Political persecution in connection with peaceful protests on 24 April and 1 May 2021

— 3 refusals to hold protests on 24 April issued in Astana, Uralsk and Zaisan.

⠀

— 19 preventive political persecution in 13 cities and localities (including 4 administrative arrests).

⠀

— 33 political persecutions in 12 towns and localities on 24 April (including 13 arrests).

⠀

3) Peaceful protests on 1 May organised by the opposition «DCK» movement, with demands: freedom for political prisoners, implementation of demands stated in the European Parliament resolution on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan dated 11 February 2021, no to compulsory vaccination against COVID-19, price increases — Nazarbayev’s fault.

⠀

— 18 refusals issued in response to notifications to hold peaceful assemblies on 1 May in 11 cities and localities (citing «quarantine» as a reason for the refusal).

⠀

— 53 preventive political persecution in 21 cities and localities (including 14 administrative arrests).

⠀

— 90 political persecutions in 20 towns and localities on 1 May (including 49 detentions, 2 administrative arrests, 2 administrative fines, 2 administrative cases — trial is expected).

— Threats of prosecution from prosecutors in Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktobe region.

⠀

— Sudden closures of the following places: Arbat in Almaty due to «quarantine», the Central Park in Almaty due to a “disinfection”, a park in Astana — places of protest.

⠀

— Prohibition of public transport to reach Central Park (protest site) in Almaty, allegedly due to «road repairs».

⠀

— Other forms of persecution include surveillance outside houses, threats from police officers, hacking into social media and messengers, and blocking the internet.

⠀

— Rough treatment (during arrests) was recorded in respect of:

⠀

! Ninagul DZHUMANIYAZOVA — police officers used a strangulation hold (their knees pressed on her neck), multiple bruises, possible craniocerebral trauma;

⠀

! Yerkin KAZIYEV — multiple bruises, abrasions;

⠀

! Dastan BAZENOV — closed injury to the left shoulder joint.

⠀

— Police and riot police officers literally captured activists and ordinary people like terrorists — without introducing themselves, without showing their documents and without explaining why.

⠀

— The police and OMON officers covered their faces with masks, hoods, umbrellas, hats in order to avoid responsibility for gross human rights violations.