MONITORING OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN FROM AUGUST 1 TO AUGUST 31, 2022

August 1, Almaty, Esengazy Muratbek, Article 272, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The city Prosecutor’s Office dismissed criminal proceedings in the criminal case due to failure to prove a criminal offense in his actions under Article 35, Part 1, and paragraph 2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK in connection with his participation in the mass riots in the city of Almaty [1].

August 1, Nur-Sultan, “4642 criminal cases have been launched. About 15 thousand people have been interrogated. More than 35,000 investigations and 2,500 examinations have been conducted. 343 million tenge worth of damages have been compensated. 474 criminal cases have been sent to courts. 717 people have been convicted, 92 people have been given real prison terms”, said Nurlybek Sabitov, the representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan[2].

August 1, Nur-Sultan, “In total, the police opened more than 4.6 thousand criminal cases on the January events. These included more than 2.5 thousand cases of theft, 708 cases of theft or possession of weapons, 418 cases of hooliganism, 199 cases of destruction of property, 26 cases of robbery and looting. Investigators questioned 15,000 people. 255 people have been released from detention”,Interior Ministry spokesman Kozhayev Mukhtar said[3].

August 1, Nur-Sultan, “The whereabouts of 2,089 stolen weapons remain unclear. The police seized an additional 1,936 weapons, many of which have had their license numbers removed; they are currently being “identified” as to whether they were used in the January events”, said Interior Ministry spokesman Kozhayev Mukhtar [4].

August 1, Zhezkazgan, hundreds of workers at TrancoZhezkazgan, Kazakhmys’ contracting company, began a peaceful protest in the morning to express their discontent and demand an increase in wages and better working conditions[5].

August 1, Mangistau region, Beineu district, employees of NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC went on strike and demanded to increase their wages by 100%[6].

1 August, Shymkent, Ashtayev Zhanmurat, Sultanbek Kairat, Dosmambetova Lyazzat, Article 269, 272, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, who were convicted for various terms, submitted letters from prison in which they stated that their rights have been violated and authorities have illegally convicted them. The main reason for their confinement is their active citizenship, which was manifested in their participation in peaceful protests, where they demanded freedom of speech, fair elections and respect for human rights[7].

August 1, Almaty, Dusibayev Darkhan, Article 272 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, criminal prosecution for participation in the riots during the January events has been dismissed, with all charges being dropped. The ruling of the head of the Almaty Prosecutor’s Office, Kungozhinov Kanat, states that there is no evidence of Dusibayev’s involvement in the unrest[8].

August 2, Aktobe, close relatives of Isayev Nursultan, who was arrested on the January events under article 380, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, have gathered near the regional Prosecutor’s Office demanding an appointment with the regional prosecutor.

The next victims of lawlessness of investigative actions hope for fair investigation and lawful decision[9].

August 2, a group of Kazakhstani and international human rights organizations #ActivistsNotExtremists reports that the number of political prisoners in Kazakhstan has dramatically increased since the tragic events of January 2022. The preliminary list now includes 140 names, and these are likely not the final figures, human rights activists say. At the end of last year, there were about a dozen names on a similar list. In other words, the list has increased by more than 11 times[10].

August 2, Mangistau region, Beineu station, about 300 railroad workers keep protesting. They do not go home, calling for higher wages and better working conditions[11].

August 2, Almaty, Adilbekuly Sayat, Article 272 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, the Prosecutor’s Office of the city dismissed criminal proceedings against him in a criminal case due to failure to prove the criminal offense in his actions under Article 35, Part 1, paragraph 2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK for his participation in mass riots in the city of Almaty [12].

August 2, Aktobe, Isayev Nursultan, who is under arrest in connection with the January events, went on hunger strike, “To protest against the torture and unfairness during the investigation”, said the wife of the prisoner Khazeyeva Aida[13].

August 3, Almaty, Zhanbolat Mamay, Articles 274, 378, 272, Part 1, and 274, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. His arrest was extended for one more month until September 12. The prosecutor’s argument for extending the arrest was that “being at liberty Mamay will hinder the investigation by disseminating information”[14].

August 3, Almaty, “More than 10 days ago we appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights Azimova to provide assistance to the immediate hospitalization of Dosmambetova Lyazzat who was sentenced under Art 269, Part 2, Art 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK to 3 years and 8 months of imprisonment. In response to our letters, her assistants write formal replies, and she herself takes offense that we do not appreciate and respect her”, reports human rights activist Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[15].

August 3, Ust-Kamenogorsk, five unknown perpetrators beat up Knyazev Anton, a journalist of the information portal of the “Dorozhnyi Kontrol” NGO. Once information about this case was posted on social networks, the Police Department reported that a pre-trial investigation has been launched under Article 293, Part 2, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hooliganism), and that two suspects have been identified and the required investigative measures have been taken[16].

August 3, Ust-Kamenogorsk, journalist Knyazev Anton reported the alleged omission of police officers. A group of unidentified persons continued unlawful actions against him even after the arrival of the police. “Everything happened before their eyes. We’ll write a complaint against the patrol officers, because they allowed this fact to happen”, Knyazev says in a video at the Ulba District Police Department[17].

August 3, Almaty, by the decision of the Expert Council the following persons were recognized as political prisoners: in Shymkent, Sadibekov Moldabai, Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 3 years’ imprisonment; in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Baisagatov Aidar, Article 380 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 1 year 4 months’ imprisonment; in Aktobe, Bekeyev Ablayhan, Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the RK, under investigation; in Semey, Zholatov Aziz, Article 272 and 269 of the Criminal Code of the RK, under investigation[18].

August 3, Almaty, Tashimova Saltanat. The Administrative Court ruled to satisfy the complaint of lawyer Kozhakhmet R.M. about the illegality of the actions of police inspector of the Auezov district Rakhmanov B.K., who did not provide Tashimova the right to get acquainted with the ruling issued by him on 8 May 2022 on the appointment of a forensic medical examination of Nurseitova A.Z.

August 4, Aktau, about a dozen people marched to the building of the local branch of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan, to demand the release of Yelshibaev Yerzhan, who has been serving a 5-year prison sentence in a colony in Kyzylorda. The protesters were detained and taken to the police station[19].

August 4, Aktau, Korbakov Merey, Article 488 Part 7 of the Administrative Offences Code of the RK, the administrative court ordered 10 days of arrest for calling for an illegal protest, at which there were demands to release Elshibayev Yerzhan[20].

August 4, Aktau, Dosekeyeva Zhadyra, who was detained during the rally demanding the release of Elshibayev, was fined 110,000 tenge by the court. The court found Aigul Otegenova, Nurgul Tanirbergenova, Nurlan Karamurzaev guilty of “participation in an illegal rally” and issued an administrative warning[21].

August 4, Kostanay, Nurmagambetov Dias, Article 274, Part 2, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, one year of restriction of liberty. The Court of Appeal has considered the appeal against the first instance court sentence on finding him guilty of spreading knowingly false information and dismissed the appeal[22].

August 4, the U.S edition Courthouse News Service reported that the Nursultan Nazarabaev Foundation has brought a lawsuit against Journalism Development Network, a news website that has been focusing on the topics of crime and anti-corruption for 10 years. The plaintiff claimed that the assumptions, stated in the article of January 19, 2022, about the misuse of the Foundation’s funds, tarnished its business reputation and were false and defamatory[23].

August 4, Shymkent, facility ICH-167/11, Dosmambetova Lyazzat, Article 269, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3 years 8 months of imprisonment. The daughter of political prisoner Nadirbek Aizhan filed an application to the branch of the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights. She reports that her mother complains of headaches and can’t lift her right arm because of osteochondrosis, she suffers from heart pain and needs hospital treatment[24].

August 5, Almaty, Dostiyarov Abzal, reported that a criminal case was initiated against him under Article 274, Part 2, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Dissemination of deliberately false information”. Police based their decision on the monitoring of the YouTube hosting site, where they found videos, which may contain signs of dissemination of deliberately false information[25].

August 4, Kyzylorda, facility ZK-169/5, political prisoner Yershibaev Yerzhan, Article 106, Part 2, paragraph 7 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 5 years of imprisonment, the trial has started. The administration of the colony accuses him of disobedience to the lawful demands of the administration. The activist himself rejects the allegations against him. In case he is found guilty, his prison term may be extended.

4 August, Kyzylorda, “The criminal case of Yelshibayev is based only on the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution. There are no records from video surveillance cameras, which allegedly did not work. It is claimed that there is evidence on the records from the video tolkens of the employees. However, we were not familiarized with them” – reported the lawyer of Zhanar Sundetkalieva [26].

4 August, Almaty, The International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” conducted a study of the situation in Kazakhstan with regard to the right to freedom of expression and information from July 28 to August 4 [27].

August 5, Almaty, Aitelenov Nurali, blogger, held a solitary picket in front of the building of the Anti-Corruption Service in support of detained journalist Abzhan Makhambet[28].

August 5, Akmolinsk region, Sadvokasova Aya, Article 274, Part 4, Article 405, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Shortanda district court revised the preventive measure against the activist and replaced the house arrest with detention. She declared that she did not agree with the decision and went on hunger strike[29].

On August 6, Almaty, the authorities have once again denied Nutusheva Alma, the daughter of Aron Atabek, permission to hold a peaceful rally in Valikhanov Square on “Rehabilitation of Aron Atabek and His Art” based on the fact that an agricultural fair would be held during the planned rally[30].

August 7, Uralsk, Utebayev-Bekbulat, while handing out leaflets of the unregistered “Alga Kazakhstan” party, was arrested by police and fined 153150 tenge under Article 489 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Kazakhstan for participating in an unregistered public association[31].

8 August, Nur-Sultan, facility EC-166, Dauren Makin, Article 256, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Ninety days the artist has been in detention, allegedly for disseminating extremist statements on his Facebook page and propaganda of terrorism on religious grounds[32].

August 8, Almaty, “Six months after #qantar2022 and after receiving many reports that the authorities are trying to make the victims terrorists, we made another inquiry to the National Security Committee with a request to provide information on how many people and what names are listed under Article 255 of the Criminal Code of the RK, but in response we got a formal reply”, says human rights activist Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[33].

August 8, “Request to the Prosecutor General’s Office: More than half a year has passed since the January events of 2022. The authorities still haven’t provided the lists of the dead and those who have been criminally prosecuted. Response of the Prosecutor General’s Office: Information is not subject to disclosure under Article 201 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RK” – reports human rights activist Toregozhina Bakhytzhan [34].

August 8, Almaty, facility LA-155/18, Mamay Zhanbolat, Article 274 Part 4, 378, 272 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the RK, who has already been in custody for several months, refuted the claims that he was in a depressed state and allegedly gave testimony against his comrades-in-arms[35].

August 9, Semey, Irzhanuly Timur, Article 272 Part 2, Article 269 of the Criminal Code of the RK, the activist requests in his appeal to the Human Rights Committee that the UN recommend Kazakhstan to reverse the judgment banning the DCK and recognizing it as an “extremist organization”, and to vacate the activist’s sentence and compensate him for the expenses incurred to pay for legal support. Additionally, to have the UN Committee hold that that state has violated paragraphs of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights[36][37].

August 9, Almaty, “All the victims of the January events who appealed to us, we have been sending not only to the prosecutor’s office, deputies of the Majilis, but also to the Ombudsman. Do you know what people’s reaction is when they hear about the possibility to appeal to the Ombudsman: “that ombudsman lady? She is no help at all” – reported human rights activist Toregozhina Bakhytjan [38].

August 9, Nur-Sultan, “Torture with an iron has been proven for 23 participants of the January events. Prosecutors have completed investigative measures in the case of torture with an iron in the police department of the Almaty region. They proved the use of torture by police officers on 23 citizens detained in Taldykorgan from January 7 to 17” – reports the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office[39].

August 9, Nur-Sultan, “Five police officers were identified as suspects under Article 146 (torture) of the Criminal Code of the RK, among them three officers of the Criminal Police Department, one inspector of the Administrative Police Department and one SWAT officer”, reports the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office[40].

August 9, Aktobe, family members of Isayev Nursultan, who went on hunger strike in the pre-trial detention facility, came again to the regional prosecutor’s office. Isayev’s family members urge to reclassify the criminal case initiated against him in connection with the January events[41].

August 9, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Resource Center (OCCRP) calls the Nazarbayev Foundation’s appeal to the U.S. court as a “PR stunt”[42].

August 10, Almaty, there was a press conference of the public committee “Arasha”. Auezov Murat, Zhovtis Yevgeniy, Sembin Marat stated that they aim to release political prisoners”[43].

August 10, Almaty, Zhanseitov Burkhan. The examining court changed the measure of restraint in respect of the lawyer Zhanseitov from house arrest to arrest. He is being held as a suspect under two articles of the Criminal Code of the RK, hooliganism and violence against a representative of authority[44].

August 10, Almaty, visually impaired activists reported political persecution because they had exposed large-scale corruption schemes in the Kazakhstan Association of the Blind. The activists’ persecution was initiated by the chairperson of Kazakhstan Association of the Blind –Nauryzbaev Almat, who was involved in multi-billion dollar schemes of misappropriation of public funds[45].

August 10, Taraz, people who buried their family members in January and relatives of people who were convicted following the tragic events of the beginning of the year, again left Taraz for Nur-Sultan, but were stopped and dropped from the cab. They continued on foot, and were stopped again by the regional prosecutor and Akim, who tried to turn them back[46].

August 10, Shymkent, facility ICH-167/11, Sadibekov-Moldabay, Article 272, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 3 years’ imprisonment on the charge of “participation in mass riots”. The court granted the appeal and changed the prison term to a suspended one. It was based on the fact that the activist had not been previously convicted, had a permanent residence and work, and had dependent underage children[47].

August 10, Almaty, The Prosecutor General’s Office refused to recognize poet and dissident Aron Atabek, who died last year soon after being released from prison, where he had spent more than 15 years, as a victim of political repression. Aron Atabek’s daughter says she will keep seeking her father’s rehabilitation[48].

August 11, Almaty, “We present information about the power structures that have taken part in #QANTAR2022. This information is not complete, we post what we were able to find. All the information was gathered from media publications, the Internet, rulings and sentences of the convicts. As we, human rights defenders, do not quite understand how the NSC, the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry are organized, we are sure that there are mistakes in the name, addresses and full names in our publications”, reports Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[49].

On August 11, the Coalition of NGOs of Kazakhstan Against Torture called on President Tokayev to demonstrate political will and promote the development of a comprehensive strategy to combat torture and ill-treatment in the country[50].

August 11, Almaty, facility LA-155/18, Namazbayev Danat, Article 179, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 5 years’ imprisonment. He sent a letter from the detention, saying that his constitutional right to an objective trial and a fair sentence had not been met; however, he had not lost heart.

11 August, Almaty, The International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” conducted a study of the situation in Kazakhstan with regard to the right to freedom of expression receiving and disseminating information from August 4 to August 11, 2022[51].

12 August, Almaty, heads of Kazakhstani online news outlets report cyber-attacks and threats against journalists. Orda.kz website has stopped working since mid-July. Yergalieva Gulzhan, head of the Elmedia project, said she has received anonymous calls on her cell phone. The Ministry of Information said that they are “monitoring” the situation[52].

12 August, Almaty, “They want to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kenzhebayev Yernar, the lawyer of Mamay Zhanbolat, for broadcasting live during the trial of Zhanbolat, even though he has nothing to do with it”, – reported the wife of the politician Imanbay Inga[53].

August 12, the authorities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are trying to hinder us, the human rights defenders of the “ActivistsNotExtremists” monitoring group, from recording human rights violations and exposing the propaganda of the authorities.

The authorities have been misusing Facebook algorithms. Bot groups complain about our publications en masse and try to block them[54].

12 August, Akmolinsk region, Shortanda district, Aya Sadvokasova, Article 405, Part 2, Article 274, Part 4, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 3 years of restriction of liberty for spreading deliberately false information and participation in activities of prohibited organizations, 3 years of prohibition on social and political activities and use of social networks, and a forced payment of 261620 tenge[55].

On August 14, Petropavlovsk, a video was posted in the YouTube channel “Petropavlovsk Today”, showing Danchev Alexander, Izmailov Sergei and Agapov Dmitriy saying that they have resigned as members of the national preventive mechanism for Northern Kazakhstan because they have lost confidence in the head of this organization, Nistoliy Marina, and Ombudsman Azimova Elvira [56].

August 15, Petropavlovsk, police investigator Sapargali D. called human rights activists Danchev A., Izmailov S. Agapov D. and asked them to come and write an explanatory note concerning the fact that on August 14 the head of the NPM and the public monitoring commission for North-Kazakhstan region Nistoli Marina has filed a complaint against them for publishing videos with allegedly false information. No summons was issued; the investigator did not inform them of their status[57].

August 15, Kazakhstan will introduce mandatory biometric registration from next year. Every person must provide a fingerprints sample when obtaining a passport or ID card. This regulation was passed five years ago, but human rights activists believe the mandatory procedure is an abuse of human rights[58].

August 15, Almaty, “As of today 11 activists have been kept under arrest for the period of investigation” – reported Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[59].

August 15, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Ishmukhametov-Farit, Article 269,272,405 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The regional court reviewed the appeal to change the detainee’s preventive measure and he was denied because “everything is in accordance with the law” [60].

17 August, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Ishmukhametov Farit, Article 269,272,405 of the Criminal Code of the RK. “As well as other detainees in January, he was suggested to sign a plea bargaining agreement. Those who have signed such agreements are usually released home under house arrest or under the written pledge not to leave the country”, said lawyer Daribaeva Aizhan[61].

August 16, Nur-Sultan, “The relatives of the criminals killed in January are provided with evidence of guilt on a case by case basis, for each region”, says Kilimzhanov Yeldos, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office[62].

August 16, Nur-Sultan, “The investigation found that six people suspected of participating in mass unrest died as a result of the use of unauthorized methods of interrogation by law enforcement officers. Fifteen security officers have been found to be suspects and various preventive measures have been taken against them”, said Kilimzhanov Yeldos, a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office[63]

August 16, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office published a list of people who died during the January events. The list includes the surnames of 238 people, the names are not listed, instead the initials were added, and the circumstances of the deaths were not specified. It is not clear who among them was killed by the security forces during the “anti-terrorist operation” and who died from torture[64].

August 16, Almaty, the General Prosecutor’s Office published a list of people who died during the January events. However, this caused the indignation of the public and human rights defenders because the information was incomplete. Toregozhina Bakhytzhan listed: citizen of Israel Kogeashvili Levan[65]; Kilibayev Akzhol[66]; Kydyrbekov Zhanaidar Sayatuly[67]; Slanbekov Rakhat Nurbayuly[68]. Here is the list of people who died during the January events, made by the Prosecutor General’s Office[69].

16 August, Almaty, the akimat did not give permission to Imangaliyeva Bibigul and Abishev Aset to conduct a peaceful rally on August 21 with the theme: “Register all political parties. Freedom to political prisoners and stop political repressions”. Reason for refusal: “cultural and mass event on the day of the rally”[70].

August 16, Almaty, lawyers Zhigalyonok Elena and Veretelnikova Anna said at a press conference that on August 5 their client Zhanseitov Burkhan had discovered listening devices, similar to microphones, in the room of the Mildom Kazakhstan hotel in which he was held under house arrest[71].

August 17, Almaty, “The list of people who died during the January events, as published by the prosecutor’s office, was incomplete”, says Stanbekova Kurmankul, who lost her son in a gunshot wound to the head on January 5[72].

August 17, Almaty, “That day when we came to the morgue, we were in line at number 226, there were many more people behind us. All the rooms inside were filled with corpses, my son’s body was lying outside. The morgue staff told us that the bodies were delivered in a KAMAZ truck and simply unloaded in the yard”, says StanbekovanKurmankul[73].

17 August, Nur-Sultan, Zhylanbayev Marat was not allowed by the akimat to conduct a rally on August 21 with the theme: “Register all political parties. Freedom to political prisoners and stop political repression”. Reason for refusal: all the specialized venues for peaceful assemblies on August 21 were occupied by earlier scheduled meetings and events[74].

August 17, Shymkent, 17-year-old Abylay Ergesh was one of those 20 people who died during the “bloody January”. His body was taken from the morgue by his family a month and a half after the January events. His family does not know under what circumstances he was killed. The mother says she will not take legal action against the state over her son’s death because she has left it all “…for the judgment of time. The teenager was posthumously prosecuted under the article “Mass Riots”[75].

17 August, Almaty, “We also wrote to Ombudsman Azimova asking her to help the parents of the children killed in the January events. They wrote back, one might say, in vain, apparently thinking that our human rights record is pretty good? There are only 13 people including Umirbaeva, Utebaeva, Nurimbetova, Nurtazin, and they write back to each other, human rights activist Toregozhina wrote[76].

August 17, Almaty, lawyer Zhumabekov Daulet picketed the city court for the second time. The lawyer dedicated his unauthorized action to the three judges and the chairman of the institution, in which it was acknowledged that there were violations, but without any details or consequences[77].

August 18, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Baisagatov Aidar, Article 380, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1 year 6 months’ imprisonment. The regional court, having reviewed the appeal of the activist, dismissed it because he “has committed unlawful acts, has not admitted guilt, has not offered apologies, has not repented of his actions, has not drawn conclusions”[78].

August 18, Almaty, at a press conference at the Bureau of Human Rights, families of people convicted in cases related to the January events demanded a review of their relatives’ cases. Shyrynbekova Bayan, the wife of Imanbekov Alibek, a person who was sentenced to six years under Article 293, Part 3 Paragraph 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said that she “does not agree” with the sentence and drew public attention to the “violations” in the course of the investigation[79].

August 18, Almaty, at a press conference at the human rights bureau, Zhetysay resident Tanirbergenova Gulfaria called the court verdict against her son, who had also been sentenced on June 23 to five years in prison under Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Theft of Weapons), “unlawful”[80].

August 18, Almaty, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights held an online presentation of the analytical report on the rights of detainees in the course of and after the January events. According to a report prepared by the Bureau, 71% of people who were detained in connection with the January events were subjected to torture, 63% of them were subjected to force at the time of apprehension[81].

August 18, Almaty, the Director of the Bureau Zhovtis Yevgeniy who was making the presentation reported that lawyers filed complaints about torture in 83% of cases, there was a reaction and inspections were being conducted. It was possible to identify suspects in 77% of cases. But only in 18% of cases the suspects of torture were identified or the detainees were given the status of a torture victim[82].

On August 18, Almaty, the Analytical Report on the observance of the rights of persons detained in the course of and after the January 2022 events, at the stage of pre-trial investigation, prepared by the International Bureau for Human Rights, was presented[83].

18 August, Almaty, “Why doesn’t the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan consider Kilybaev Akzhol a victim of #Kantar2022? I am sure that no one doubts that the bringing to suicide by police officers also lies heavy on the conscience of the state. Two people were killed in the police in East Kazakhstan Oblast by the tortures that took place in those days! Akzhol came home and committed suicide after being tortured, tortured and abused”, says Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[84].

18 August, Almaty, The International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” conducted a study of the situation in Kazakhstan with regard to the right to freedom of expression receiving and disseminating information from August 11 to August 18, 2022[85].

August 18, Almaty, Omarova Zhanyl, a Russian language teacher for foreigners, held a solitary picket at the gate of the Almaty International School, where she had worked for thirty years and had been fired after establishing an independent trade union organization and demanding equal pay for equal work for Kazakhstani and foreign workers[86].

August 18, Nur-Sultan, the Specialized Inter-district Administrative Court of the capital city refuses to consider the complaint against the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan violating the provision of Article 18 of the Constitution. We have to complain that the court returned this administrative claim to ensure the realization of our right provided in Article 33 of the Constitution, says the civil activist Alnur Ilyashev[87].

On August 19, Petropavlovsk, one year after the beginning of the pre-trial investigation in the case of hindering the activities of journalists of TV channel Khabar-24, cameraman Imanov Tolegen received a notice from the investigator police captain Omarova A.K. about the decision to close the investigation under Article 35, Part 1 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK[89].

August 19, Kostanay, facility UK -161/2, Utegenov Kurmangazy, imprisoned for 16 years in the “Shanyrak case”, was released[90].

August 19, Almaty, “Seven months after the bloody events, Kazakh authorities published a list of people who died in January. It includes 238 surnames. There are no names – only initials. No age or gender was specified. The place and circumstances of the deaths are not specified as well. Human rights activists who collect information about the victims point to discrepancies between their list and the list of the authorities”, says Toregozhina Bakhytzhan.

August 20, Taraz, ЭThe court found that during the night of January 05 to January 06, 2022, citizens G., A., B., B., A., K., S., B., Sh. took part in the mass riots in January. The defendants signed a plea bargain and pleaded guilty.9 people were sentenced to 4 years imprisonment, 8 people were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment [91].

August 20, Nur-Sultan, in the square at the intersection of Pushkin and Kudaiberdi streets, an authorized rally against “unfair court judgments” was held. In their hands were posters with the texts: “If the courts are not corrected, the country will not change”, “Court, keep up with New Kazakhstan”, “Two identical courts – two different judgments”[92].

August 20, Mangistau Region, workers of the Karakudykmunai Company have been holding a strike since August 17, demanding an increase in wages. The company’s management states that it will be unable to comply with their demands[93].

August 20, Uralsk, the akimat did not give permission to social activist Utepov Aslan to organize a peaceful rally “Against Drugs” two days after the authorization of the same rally. The reason for the refusal was Utepov’s appeal to citizens in the social network to attend a peaceful rally. The submitted application does not contain such information the akimat reports[94].

August 21, Almaty, in the square named after Ualikhanov, protests were held by activists of the unregistered party Alga Kazakhstan. They demanded that all parties be registered and that political prisoners be released[95].

August 21, Nur-Sultan, a rally of the unregistered party “Alga, Kazakhstan” took place at the intersection of Zhenis Street and Abay Street. The activists demanded that the persecution be stopped and political prisoners be released. Participants of the rally informed that they had been “guarded” by the police since the morning of the rally[96].

August 22, Almaty, “The authorities began to use Article 274 of the Criminal Code of the RK to prosecute undesirable persons. If it is difficult to prove that a person was involved in the activity of “extremist organizations”, in “incitement of discord” – one must prove that, conduct examinations, and then it is easier to prove using this article. No expert is needed. They just “find” the information, which they consider false, and convict a person”- says Zhovtis Yevgeniy, director of the KIBHR[97].

August 22, Nur-Sultan, in connection with the visit of a delegation of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights to Kazakhstan, the wives of political prisoners Ashtaev Zh. and Sultanbek K. organized a protest outside the European Union embassy, where they demanded from the authorities to release their husbands and conduct an independent international investigation into the January events[98].

August 22, Semey, Isenova Aliya, human rights activist addressed to the delegation of the European Parliament subcommittee on human rights. “I am a victim of the shootings of the bloody events of January 2022 and I demand that an independent international investigation be carried out, and I demand that the officer who shot me be identified and criminally prosecuted”[99].

22 August, Almaty, “There are no limits to my indignation! We addressed a letter regarding the provision of adequate medical care and treatment for Dosmambetova Lyazzat. We wrote to Balayeva from the National Center for Women’s Rights, to Ombudsman Azimova and to the Al-Farabi District Court in Shymkent. We received an answer from the Department of the Criminal Executive System: “The general condition of Dosmambetova L.K. born in 1971 is satisfactory, inpatient treatment is not required, and the convict is under the supervision of medical staff” – reports Toregozhina Bakhytzhan[100].

August 22, Mangistau region, oil workers of the Karakudykmunai Company, who had been demanding an increase in wages by 100 thousand tenge, failed to achieve compliance with their demands. When the court ruled the strike “unlawful”, they returned to their workplaces[101].

“On 22-24 August, in Almaty, a delegation from the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights held a meeting with victims of torture. The deputies particularly stressed the importance of a transparent and fair investigation into the events of January 2022. They urged for an immediate cessation of the persecution and intimidation of the activists[102].

22 August, MEPs believe that Kazakhstan has much to do on the practical side with regard to protection of human rights, fundamental political rights, registration of new political parties and freedom of the media, in accordance with Kazakhstan’s international obligations[103].

August 23, Aktau, Akberdiyeva Aigul, district policeman Abylaykhan Alikhan visited the civil activist’s home to serve a summons requiring her to appear at the Police Department on August 24 at 9-30 a.m. to take part as a witness in an interrogation on a politically motivated case[104].

August 23, Nur-Sultan, “Two participants of the January riots were convicted for violence against law enforcement officers. Thus, a resident of Semey city was imprisoned for 4 years for beating a member of the National Guard. And a resident of Ust-Kamenogorsk got 3 years for showing resistance. More than 4,500 criminal cases have been opened. As of today, the police have detected and seized more than 800 weapons, half of them service weapons. More than 2 thousand of other weapons are still being searched for,” said a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Adilov Sanzhar[105].

On August 23, Remy Vaughn, a representative of the Telegram messenger, refuted in his letter an earlier announcement by Kazakh authorities that agreements had been reached on the removal of “illegal” content. “Telegram has not signed such agreements with the Kazakh government. The content will be removed only in case it violates Telegram’s terms of us”[106].

23 August, Almaty, “We have received unofficial information, which must be checked, but which, if confirmed, would point to illegal methods of investigation, that the investigators of the interdepartmental investigative and operational group for the investigation of the January events are forcing by threats the persons under investigation to give evidence against Mamay Zhanbolat”, the Arasha committee states[107].

August 23, “The Prosecutor General’s Office published an non – exhaustive list of the people who were killed in the January events. In the list of the Prosecutor General’s Office only the surname and initials of the name were published. The full name, patronymic, date of birth (day, month, year), the city where the person was killed, and the circumstances of the death were not published. We demand that the full list of the victims be published”, says the human rights activist of the “Activists Not-Extremists” movement, Daniyar Khasenov[108].

23 August, Almaty, Abilov Bulat. The administrative court, having considered the claim of lawyer Kuspan Abzal, sentenced Abilov to a fine of 572,400 thousand tenge under Article 73 of the Administrative Offences Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Defamation”, for making statements against the lawyer during an interview with “Ludi Vlasti”(People of Power) and “Krasniye Advokaty”(Red Lawyers)[109].

August 23, Aktau, Dosekeeva Zhadyra, held a peaceful picket urging Western countries to impose personal sanctions against perpetrators of the January massacre of civilians in Kazakhstan[110].

August 23, Almaty, the akimat did not give permission to Imangaliyeva Bibigul to hold a peaceful protest on August 27 in Valikhanov Square, with the theme: “Register all political parties. Freedom to political prisoners and stop political repressions”. The reason for the refusal was that “a cultural-mass event was scheduled for that day”[111].

August 23, Almaty, the city prosecutor’s office had earlier, before the visit of MEPs, invited relatives of the people who died in January in order to placate them with promises to “solve” their problems. In this way, the authorities hope to silence these people so that they will not be able to meet with the MEPs on August 24[112].

August 24, Aktau, Yeleusinov Amin, a trade union leader, informed that for two days in a row he had been summoned for questioning by the police. The day before, two men in civilian clothes visited him at his home and demanded to go to the police department of Mangistau region for interrogation in the criminal case that was launched in connection with the January events[113].

August 24, Shymkent, facility ICh-167/11, Sultanbek Kairat, Article 269, 272, 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months, sent a letter from prison. In his letter, he addressed the UN and the European Union with an appeal “not to believe” the reports of the Kazakhstan authorities about the January events. He characterized the trial and the sentence as a “demonstrative reprisal” aimed to “intimidate” the civil society[114].

August 24, Almaty, in front of the monument to Taras Shevchenko there was a picket in honor of Ukraine’s Independence Day. Five protesters held Ukrainian flags in their hands. They said they were for peace and against war. The picket was monitored by law enforcement officers; none of the protesters were detained[115].

August 24, Professor of Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow Luca Anceschi considers the Nazarbayev Foundation’s decision to go to court in the United States an attempt to improve the ex-president’s image, which has been damaged by the bloodshed in January and the accusations against his family[116].

24 August, Almaty, Aizhan, the daughter of Lyazzat Dosmambetova, Art 269, Part 2, Article 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who had been sentenced for three years and eight months, met with members of the European Parliament and provided detailed information about the situation of her mother. How Dosmambetova was imprisoned on trumped up charges, how prosecutors lied that Dosmambetova would not be sentenced to imprisonment[117].

August 25, Uralsk, Okhasov Orynbay, Article 405 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the term of imprisonment 7 months and 17 days. The Court of Appeal dismissed his complaint. “Based on the materials provided, it was not possible to prove in due course that the convicted person was on the path of correction and has proved by his behavior his correction, while no positive trend was observed for his correction. In this regard, the court has no grounds to change the sentence”, said Judge Izbasarov Azat[118].

August 25, Nur-Sultan, again the akimat did not give permission to Zhylanbayev Marat to hold a rally on the theme: “To conduct an international investigation of the January events and register political parties”, because other events were to be held on that day[119].

25 August, Nur-Sultan, Zhylanbaev Marat filed three notifications to the akimat on 15, 19, and 23 August to hold actions on 21, 27, and 28. He received refusals to all three. According to the akimat’s response, the executive body has the right not to coordinate a rally pursuant to the legislation on peaceful assemblies, if another event is planned at the venue requested for the rally[120].

August 25, Almaty, Kudaibergen Kairat, blogger-oligarch, Article 272 part 1/2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. A specialized examining court upheld the investigators’ motion to extend the period of detention until October 21 against a former deputy of the city’s maslikhat, the court’s press service says[121].

August 25, MEPs on a working visit to Kazakhstan urged the immediate release of Zhanbolat Mamay, as well as an end to criminal prosecution of individuals who died during the January events[122].

August 25, Zhanaozen, Dosekeyeva Zhadyra, Article 488, Part 11 of the Administrative Offences Code of the RK, a fine of 153150 tenge for a solitary picket on August 23. The reason for that was the violation of the procedure for organizing and holding peaceful assemblies[123].

August 25, Nur-Sultan, the investigation against the former leadership of the National Security Committee (NSC) Masimov Karim, Sadykulov Anuar, Yergozhin Daulet, Osipov Marat and officials Akipov D. and Bekmurat N.K., in connection with the January events is completed[124].

25August, Almaty, The International Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil Soz” conducted a study of the situation in Kazakhstan with regard to the right to freedom of expression receiving and disseminating information from August 25 to September 1, 2022[125].

August 26, Shymkent, facility ICH-167/11, Sultanbek Kairat, Art. 269, 272. 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3 years 6 months’ imprisonment, on the charge of “mass riots”, said that his life was in danger[126].

August 28, Nur-Sultan, an authorized rally on amendments to the law “On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan” was held in the square near the circus of the capital. The participants of the rally urged the state to completely abandon the idea of accreditation of independent observers at elections[127].

August 28, Zhanaozen, Dosekeyev Zhadyra, police officers served a summons on the day of the announced rally with the requirement to come in for questioning on 29 August in the administrative case under Article 488, Part 11 of the Administrative Offences Code of the RK The activists were blocked at home on the pretext of being summoned for questioning, in order not to allow them to attend the rally[128].

August 28, Almaty, a district inspector wanted to serve a summons to activist Shegebekuly Nurtai on the day of the announced rally, to summon him as a witness in a criminal case under Article 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Nurtai refused to take the summons[129].

August 28, Nur-Sultan, on the day of the announced rally, Zhanabayeva Venera was detained in the square in front of the Ministry of Finance building while she was shooting video on her smartphone. Kairat Musabayev was detained almost immediately. Also the activist Asiya Bakayeva was detained with the use of brute force and without any explanation[130].

August 28, Almaty, Syzdykov Aidar on the day of the announced rally was detained by the police officers without any explanation and without presenting their service certificates and was taken to the Zhetysu police department. The police officer threatened to kill the activist. Syzdykov demanded the prosecutor to take measures of prosecutorial response[131].

August 28, Nur-Sultan, Tamabaeva Galiya, was brutally detained by police officers on the day of the announced rally and her phone was taken away[132].

August 28, Almaty, Imandzhanov Arman was unlawfully detained by police officers on the day of the announced rally[133].

On August 28, Almaty, on the day of the announced rally, police officers stopped the car with Mukhambetova Saule and Imangalieva Bibigul to serve the summons[134].

August 28, Nur-Sultan, on the day of the announced rally, police officers detained Nugumanov Mereke and Zhusupova Nazgul on their way to the rally and took them to the Almaty District Police Department. They were detained for about 5 hours[135].

August 28, Almaty, on the day of the announced rally near the intersection of Kabanbai Batyr Street and Furmanov Street, the police unlawfully detained Anarbayeva-Zhanar and Knasov Alibek. They were brought to the Bostandyk District Police Department, where they were forced to open their phones, whereupon the policeman deleted all the photos and video from their phones. They were unlawfully detained for several hours[136].

August 29, in 15 cities of Kazakhstan there were rallies for the reduction of the retirement age for women to 58 years. The action, which was authorized by the authorities, was announced by Kazakhstan’s women’s movement, which advocates lowering the retirement age to 58 years old[137].

August 29, the Austrian-based non-governmental organization FreiheitFürEurasien says that Kazakhstani activist Isayeva Botagoz is facing deportation. Swedish authorities do not believe that she is in danger in her home country and have refused to grant her asylum[138].

On August 30, Omarbayeva Gulziya, the widow of Anafiyayev Zhasulan, expressed her concern that those who tortured and killed Zhasulan have not yet been found, the investigation is not progressing and the perpetrators may avoid answering[139].

August 31, Almaty, facility LA-155/18, Mamay Zhanbolat, Article 272, Part 1, Article 274, Part 4, and Article 378 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the court extended the period of his detention for one more month, until October 12. The examining court upheld the motion of the investigation, which asked to leave Mamay in the detention center, said Imanbay Inga [140].

August 31, Atyrau, the court held a pre-trial hearing on the January events. Of the 27 defendants, 22 are under house arrest, and five are in custody. Two of the defendants are charged with a particularly serious crime under Article 380(1), Part 2, paragraph 6 (Use of violence against a representative of authority) of the Criminal Code of the RK, they could be sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment[141].

31 August, Aktobe, Nur.kz and Orda.kz correspondent Erubaeva Ardak was detained when she tried to catch on camera the motorcade of Kazakhstani Prime Minister Smailov Alikhan. The journalist was brought to the Zavodskoy police department; there she was kept for about three hours. According to the police, the journalist refused to obey the lawful demand of the officers[142].

[1]https://www.facebook.com/murat.yessengazy/posts/pfbid0Z8fbta2nMqRGBLU4G8KMdVEGy3Q3deXtoTbNf7EfLWYpiesPX4bGiVQBr7hDkYYil

[2]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31968940.html

[3]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31968940.html

[4]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31968940.html

[5]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31968811.html

[6]https://kaztag.kz/ru/news/rabotniki-ktzh-obyavili-zabastovku-v-mangistau

[7]https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0c4bGss5nzJtd2mo1XK2YBvj5nJzsqPY9QbTRMydAbDqStYsTx9DG7NzMzFinqwxHl&id=100077124002517

[8]https://www.facebook.com/sholpan.yeleussizova.3/posts/pfbid07iSCVe7BjrzZExUHaxSKv5FXVewXAFXXk8J8mopenzas6EueCsiJByueheEkzCG7l

[9]https://www.facebook.com/akkop.kz/posts/pfbid02JGZBLfaWJWn2EHBveYX9kaX9sc2rNKEt4zkWtNYqVPGCvgoyeHGGfuFiNN1yrmNZl

[10]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/kazakhstan-january-2022-spisok-politzaklyuchennyh-vyrosv-bolee-chem-11-raz/31968451.html

[11]https://rus.azattyq.org/a/31972405.html

[12]https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02btDWurmF3EmNgM15fnLY7cRvbVjb9ACTiYShoTDBmjzgiKirjJYo3X14W2kWWCU2l&id=100018542628438