MONITORING OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN December 1 to December 31, 2023

11/01/2024

Almaty, December 1, The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (KIBHR) believe that the 7th prison sentence of M. Zhylanbayev is a shocking illustration of the Kazakhstani authorities’ lack of commitment to genuine democratic reforms[1].

December 1, Astana, at an expert meeting, lawyer of the Public Foundation “Legal Media Center” Birzhanova G. called “Frankenstein” the new law “On Mass Media”[2].

December 1, Almaty, Kazakhstan Feminist initiative “Feminita” has submitted a notification on holding a peaceful action “Women of Kazakhstan against violence!” on December 9 in Almaty. The organization demands the introduction of the concept of “femicid” into legislation and the adoption of a law on combating domestic violence[3].

December 1, Astana, deputies of the Majilis passed the law “On Mass Media” in the first reading in the government’s version. The deputies tried to resist, but voted the way the government wanted[4].

December 1, Aktau, a Kazakh citizen of Karakalpak origin was deprived of Kazakh citizenship after the intervention of the Uzbek side. N. Urazbayev, a member of the Karakalpak Ethno-Cultural Association of the Mangistau region, received a notice of deprivation of Kazakh citizenship[5].

December 2, Amnesty International statement on Zhylanbayev M: “The sentence should be quashed and Zhylanbayev should be immediately and unconditionally released. The Kazakh authorities must stop repressing their critics and fully respect Kazakhstan’s international human rights obligations”[6].

December 4, Almaty Criminal Court passed a sentence on the spouses-journalists Nargiz and Vladimir Severny. Nargiz and Vladimir Severny were found guilty under Article 194 of the Criminal Code of the RK of “extortion in a group of persons by prior conspiracy on a particularly large scale”. Vladimir was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment and Nargiz to 8 years’ imprisonment; in connection with the presence of a minor child, the execution of the sentence for her was postponed for five years [7].

December 4, Almaty, the Akimat did not give permission to the feminist movement “Feminita” to hold a rally on the theme “Women of Kazakhstan against violence!”. The representative of the Akimat informed about the “next” repair works planned for December 9 on the square named after Sh. Ualikhanov, as well as the planned cultural and mass event[8].

December 4, residents of different regions of Kazakhstan recorded a video calling on the authorities to release the famous super-marathon runner, leader of the unregistered party “Alga, Kazakhstan! “Zhylanbayev M. Citizens record their appeals outside public places, mostly from the premises[9].

December 4, Almaty, Buryat journalist Baltatarova E. made a decision to leave Kazakhstan. The journalist decided to leave the country because her application for refugee status was rejected. Baltatarova E. has already received a visa for one of the European countries[10].

December 4, Almaty, the appeal of Islam Palmaganbet for compensation for moral damages caused by illegal criminal prosecution for the Qantar events has been completed. For 21 days in police and prison, for the gunshot wound and 2nd group disability, for the torture he suffered in prison, the court ordered to compensate the victim in the amount of 300,000 tenge[11].

On December 5, in Astana, a press conference of the unregistered party “Alga, Kazakhstan!” was held, at which the participants told about the petitions submitted during the closed trial of the leader of this party Zhylanbaev M., who was recently sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment. They disagree with the verdict and believe that “the case is a politically motivated frame-up”[12].

December 5, Astana, the Ministry of Justice refused to consider the petition against domestic violence, which has collected 150,000 signatures, referring to the fact that the petition was started in 2021, when the country did not have a law on petitions. The representative of the Ministry of Justice considers this petition against violence to be illegitimate[13].

December 5, Atyrau, a specialized court issued a decision to liquidate the registration of charitable foundation “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine), the main activity of which was humanitarian aid to victims of military actions. The foundation was registered by the Ministry of Justice on August 10, 2023, but on August 25, the same Ministry filed a lawsuit for invalidation of the state registration and compulsory liquidation of the organization[14].

December 5, Astana, lawyer Doskaraev M. is preparing to appeal. At the press conference he explained why he was not satisfied with the sentence of the leader of the unregistered party “Alga, Kazakhstan!” Zhylanbaev M, Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 7 years of imprisonment. The defense believes that the verdict is illegal, the guilt of the defendant is not proven and is going to file an appeal[15].

December 5, “Kazakh authorities learned the wrong lesson from January’s events and have begun tightening the screws, which could lead to new outbreaks of unrest”, said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch[16].

December 6, Kostanai, the Regional Court considered the appeal of activist Smakova A. against the decision of the court, which found Smakova A. guilty under Article 488, p.7 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK — 5 days of arrest. The court decided to leave the decision of the court from November 23, 2023 unchanged, and the appeal — without satisfaction[17].

December 6, Astana police detained members of the organizing committee “Alga, Kazakhstan! “ Abishev A., Izmailov S. and Syzdykov A. The detainees are being held in the police station of the Baikonur district. The police used brute force during the detention. It is still unknown where and under what circumstances the detention took place[18].

December 6, Ust-Kamenogorsk city, some drivers of “Yandex Go” have refused to work. Cab drivers say that they are tired of regular innovations in the company. This time, the company canceled bonuses — extra charge to drivers for the volume of work, as well as cut the amount of money for “delivery” of the car to the client[19].

December 6, Uralsk, in the city Akimat did not give permission to hold a peaceful protest on December 16 in response to the notification of activist Baitemirov E. Theme: “In memory of the victims of repression in 1986, 2011 and 2022. Freedom for political prisoners”. Reason for refusal: The requested venue (the square “Glorious Daughters of the Kazakh People”) is not a special place for holding rallies[20].

December 6, Aktobe region, activists reported that they faced pressure from security forces on the day of the Kazakh President’s visit to the region. A. Sarsengaliyev reported that police guarded his house until nightfall. A. Tobetova was detained by police and taken to a police station in the Sazdinsky district, where she was held for 2.5 hours before being released without charge[21].

December 7, Astana, Abishev A. and Syzdykov A. were each arrested for 15 days for disorderly conduct under Article 434, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK. The activists said that they came to the special detention center to meet with Amrenov K., another activist who was detained for 15 days last month, and that the police used violence against them during detention[22].

7 December. The Senate of Kazakhstan approved the law “On ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure”. Children or their representatives will be able to complain to a UN committee about violations of their rights if they have gone through all courts in the country and are not satisfied with their decisions[23].

December 7, Almaty City Court held a hearing on the appeal of Radio Azattyk against the decision of the Court of First Instance of November 16, 23 to impose a fine under Article 456-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK in the amount of 103,500 tenge (about $220). The Board of Appeal left the decision of the court of first instance unchanged[24].

December 7, Almaty, Overview of the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from November 30 to December 07, 2023[25].

December 8, Almaty, by the end of the working day, access to the “Pro Tenge” page on Instagram was restricted after a well-planned attack on the account. The account was restored by 11 pm, but it was attacked again, which leaves no doubt about the attempt to censor publications[26].

December 8, Karaganda, activist Nurmaganov A, Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, was released after 15 days of detention for participating in a rally of supporters of the unregistered party «Alga, Kazakhstan!», which was not authorized by the authorities, and which took place in Astana on October 11 in front of the House of Ministries[27].

On December 8, the American amateur marathon runner E. Moldazhanov started an action in support of M. Zhylanbaev, whom he considers his teacher. He will run every day until M. Zhylanbaev, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison by the court, is released. The purpose of the action is to raise public awareness about the unjust sentence.[28].

December 8, Astana, Izmailov S., Article 488, Part 6 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 15 days of arrest. The court convicted Izmailov S. of committing an administrative offense in relation to the October 11 action in front of the Ministry of Justice on Mangilik-El Street [29].

December 8, Almaty, the Turksib Criminal Court sentenced 7 former employees of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan under Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the RK to prison terms ranging from 3 to 5 years. Three others received conditional sentences. Another, Zhumanov U., was acquitted in the case of torture during Qantar2022. The court partially upheld the civil claim: the spouse of the deceased Otepbaev E. was awarded 20 million for moral damages, several others received one million each, and the rest were denied the claim[30].

December 11, Mangistau region, hundreds of employees of West Oil Software, a company providing transportation services to Mangistaumunaigaz JSC, went on strike at the Zhetybay field. The protesters reported that they have completely stopped work. They demand to join KazMunaiGaz, the unified system of payment for work, modernization of material and technical base[31].

December 11, Almaty, “Kursiv.Media” made an official statement regarding hacker attacks on the edition. On December 6, starting from 18:00 hours “Kursiv.Media” was attacked by unknown persons. The attacks were made at the same time in several directions: DDOS-attacks from 0.6-1 million per day to 300-400 million[32].

December 12, East Kazakhstan region, Bobrovka village, Idyryshev S. was fined 172500 tenge for posting a video in social networks in support of Zhylanbaev M. The activist did not sign the protocol, having stated that he disagrees with the charge, he intends to appeal it[33].

December 12, the court of Mangistau region recognized the strike of workers of the oil service company “West Oil Software” illegal. The process was held without the protesters. The oil workers demanded to join them to the National Company KazMunaiGaz JSC and to extend to them a unified system of labor remuneration, as well as to update the material and technical base[34].

On December 13 in Almaty, a group of relatives of people killed during the Qantar2022 protests asked the local authorities to hold a memorial dinner on the second anniversary of the events. About a dozen relatives of the victims came to the Akimat on December 13 with this demand [35].

December 13, Mangistau region, workers of 2 enterprises expressed their support for the demands of the participants of the strike of workers of «West Oil Software» at the field Zhetybay[36].

On December 13, in the Mangistau region, more than 500 workers of the oil service company “West Oil Software” continued their strike. They made a new appeal to the deputies, asking them to intervene in the situation. “We cannot admit them to the staff of the national company”, — commented the chairman of ‘KazMunayGas” Mirzagaliyev M.[37].

December 13, the court satisfies compensation claims only partially, and some applications are not considered at all. Human rights defenders say that the state does not perform its duty to innocent victims in a proper manner [38].

December 14, Uralsk city, Yeskendirova M., Article 488 Part 12 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, arrest for 25 days, the judge found the activist guilty of violating “organizing and holding rallies, repeatedly within one year after the imposition of a penalty”. The reason was a post in social networks, in which Yeskendirova M. allegedly urged to go to the rally[39].

December 14, Uralsk, A. Orazbayev, Article 405, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 1.5 years of imprisonment: the regional court refused to change the punishment in the form of detention back to restriction of liberty and left the special appeal of the lawyer without satisfaction. The session took place without the participation of the activist[40].

December 14, Astana, the Court of Appeal left unchanged the decision on the claim of Tleuzhanova A. to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Kazakhstan for protection of honor and dignity. The decision still refers to unknown to anyone Tleuzhanov — the extremist who seized the airport [41].

December 14, Astana, several people from the Abay region went to the Prosecutor General’s Office and claimed that their relatives had been tortured into confessing to a crime they did not commit. They argue that their relatives have not been recognized as victims of torture and remain in custody despite the fact that the term has expired[42].

December 14, Almaty, Overview of the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from December 07 to December 14, 2023[43].

December 15, Almaty region, Konaev city, the court extended the term of detention of Muhammedkarim D., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of RK, who has been in custody since June for another month, until January 22, 2024. “The reason for the extension — the investigator does not have time”, — said the lawyer[44].

December 15, West Kazakhstan region, Aksai city, Baitemirov E., Article 488, Part 7 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 25 days of arrest on the accusation of “calling for rallies” after the posts on his page which were published in social networks[45].

December 15, Almaty, the police have been transferred to an enhanced regime of service on the eve of Independence Day on December 16, according to Polisia.kz, a website subordinate to the Interior Ministry[46].

December 15, Astana, activists of the unregistered party “Alga, Kazakhstan!” for the 21st time have submitted to the Ministry of Justice lists with thousands of signatures, including photo and video evidence. But the Ministry returned the documents, referring to «inconsistencies» and, allegedly, the presence of “dead souls” in the lists[47].

December 15, in Mangistau Oblast, workers of the company “West Oil Software” claim that the pressure from the authorities continues. The protesters say they are surrounded by police and SOBR, the employer is threatening them with dismissals and the fact that the company’s employees will pay for the downtime themselves[48].

December 15, the UN Human Rights Committee delivered a decision on the complaint of Tulesova A., Dzhandosova F. and Nurgazieva A., three candidates for deputies in the 2016 elections, in which it recommends to change the electoral legislation. The activists complained to the UN Human Rights Committee that their candidacies were withdrawn from the election race because of minor discrepancies in their income declarations[49].

December 15, Almaty, Kazakhstan Youth Information Service of Kazakhstan (YISK) with the support of Freedom House presented the report “Access to Information: Citizens’ Appeals and Messages to the Authorities during and after the January 2022 Protests in Kazakhstan”. The documentation was carried out from January 4, 2022 to May 30, 2023[50].

December 15, Mangistau region, Zhidebay village: Following the decision of the Karakiyan district court to declare the strike illegal, the oil service company «West Oil Software» dismissed 19 more workers for participating in the “illegal strike”[51].

December 16, Mangistau oblast, Zhetybay village, workers of an oil service company continue to demand better working conditions. Their company, West Oil Software, provides service and transportation to to “Mangistaumunaigaz” The people stand out in the steppe in the freezing cold twenty-four hours a day. They say they will not go to work until their demands are met[52].

On December 16, in the village of Zhetybay, Mangistau region, dozens of relatives of the striking workers of the Zhetybay field came to the Akimat and insisted that the demands of the strikers be met. It was a day off, and none of the officials came to meet the gathered people[53].

December 16, in Almaty, activists of the movement “Oyan, Kazakhstan!” Zhapisheva A. and Sharipzhan A., held an action in memory of the children who died in Qantar2022. They said that Zheltoksan, Zhanaozen and Qantar are inextricably linked and demanded a fair trial. They said they were followed by police officers. The police and prosecutors said that the action at the monument was illegal and asked them to leave the area[54].

December 17, Astana, a film about the events of December 1986 was taken off the air on the state television channel “Khabar”. The director was asked not to make any comments on the situation, and a resident of Almaty, who had informed about it in the social networks, was asked to delete his post[55].

December 17, Mangistau region, Zhetybay village, more than 500 workers of “West Oil Software” company are on strike. Security in the village was tightened and there were more police on the streets. A special operation unit was sent to Zhetybai, it was placed in the local House of Culture[56].

On December 18, West Oil Software LLP issued a statement saying that it has a long-term contract with OTK LLP until 2027 and intends to “fulfill its obligations in full, with or without the participation of the striking workers”. The company calls the workers’ action “illegal” and says it has created a risk of an accident at the oil wells[57].

December 19, Karaganda, mountain rescuers who tried to challenge in court the illegality of their dismissal from the paramilitary rescue service (Republican Central Headquarter of Professional Militarized Emergency Rescue Services) lost in the court of appeal. The Judicial Council rejected the appeal, finding that the dismissal was justified and leaving the decision of the District Court unchanged[58].

December 19, Astana, the Supreme Court did not acquit 4 people who had been posthumously convicted in Taraz. The court of first instance found them guilty of “shooting at APCs” and “damaging public property” during the events of Qantar 2022, and released them from prosecution in connection with the death. The relatives will not surrender[59].

December 19, Astana, Sembai A., Article 179, Article 405 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 6 years imprisonment: the criminal court found the activist guilty of participation in the activities of prohibited organizations, propaganda or public calls to seize and hold power[60].

December 20, Mangistau region, Zhetybay village, employees of “West Oil Software” deny the statement of Karakiyan district akimat, which was distributed earlier on Wednesday, that employees of “West Oil Software” “refused to enter into negotiations with representatives of KazMunaigaz”[61].

December 20, Astana, Abishev A., Syzdykov A., Article 667, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK: the court re-imprisoned them for 15 days and charged them with “disobeying the lawful order of a police officer” for “refusing to undergo medical examination” after they were detained outside the special detention facility on 6 December[62].

December 20, Mangistau region, Karakiyan district prosecutor Aituganov A. informed the striking workers of “West Oil Software” that a criminal case under Article 402 of the Criminal Code of the RK (Actions provoking the continuation of participation in a strike recognized by the court as illegal) is under investigation[63].

December 20, Almaty, appeal to the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan from the President of PF “Ar.Rukh.Hak” Toregozhina B. “In the course of monitoring and analysis of judicial practice on such cases, gross and repeated errors on the issues of application of substantive and procedural law by judges of district courts of Almaty were identified”[64].

December 21, Almaty, Akim Dosayev E. has assured that the authors of criticism are being tracked “not to search for dissenters”, that it is not for that the authorities “monitor references to him”. “It is not to find dissenters or those who are not satisfied with the work of the Akimat. These surveys were conducted to understand, in fact, perhaps somewhere we do not see emerging problems, or do not pay enough attention”, replied Dosayev E.[65]

December 21, Astana, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia has agreed with the authorities of Kazakhstan on the extradition to the homeland of Nikita Kislitsin, a cybersecurity specialist, who was detained in June this year in Almaty. This is reported by the press service of the Prosecutor’s Office[66].

December 21, North-Kazakhstan region, Birlik village: Nurbol Onerkhan was leaving Novoishimsk district. On his way home he was stopped by police officers, because allegedly they were taking operational and preventive measures. The police officers demanded that he go to the police station for a conversation about his Facebook post, where he allegedly called for а “rebellion”. He was held at the police station for 3 hours and later released [67].

December 21, Almaty Akimat ordered monitoring of publications about Dosayev E. Now all those who wrote negative comments, articles or posts about the Akim of the city are included in the list, — write the authors of the telegram channel “Ras aitamyn”[68].

December 21, Mangistau region, one of the striking workers of “West Oil Software” fell ill and was hospitalized. Utepov K. was given an IV in the hospital. Another worker started coughing and went to the hospital himself. He is now being treated at home[69].

Almaty 21, Overview of the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from December 14 to December 21, 2023[70].

December 22, Almaty, ethnic Kazakh Kaster Musakhan, who had fled to Kazakhstan from Xinjiang (China) in 2019, informed that he had been attacked by four unidentified men who beat him severely[71].

December 22, In recent months, Article 258 of the Criminal Code “Financing of Terrorist or Extremist Activities” has been applied to at least two critics of the authorities who, according to human rights defenders, were not involved in radical actions. Isn’t this article becoming another tool to neutralize the undesirable?[72].

December 23, Almaty, on the YouTube channel “Dinarion”, journalists Yegeubaeva D. and Akhmedyarov L. held a marathon in support of political prisoners. There are 23 people in prison who were sentenced to imprisonment for criticizing the authorities, for attempting to create their own political party or participating in peaceful protests. They also discussed the problem of authoritarianism in Kazakhstan[73].

On December 23, for the second time, the Almaty Akimat did not give permission to the movement “Feminita” to hold a march and rally on March 8 next year. The Akimat refused with the following wording: “Practice shows that public order is threatened when peaceful assemblies are held on the declared theme”[74].

December 24, The Atajurt Association, formed in Kazakhstan in response to Chinese repression in Xinjiang, has never considered itself an opposition force. Now, as the group seeks to become a party, its leaders say the authorities are obstructing the movement in several ways[75].

December 24, the head of the foundation “NeMolchiKZ” Smailova D. is on the territory of the European state, where she has applied for political asylum together with her husband. She is sure that she was persecuted in Kazakhstan only because of the activities of the foundation. Now a criminal case has been opened against Smailova D. She is suspected of fraud[76].

December 24, in the Mangistau region, the workers of “West Oil Software” have been on strike for 13 days. They are now planning to go to Astana to meet Prime Minister Smailov A., because the authorities have not paid attention to their demands[77].

December 24, Almaty, the police brought to responsibility under Articles 667, 614 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK a group of residents of the Almaty housing estate River Park, who on the previous day blocked Makatayev Street demanding to solve the problems with heating[78].

December 25, Almaty, the activists of the movement “Oyan, Kazakhstan!” Sharipzhan B., Shahan J. and Mukhtarov R. were summoned by the police for questioning in connection with an administrative offence. The reason for the police summons was not specified[79].

On December 25, in Almaty, activists of the movement “Oyan, Kazakhstan!” Sharipzhanova A. and Mukhtarov R. were each sentenced to 15 days’ imprisonment under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for violating the Regulation on the Organization of Peaceful Assemblies. The reason was that they took part in a peaceful action on December 16 on Republic Square[80].

On December 25, in Almaty, about a dozen supporters of the “Oyan, Kazakhstan!” activists who have been detained for 15 days gathered in front of the Bostandyk district police department to support their comrades. A representative of the Akimat, who arrived at the place of the meeting, called it an “illegal action”. She said that the Akimat had not received the relevant notification[81].

December 26, Uralsk, Yeskendirova M., Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 25 days of arrest: the appeal instance of the regional court did not change the decision on her arrest for “violation of the procedure for holding peaceful assemblies”[82].

December 27, Astana, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry has declared Smailova D., founder of the foundation “NeMolchiKZ”, wanted. The search file was registered on December 27, 2023 in the East Kazakhstan region[83].

December 27, Ust-Kamenogorsk, the investigation submitted a petition to the court under Article 190, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of RK (fraud) for the arrest of Smailova D. Head of the Foundation «NeMolochi.kz», which advocates the rights of women, including those who have been victims of violence[84].

December 27, Astana, six criminal cases are being investigated at once against Smailova D, the head of the foundation “NeMolchiKZ”, — reports the official Internet resource of the Ministry of Internal Affairs[85].

December 27, Almaty, Ethnic Kazakhs from abroad are facing a new problem in the process of applying for kandas status. The government used to make a decision within three days, but since October this year, the review period has been extended to 35 days. In addition, ethnic Kazakhs are required to submit documents through the “Kutty Meken” application, which users say often fails. [86].

December 28, “As soon as we crossed the border and asked for political asylum, they immediately opened a criminal case against us. Yesterday we had an interview where we presented arguments why we need protection. As soon as the interview took place, I was put on a wanted list. The secret services are specifically working here, leaking information about us. We are followed and photographed”, said Smailova D., president of the NeMolchy.kz Foundation[87].

December 28, Ust-Kamenogorsk, the Investigative Court decided to arrest for 2 months Smailova D. Smailova, the head of the foundation “NeMolchi.kz”. The reason for the prosecution was the information in some publications of the human rights defender in social networks, which were not confirmed by the investigation, about the victims of violence and the collection of funds for the victims[88].

On December 28, Akimats in Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent refused to authorize rallies of taxi drivers demanding that the subsidization of car fleets not be abolished. The Almaty Akimat said that the organizers of the rally had provided “incomplete information”. The Akimat of Shymkent said that the taxi drivers had not submitted a notification about the rally. The authorities of the capital rejected the drivers without any explanation[89].

December 28, Astana, three days ago, in connection with the ongoing DDoS attacks, technical specialists of “KazTAG” decided to close access to the site of the agency for all countries except Kazakhstan. The reason for this is that the main flow of attacks comes from abroad[90].

December 28, Astana, journalist Niyazov Askhat reported on the attack on his social networks: “There is something strange going on with my social networks. The Instagram accounts of my wife and my colleague Nazymgul were blocked at the same time. During the, my Telegram channel was attacked”[91].

On December 29, in Almaty, journalist Severny V., sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment under Article 194 of the Criminal Code of the RK, went on hunger strike in pre-trial detention in protest against the verdict in the case of extortion in a particularly large amount [92].

December 29, Astana, negotiations of representatives of independent trade unions with representatives of several ministries and JSC “National Company KazMunaiGaz” on the strike of workers of “West Oil Software’ have come to nothing. The workers demand a meeting with the representatives of the authorities, who have the authority to make decisions[93].

On December 29, the Almaty Court of Appeal upheld the sentence of activists Sharipzhan A. and Mukhtarov R., who were sentenced on December 25 to 15 days’ imprisonment under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for taking part in a protest action[94].

On December 29, Almaty Akimat did not grant permission to hold a rally in support of D. Smailova, the head of the NeMolchikKZ Foundation. The officials justified their refusal by the fact that on January 7, construction and installation works will take place in the square named after Sh. Ualikhanov. On the same day, a “cultural event” was planned to take place in the square behind the Sary Arka cinema[95].

December 29, Almaty, Zhuaspayev G., a lawyer known for his involvement in politically motivated cases, may be disbarred. A district court in Almaty issued a second private decision against him this year. The Abay Oblast Bar Association is expected to respond to the court within a month[96].

December 30, Astana, journalist Niyazov A. said that access to his Telegram channel was blocked. “All night we were preparing for an attack on the channel, and they hacked my Telegram channel number. That’s it, I am no longer the owner of the Telegram channel ‘Obozhayu’ (Adore)”, Niyazov A. reported[97].

December 30, Mangistau region, Munaila district, Turdiyeva U. A report was drawn up under Article 667 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK against a human rights defender for disobeying a lawful order or request of a law enforcement officer[98].

December 30, Astana, Kazhigaliev N., Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK: the court decided to arrest the activist for 15 days. He was charged with “violation of the procedure for holding a peaceful meeting”. On March 17, 2023, the activist stood with a poster in front of the office of the EU Representation in Astana, demanding the release of “political prisoners”[99].

December 30, Mangistau region, workers of the oil service company “West Oil” have been on strike for 21 days. They have made another appeal to the authorities of Kazakhstan, stating that they have sent their representatives to Astana, but the authorities do not want to meet with them[100].

[1] https://bureau.kz/novosti/zayavleniya_i_obrasheniya/surovyj-prigovor-lideru/

[2] https://kaztag.kz/ru/news/frankenshteynom-nazvali-novyy-zakon-o-mass-media-eksperty-kazakhstana

[3] https://masa.media/ru/site/feminita-podala-uvedomlenie-o-provedenii-9-dekabrya-mitinga-v-almaty

[4] https://respublika.kz.media/archives/111044

[5] https://bureau.kz/novosti/vashe-grazhdanstvo-nashi-problemy/

[6]https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur57/7495/2023/en/?fbclid=IwAR2DqA6lLO69AwuqUGEHzbhnGrt0MY-4gRAXXYvkqlofVsfCYnZl1VtDMas

[7] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32713421.html

[8] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32713392.html

[9] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32712830.html

[10] https://orda.kz/burjatskaja-zhurnalistka-baltatarova-reshila-pokinut-kazahstan-379894/

[11]https://www.facebook.com/zhan.kunserkin/posts/pfbid02FPJVmRyTJt7QUaYX7v5tq8FemQuXN6BLhatSbcwZWA63SccMTFQPP6PN8Yus3SFdl

[12] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32715662.html