Independent journalists and government critics in Kazakhstan are facing growing pressure ahead of parliamentary elections this weekend, rights groups say, pointing to criminal investigations, detentions, travel restrictions, and court-ordered bans on journalism.The vote on August 23 will elect the first members of the Kurultai, a new unicameral parliament that replaces Kazakhstan’s two-chamber legislature under constitutional changes approved in a March referendum.President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has portrayed the changes as political modernization. Critics say they have further concentrated power in the presidency, raising questions about the environment in which the first Kurultai election will take place.Adilet (Justice), a party founded in May and led by Toqaev’s former presidential administration chief, is heavily favored to win, with the latest national poll putting its support at 70.2 percent. The party absorbed the former ruling Amanat party and inherited its nationwide political network, leading critics to portray it as a rebranding of the pro-Toqaev political establishment.In an assessment last month of the upcoming vote, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said people interviewed by its mission had raised concerns about a “growing intolerance of criticism by the authorities, resulting in increasing pressure and sanctions.” They said this has contributed to “self-censorship and reduced civic participation.”