Thirty prosecutors from the central region of Kazakhstan attended the seminar in Astana, where international and national legal experts shared their experiences on practical aspects of handling criminal cases, public representation during court proceedings, and supporting prosecution in court. They discussed ways of better representation at trials in front of a jury, following new amendments to the jury trial legislation in Kazakhstan.

"The OSCE always emphasized the importance of a fair trial as one of the basic elements of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Our Centre stands ready to support the Kazakhstani Prosecutor General’s Office in enforcing the rule of law, and to develop skills of law enforcement officers from all parts of the country," said Jeanette Kloetzer, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

Sarkytbek Moldabaev, Director of the Institute of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan, said: "Good knowledge of the legislation and keeping up to date with any changes are essential for prosecutors to effectively fulfill their function of state representatives in criminal court cases in line with the highest standards."

The seminar was co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana and Retraining Institute of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan. Similar seminars will be held in Almaty, southern Kazakhstan, Kostanai, northern Kazakhstan, and in Aktobe, western Kazakhstan.