhovtis says a commission considering his parole on Tuesday argued the rights defender had failed to reform and was not taking an active role in prison life.

Activist Sergei Duvanov said Zhovtis has been subjected to unfair treatment.

Zhovtis was sentenced in 2009 to four years in prison for a road accident that killed a pedestrian. The trial attracted wide international criticism for appearing to be politically motivated.

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton commended Zhovtis' work in advancing rights issues in Kazakhstan during a visit to the Central Asian nation in December.

[Associated Press]

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