The US capital has turned into a revolving door for those in need of reputation laundering - a rather shameful condition for the self-styled leader of the free world. 

While Kazakhstan's president has talked up the need for national dialogue as a way of tamping down political tensions, individual activists say they have faced harassment and restrictions on their right to move freely.

A torch has been passed from the only president Kazakhstan has had in the post-Soviet era to a hand-picked successor, putting Central Asia’s largest and most dominant country at a dramatic crossroads.

Police officers block opposition supporters during a protest against presidential election

In a country tightly run by one man for three decades, even small protests are a rarity.

In the light of the shortcomings reported by the OSCE/ODIHR Mission, we expect Kazakhstan to address these violations, as well as the controlled legal and political electoral framework, as they run counter to the country's OSCE commitments and international obligations.

The Kazakh state is increasingly bringing the work of independent journalists under control. A new media law places further restrictions on journalistic freedom.

Kazakhstan’s first president resigned, but he remains fundamentally intertwined with the state.

Kazakhstan's pretend presidential election contest would not have been complete without a pretend debate among the pretend candidates.