"During my visit, I will look into both the legal requirements for holding peaceful assemblies, and how peaceful assemblies are facilitated in practice," UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai was quoted as saying in a statement published on the OHCHR website.
Kiai added that he would be looking into the issues related to the registration of public associations, trade unions, political parties and religious organizations, as well as "on the existence of an enabling environment for the free and effective functioning of civil society."
According to the statement, Kiai's visit is the first information-gathering mission to Kazakhstan by an independent expert tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and promote the rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
Kiai will also gather information on how the country's recently adopted legislation has impacted freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Following a major legislative overhaul in 2014, human rights groups have expressed concern that the revised Criminal Code further limits the freedom of trade union activities and restricts freedom of association such as street protests.
The rapporteur's preliminary findings will be announced at a press conference on January 27.
