MONITORING OF POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN from 1 to January 31, 2024

January 2, Smailova D. recorded an address to the President of Kazakhstan Tokayev K. in relation to the charges of fraud with the money of the fund “NeMolchyKZ’”. “In accordance with the UN declaration on human rights defenders, I have the right to protection of the State, and I ask to protect me from the arbitrary behavior of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, Smailova D. appealed to Tokayev K[1].

January 3, Almaty, Shakhan Janel, Article 488, Part 6 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK: an activist of “Oyan Kazakhstan” was detained by the court for 15 days. She was accused of violating the order on organizing and holding peaceful assemblies in connection with the commemorative event on December 16 near the Monument of Independence[2].

January 3, Almaty, Kudaibergen A., Dzhakibayeva A. and Temirlan Ensebek: Police detained activists from “Oyan Kazakhstan”. They were picketing at the Monument of Independence in Republic Square. They were picketing in support of Sharipzhan B. and Mukhtarov R., who have been detained for 15 days, and Shahan Zh., who was summoned to the police today[3].

January 3, Karaganda, Dzhimbaev Murat informed that he was summoned to the police for interrogation in the status of a “witness with the right to protection” in a criminal case, allegedly against journalist Mukhamedkarim D. The summons to take part in investigative actions was delivered to his home by investigator Akezhan Akylzhan, who presented the documents[4].

January 3, Astana, President of Kazakhstan Tokayev K., under whose leadership there is a country that international observers classify as a country with increased authoritarianism, announced the absence of political persecution in Kazakhstan in an interview with the republican newspaper “Egemen Kazakhstan”[5].

January 3, journalist A. Niyazov informed about the restoration of access to his Telegram channel “Obozhayu”, which was previously lost due to a hacking attack[6].

January 4, Almaty, Kudaibergen A., Zhakibaeva A. and Temirlan Ensebek, Article 488, Part 6 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 15 days’ imprisonment for participating in the picket that was held at the Monument of Independence on Republic Square[7].

January 4, Shymkent, Akimat did not give permission to hold a memorial event (as) in memory of the people killed during the events of January 2022. The relatives of the victims had previously asked the authorities to hold a memorial dinner[8].

4 January, Almaty, political scientist M. Shibutov presented his 67-page report on the events of January 2022. The work is entitled “Almaty Tragedy” and is not only about the southern capital. For the first time, it tells of Nazarbayev’s nephew Kairat Satybaldy and his followers of non-traditional Islam[9].

January 5, Shymkent, Akimat representatives warned relatives of some victims of the January events against going to the square[10].

January 5, Akmola region, Shortandy village: Dzhakhin A., Article 488, Part 7 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 5 days’ detention. Dzhakhin A.’s appeal to citizens to come to the Ministry of Justice on 15 December 2023 to confirm their participation as members of the initiative group “Alga, Kazakhstan” was considered by the authorities as an “appeal to peaceful protest!”[11].

January 5, Washington, D.C., US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Rosenblum told the Caspian Policy Center that Washington and Astana “disagree” about the lack of visible “political competition” in Kazakhstan, and the ambassador also pointed to the “constant arrests of critics” of the current regime[12].

January 5, Almaty, relatives of the people killed during the January events came together at the “Taghzym” memorial to honor their memory and demand justice again. About 30 people gathered at the memorial. There was also a memorial event in Ust-Kamenogorsk, where the participants displayed on the square a banner and photos of the victims[13].

January 5, Almaty, an open declaration of the KazTAG editorial staff to the presidential administration and a number of relevant central state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan regarding the ongoing DDoS attacks on the agency’s website[14].

January 5, Shymkent, local activists came to the square in front of the Akimat and recited a prayer in memory of the victims. They also visited the Akimat and demanded that a monument or commemorative plaque be erected in memory of those who died during the Qantar events. The head of the Department of Internal Policies told the visitors that “a monument or a commemorative plaque will not be installed until the January events are evaluated from a political point of view”[15].

January 5, Almaty, “It is difficult to prove the innocence of the dead” – said the lawyer Zhuaspayeva G. about the victims of the events of January 2022[16].

January 6, Ust-Kamenogorsk, today the board of the regional court in the East Kazakhstan region considered a special appeal of Smailova D. against the decision of the examining court on her arrest for two months. The judicial board upheld the decision on arrest[17].

January 6, Almaty, two years after the events of January, many questions remain unanswered. Let’s say, for example, what happened on the foggy evening of January 6, 2022, in and around Almaty’s Republic Square, where Radio Azattyk people died[18].

January 7, Atyrau region, Makat district, workers of the BBJ Group, a company engaged in the construction of an associated gas processing plant at the Kashagan field, went on strike. The workers were demanding an increase in wages[19].

January 8, Almaty City Court has not satisfied the appeal against the arrest for 15 days under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK of activists Aisultan Kudaibergen, Dzhakibayeva A. and Ensebek T., who came out on a picket to support their arrested comrades[20].

January 8, Mangistau region, the strike of workers of the oilfield service company “West Oil Software” demanding better working conditions continues for the 29th day. They reported about it on the 8th of January in their new video appeal to the authorities, in which they ask them to intervene in the situation[21].

January 8, Astana, the investigation of 12 criminal cases on the January events against 42 officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Committee was completed. The cases have been sent to the courts. Two cases against four police officers of the Almaty region and three district inspectors of the Almaly district of Almaty are also pending in court. Twenty-two officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 12 from the National Security Committee have already been convicted in 10 cases, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office[22].

January 8, Karaganda, Akimat did not give permission to Pavlova N., a disabled person of group I, to hold a solitary protest. Pavlova N. disagrees with the court decision in the dispute over the right to housing. She notified the Akimat of her intention to go on a solitary protest on January 12. Reason for refusal: Another event is planned in the same place[23].

January 9, Aktobe, the Specialized Court of the city began to consider the case against the journalist A. Aktleuov on the complaint of G. Nurmanova, the director of the gymnasium in the Irgiz district of the Aktobe region. She accuses the journalists A. Aktleuov and A. Yerubaeva of slander under Article 73-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK[24].

January 9, Almaty, the City Court remanded in custody Temirlan Ensebek, another activist of “Oyan Kazakhstan!”, who had previously been arrested for 15 days under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for picketing in support of his imprisoned comrades. Judge Tasbolatov left the decision of the administrative court on his arrest unchanged[25].

January 9, Almaty, Nurlanov M. went on a picket demanding “the release of political prisoners”. The action, which was held at the monument to Abai, was authorised by the Akimat. “The situation of the people has deteriorated. If the authorities do not come to their senses soon, the tragedy could happen again, because there is no dialogue”, said the activist[26].

January 9, Almaty, the leader of the Karakalpak diaspora in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan N. Urazbayev died in hospital in Almaty. This was reported by the representative of the diaspora Akylbek Muratbai on his page in the social network X. Family members of N. Urazbayev confirmed the information about his death to journalists[27].

January 9, Almaty, the Almaly district court considered the civil case on the claim of Turabekov A. on the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation against Espenbetova A. and the fund “NEMOLCHI.KZ”[28].

January 9, Almaty, activists of the movement “Oyan Kazakhstan!” B. Sharipzhan and R. Mukhtarov were released from the Almaty special detention center. They served the 15 days of detention that the court imposed on them for the action on 16 December dedicated to the memory of those who died during the January 2022 events, the Zhanaozen events of 2011 and the December 1986 events[29].

January 8, Uralsk, activist Yeskendirova M. was released from the special detention center after 25 days of detention. She was arrested on 14.12.2023 under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for allegedly posting on Facebook with a call to take part in a peaceful protest on December 16[30].

January 10, Almaty, blogger Aitelenov N. held a solitary picket in front of the city court building in support of lawyer Zhuaspayeva G. He held a poster calling for the work of an independent lawyer not to be obstructed and for her license to practice not to be withdrawn. The Almaty Akimat authorized the activist to hold a picket the following day, 11 January[31].

January 10, “in 2023, Kazakhstan encountered more than 223 million attempted cyber attacks by foreign hackers”, the press service of the State Technical Service reported. Most of the attacks came from Ukraine and the United States. The main target of the hackers was the Unified Internet Access Gateway (UIAG), a hardware and software complex that protects telecommunications networks when accessing the Internet[32].

January 11, the Akimats of Almaty, Aktobe, Shymkent, Semey, Karaganda and Pavlodar refused to grant permission for a peaceful protest to be held on 17 January 2024. Subject: Freedom for political prisoners. Freedom for Zhylanbaev M. Reason for refusal: events was previously authorized, incomplete information was submitted, late submission of notification[33].

January 11, Almaty, city court read out the decision on the civil case on the claim of Turabekov A. against Espenbetova A. and PF “NEMOLCHI.KZ” Smailova D., under Article 73-1 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The claim to protect honor and dignity was dismissed in full[34].

January 11, Almaty, the investigation in the case against journalist Muhammedkarim D. under Articles 405, 258 of the Criminal Code of the RK has been completed, reported his lawyer Nurpeisov G[35].

January 11, Mangistau region, workers at the West Oil Software Company announced that their strike, which began on 11 December, was now in its 32nd day. For more than four weeks, the protesters have been standing in the open on the steppe near the factory[36].

January 11, the Akimats of Uralsk, Petropavlovsk, Kostanay, Kokshetau and Astana did not give permission to hold a peaceful protest on 17 January 2024 in response to notifications from civil activists. Subject: Freedom for political prisoners. Freedom for Zhylanbaev M. Reason for refusal: previously authorized events, submission of incomplete information[37].

January 11, Mangistau region, the management of West Oil Software LLP issued a press release describing the company’s losses and the impossibility of waiting any longer for the striking oil workers to return to work. They warned that workers, who do not return to work by tomorrow, 12 January, will be dismissed. Their places will be taken by people waiting their turn at the labor exchange[38].

January 12, Mangistau region, more than a hundred workers employed by the security company KMG-Security (a subsidiary of KazMunaiGas), which provides security at the Zhetybai field, went on strike. The workers have been refusing to go to work since 11 January. They are demanding the dismissal of the site manager. The protesters say they are under pressure and complain about poor working conditions and interruptions in their pay[39].

January 12, Mangistau region, the employer ordered the termination of the employment contracts of 11 workers at West Oil Software in Zhetybai, who had been on strike for over a month, demanding better working conditions[40].

January 12, the non-governmental human rights organization “Human Rights Watch” launched a global report on 2023, in which it analyzed human rights violations in Kazakhstan, and noted that the country’s authorities have failed to take any constructive measures to address persistent abuses[41].

12 January, Astana, “Friends, my WhatsApp has been blocked. During the night, the WhatsApp of my wife, mother, father and [colleague] Nazymgul was also blocked”, said blogger and journalist A. Niyazov[42].

January 13, Atyrau, “Employees of the Department of the Penal Correction System came to do preventive work, “to prevent crimes”. In about an hour, four officers of the city police department came to fill out the protocols on the imposition of fines under Articles 480, 669 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for an interview with the YouTube channel “Politon” and for a post on Facebook about the proposal to declare 31 January as the Day of Political Prisoners in Kazakhstan”, said Bokay M[43].

January 13, Mangistau region, strikers at West Oil Software claimed in their appeal to the President that 7 strike participants who had recently been fired had been summoned by the police. The workers said that they had been summoned as witnesses in a case under Article 402 of the Criminal Code of the RK (“Actions provoking the continuation of participation in a strike declared illegal by the court”) [44].

January 13, Astana, cyber-attacks on independent media and journalists have increased in Kazakhstan, the Agency’s correspondent reports. KazTAG editorial office due to increased DDoS attacks on Saturday was again forced to restrict access to the site to users whose IP addresses are registered outside Kazakhstan[45].

January 13, Astana, according to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1396 people were convicted for the events of January 2022, 574 people were convicted for participation in mass riots, 12 of them for organizing mass disturbances. 2960 weapons were stolen, more than a thousand of them were found, the rest are still being searched for[46].

January 14, Atyrau, the court fined Bokay M. under Article 669 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 18,460 tenge (about 40 dollars) for failure to comply with the court decision. The reason for this was the activist’s interview with the YouTube channel “Politon”, which was published in November, and his post on the Facebook page with a call to establish a “Day of Political Prisoners” in the calendar[47].

January 15, Almaty, Journalist Baltatarova E. says she has not been allowed to leave Kazakhstan for France. “I think they will take me off the flight again. That’s it, I was not allowed to leave Kazakhstan for Paris. Missing tickets, reservations, hotels. I just don’t have the energy anymore”[48].

January 15, Aktobe, the case under Article 73-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK “Defamation” against journalist A. Aktleuov was dismissed. The reason for the case was the publication about the dismissal of an employee of the gymnasium, after she told about the lack of water in the school at a meeting with the Akim of the region and journalists. The director of the school considered the publication defamatory and filed a complaint with the police[49].

January 15, Petropavlovsk, Kuramshin V. was detained and on 16 January sentenced to 20 days’ imprisonment under Article 456-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK “placement, dissemination of false information”. The reason for his arrest and detention was his Facebook post with memories of his time in the EC-164/4 colony[50].

January 15, Astana, in front of the Akorda square, there has been a gathering of relatives of the victims of the events of January 2022 and of those who were convicted in these cases. The police detained the relatives who had come to see President Tokayev K. to demand the full acquittal of their family members[51].

January 15, Astana, relatives of those who died during the January events and who came to protest in Akorda were fined by the court. 10 demonstrators were charged with violating the order under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for organising and holding peaceful assemblies, and fined 77,000 tenge each[52].

January 16, Astana, Altayev N., leader of the party “El Tiregi”, Article 366 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 10 years’ imprisonment. The judicial board left his appeal against the sentence of 21 November 2023 without satisfaction[53].

January 16, Almaty, about 50 couriers gathered again in front of Wolt’s headquarters in Almaty. The previous day they had been demanding a pay rise. After the negotiations, the company promised to give them an answer today, but later postponed it until 23 January. The couriers expressed their dissatisfaction [54].

January 16, Berlin, the artist Tolganbaeva R. organized an action in support of Zhylanbaev M. “FREE MARAT”. Raushan gave the letter to the German Foreign Minister[55].

January 16, Astana, deputies of the Majilis are ready to file against the government of Kazakhstan in the Constitutional Court and criticized the actions of the Cabinet of Ministers, reports the correspondent of the KazTAG agency[56].

January 16, Pavlodar, district police officer Dosymzhanov B. has come to the house of Kaluova N. and pressurized her, threatening to plant 10 kg of heroin and put her in prison for 10 years. On January 16-17, police carried out outdoor surveillance at her house so that she would not go to a peaceful protest and attend Zhylanbaev M.’s appeal[57].

January 16, Semey, human rights defender Sadyrbaeva R. reports that on January 16, she received threats from the officers of the National Security Committee through third parties by saying that if any of the human rights defenders or activists would go to the trial of Zhylanbaev M., the authorities would arrest them all[58].

January 17, Almaty, representatives of Kazakhstani media outlets hit by hacker attacks appealed to the National Security Committee, editors-in-chief and journalists also decided to appeal to the Ministries of Digitalization and Culture, as well as to international organizations[59].

January 17, Paris, France, Baltatarova E., a journalist wanted by the Russian authorities in the case of “fakes” about the Russian Armed Forces, who was denied refugee status in Kazakhstan and threatened with extradition, has arrived in France[60].

January 17, Astana, The current composition of the National Olympic Committee consists of representatives of “old Kazakhstan”, according to Majilis deputy Yermurat Bapi. He demanded to conduct an audit in the NOC, saying that with the arrival of Kulibayev T. sports achievements of the country have gone into decline[61].

January 17, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Central Asia by an overwhelming majority. It calls on countries in the region to respect international human rights obligations, for independent and rigorous investigations into allegations of torture and other human rights abuses, and for cooperation with the EU. The document is entitled “Assessment Report on the EU Strategy for Central Asia”[62][63].

January 18, Almaty, overview of the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from January 11 to 18, 2024[64]

18 January 18, the court of the Abay region refused to satisfy the appeal of R. Sadyrbaeva against the decision of the Semey city court of 12.09.2023 on the recovery of damages for unlawful criminal prosecution under Article 272, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK in connection with the January events. “The judicial board of the court of the Abay region has decided to leave the decision of the Semey city court unchanged and to leave the appeals without satisfaction”[65].

January 18, Astana, the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan did not review the guilty verdict against Omarov F., who was posthumously convicted in the case of the events of January 2022. He was convicted posthumously for “shooting at a traffic police officer”. In July last year, the court of first instance passed a verdict on Omarov F. and released him from criminal responsibility because of his death[66].

January 18, Almaty, the activists of “Oyan Kazakhstan!” Aisultan Kudaibergen and Dzhakibayeva Akmaral were released from the Special Detention Centre after being held for 15 days. On 4 January they were arrested under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK for holding a picket in support of their comrades[67].

January 18, Almaty, Meldekhan Aidos, father of four-year-old Aykorkem, who was killed in the January events, said that “security officials” had prevented him from flying to Astana to attend a court hearing in the case of his daughter’s death, scheduled for 10am on 18 January in a military court[68].

January 18, “In Kazakhstan, despite the modernization of the political system announced by President Tokayev K. after the events of January 2022 and despite the lowering of the registration threshold, genuine opposition forces have not been allowed to register parties. Opposition activists continue to face harassment and pressure. So says a new report by the CIVICUS alliance of human rights organizations[69].

January 19, Almaty, during the investigation of a criminal case against journalist Mukhametkarim D., his rights were repeatedly violated. In addition, unnamed individuals offered him a deal, lawyers and activists say. Mukhamedkarim D. is charged under Article 258 of the Criminal Code of the RK “Financing extremism” and Article 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK “Participation in Prohibited Organizations”[70].

January 19, Astana, Zhylanbaev M., Articles 405, 258 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 7 years of imprisonment under the sentence of 29.11.23. The court in closed session left the sentence of the activist unchanged. Consideration of the appeal was held online in closed mode and without the participation of the defendant[71].

January 19, Almaty, Statement: “The Adil Soz Foundation for the Protection of Freedom of Speech is concerned about the increasing number and scale of cyber-attacks on media and journalists’ accounts. The number of attacks has increased: “If 32 cases were recorded in 2022, there were 52 cases in 2023. In total, Kursiv.Media, ProTenge, Atameken Business, Obozhayu, Shishkin like and other publications were attacked.”[72].

January 19, Astana, the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor General’s Office did not respond to a request from “Vlast kz.”for information on how many weapons stolen during the January events are still missing. In their replies to the editorial board’s official inquiries, the government agencies redirected the inquiries to each other and did not provide any information[73].

January 19, Astana, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information will allocate 196.1 billion tenge in 2024-2026 for the implementation of the state information policy. In the objectives of the budget program, the Ministry specifies “increasing the effectiveness of the state in information policy, competitiveness of domestic media”[74].

January 22, Atyrau, City Court No. 2, at the request of the police department, extended the probationary control of Bokay M. for another six months; although it was due to expire in February. The reasons were his participation in the broadcast of the discussion club “Politon” on the topic of freedom of peaceful assembly and his Facebook post with the proposal to declare January 31 as the Day of Political Prisoners of Kazakhstan[75].

January 22, Almaty region, Zhaugashty settlement, Facility No. 10, Tleuzhanova A., Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 4 years imprisonment for allegedly seizing the airport during the Kantar events: Recently Tleuzhanova A. called from prison. “I am generally well, well, as well as it can be good in prison, I have begun to adapt, accept the situation. But this does not mean that I will stop fighting for my acquittal”, Tleuzhanova A. said[76].

January 22, Karaganda, Rogolevsky K., who has been trying for a year and a half to get the police and the prosecutor’s office to take his case to court in a criminal case in which he is a victim after being attacked with a knife, again did not receive permission to hold pickets[77].

January 22, Karakalpak activist Nurymbetov S. said that he had been forced to flee his homeland. He and his family are currently in Aktobe. Nurymbetov S. says he is in danger in his home country because of his political beliefs. He has applied for refugee status and asks the Kazakh authorities not to extradite him to Uzbekistan[78].

January 23, Aktobe, the administrative court started hearing a case against local journalist Yerubaeva A., under Article 73-3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK “Defamation”. The plaintiff is Nurmanova G., the director of a gymnasium in Irgiz district of the region, who previously sued journalist A. Aktleuov in a similar case[79].

January 23, Karaganda, Pavlova N., a disabled person of group I, came to the Independence Stele to express her disagreement with the eviction and to demand the intervention of the state authorities[80].

January 23, Almaty, journalist Moldabekov D. informed that “law enforcement authorities” have contacted the publishing house, which prints his book on the January events, with a request to “give it to them to read”. The journalist considers what happened as pressure[81].

January 24, Almaty, journalist Moldabekov D., who the previous day reported that “law enforcement agencies” had contacted the publishing house that was preparing his book, informed that the printing houses refused to print his book dedicated to the January events[82].

January 24, Karaganda, the prosecutor’s office decided to reopen the criminal case “On impending journalists in their legal professional activities by force”, in which the injured party is journalist Saparkyzy Diana[83].

January 24, Pavlodar, Ruza Beisenbaitegy, an activist who has worked for the development of the Kazakh language for more than 20 years, was forcibly hospitalized in a regional psychiatric hospital. No documents were presented to justify her detention in the hospital. They did not say who was the person who called the ambulance and wrote a statement[84].

January 24, Astana, M. Zhylanbaev, Articles 405, 258 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 7 years’ imprisonment, has declared his intention to start an indefinite hunger strike in prison in protest at the court’s decision to uphold his sentence. He only drinks water[85].

January 24, Kokshetau, the criminal case on the 2019 contract killing of activist Baktybayev G. ended with a guilty verdict after more than 4 years. Miyashov G. – 16 years’ imprisonment, Akhmedjanov G. – 15.5 years’ imprisonment, Bukenayev A. – 15.5 years’ imprisonment, Eldar Zhaken – 3 years’ imprisonment[86].

January 24, Almaty, the airport’s press service presented its version of the incident, stating that it had conducted an internal official investigation after studying the CCTV footage. Meldekhanuly A.’s claims to the security service were “unfounded” and the information he provided was “unreliable”[87].

January 24, Astana, the defendant Arman Zhuman, Article 451 of the Criminal Code of the RK, a few minutes before the beginning of the examination of the appeal in the case of the murder of four-year-old Aykorkem Meldekhan, challenged the lawyers, who had obtained an acquittal for him in the first instance court. The lawyers explained that such conduct could be related to the nervous breakdown of their now former client[88].

January 24, Astana, facility No. 64, Danebaev T., Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 3 years’ imprisonment, reported about threats from the management of the correctional facility. They also do not accept complaints about the conditions of his detention and do not call him a proctologist after beating him up[89].

January 24, Almaty city, Koketay M. was detained and taken to Almaly Department of police. He is expected to be tried under Article 488, Part 11 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK. He will be tried for the support action in the city court during Tleuzhanova A’s trial.[90]

January 24, Mangistau region, the board for civil cases of the regional court dismissed the appeal of the workers of “West Oil” company, and declared the workers’ strike “illegal”[91].

January 24, Almaty: “An arms cache with an arsenal of weapons has been found, 30 weapons have been seized, including Kalashnikov assault rifles, pistols, shotguns, as well as five grenades, 10 smoke bombs and 221 cartridges of various calibers. According to preliminary data from the investigation, the weapons found had been stolen during the January events”[92].

January 24, Atyrau, the blogger Bayaziev R. was charged with contempt of court. On 11 January, the blogger came to the court as a supporter at a hearing concerning another person. There he asked the judge a question: “Where’s the monkey, didn’t you see it?” On the basis of this, on 12 January the bailiff drew up a report under Article 653, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK (“Contempt of Court”), and the court sentenced the blogger to 5 days’ arrest[93].

January 25, Almaty, M. Kuketayeva, Article 488, Part 11 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the RK, 15 days of arrest for taking part in an unlawful assembly, committed for a second time within one year after the imposition of an administrative penalty. The reason for this was the activist’s presence in front of the Almaty City Court building on 19 September 2022, when the case of the “seizure of Almaty airport” was under appeal in court[94].

January 25, Atyrau, O. Vertinskaya, a journalist and blogger, is one of hundreds of people who claim to have been tortured by law enforcement officers during and after the events of January 2022. Since then, she has been calling for a fair investigation of the case, which has already been closed three times. The investigation has now been reopened[95].

January 25, Astana, two new specialized places for peaceful assemblies approved by the Astana Maslikhat can accommodate 200 and 300 people. Also, the 500-seat site in the Tsvetochnyi Sad was removed from the list. Thus, the list contains 4 specialized places for peaceful assemblies, and another one more is intended for marches[96].

January 25, Almaty, overview of the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from January 18 to 25, 2024[97].

January 26, Astana, facility No. 64, Zhylanbaev M., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 7 years’ imprisonment: The political prisoner, who went on hunger strike in protest against the court sentence, was transferred to Stepnogorsk prison[98].

January 26, Pavlodar, activist Beisenbaytegy Ruza, who two days ago was forced to go to a psychiatric hospital, was released. According to the activist, she feels fine, but in the hospital she received some injections. It also turned out that she was released from the psychiatric hospital on a “condition”[99].

January 26, Astana, New amendments to the draft law on mass media would worsen the situation with freedom of speech and will result in the closure of independent media in Kazakhstan. MP Shatalov N. proposes to unite network publications and news agencies into a common concept of “Internet publications”, which will be one of the types of media[100].

January 26, Astana, The government’s new draft law on mass media is being amended to address the accreditation rules for foreign media outlets and their journalists. The amendments proposed by the deputies grant the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the right to deny accreditation to foreign media offices and their journalists (quote) “in case of a threat to Kazakhstan’s national security”[101].

January 26, Astana, as of January 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not issued or renewed accreditation for 36 correspondents of Radio Azattyk, the Kazakh service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)[102].

January 26, Astana, Kazakhstan authorities have denied refugee status to an anarchist from Russia who fled the country because of political persecution. Denis Kozak, 21, from Rostov-on-Don, had arrived in Kazakhstan in August 2022 when he found out that a criminal case had been opened against him “for justification of terrorism”[103].

January 26, Almaty, there was a solitary picket of the trade union activist Baizakov A., who disagreed with the illegal mass layoffs in the National Center for State Scientific and Technical Expertise (NCSTE). In his words, one of the reasons for the termination of labor contracts was the establishment of an independent trade union organization[104].

January 27, Astana, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (NSC) is preparing to expand its powers and relieve itself of the duty to protect ex-president N. Nazarbayev[105].

January 29, Almaty region, Zhaugashty settlement, A. Aidarkhanova’s lawyer and a journalist visited facility No. 10, where Tleuzhanova A. is serving a 4-year sentence under Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The lawyer said that Aigerim’s health condition has deteriorated: after the hunger strike she lost several teeth and is being treated by a dentist for a fee. She should avoid hypothermia. The lawyer intends to file complaints to the Ministry of Health and the Committee on the Penal Correction System of the Republic of Kazakhstan[106].

January 29, Almaty, “Elge Qaitaru” Foundation held a round table on “Asset recovery: finding practical solutions, legal aspects, international cooperation and global experience”[107].

November 29, Zhanaozen, about 800 workers of Kezbi LLP went on strike, demanding higher wages, renovation of material and technical base, dismissal of some people, as well as better nutrition[108].

January 30, Almaty, Uzbek citizens who have the status of victims in the torture case can identify their torturers. Three of them stated that they were detained by men in military camouflage on the Almaty-Bishkek highway while trying to leave Kazakhstan, and then police officers beat and tortured them for several consecutive days during the events of January[109].

January 30, Ust-Kamenogorsk city, the specialized court of the region left without consideration the claims of residents of Maraldy village of Kurchum district concerning the construction of gold recovery plant with the use of sodium cyanide and related buildings and structures during 2 years[110].

30 January, Almaty, Azhimoldaev Sailaubek, a resident of the Almaty region, picketed for the seventh time with a placard, hoping to draw attention to the fate of his son and raise money to pay for a lawyer. His son was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment in circumstances that look like one big fabrication[111].

30 January, Akmola region, Stepnogorsk, human rights defender Sadvakasova Aya appeals to international organisations and democratic countries to put pressure on the Kazakh authorities and demand the release of M. Zhylanbayev, a political prisoner who has been imprisoned for seven years[112].

January 30, Kazakhstan has retained its status as a highly corrupt country in the ranking of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 compiled by the international non-governmental organization Transparency International. RK scored 39 points out of a possible 100 and ranked 92 out of 180[113].

January 30, the representative office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Kazakhstan (RFE/RL-Kazakhstan) filed a lawsuit with the specialised inter-district administrative court in Astana. In its lawsuit, RFE/RL-Kazakhstan asks that the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan refusing to issue and renew accreditations to RFE/RL-Kazakhstan staff be declared illegal and annulled[114].

January 30, Aktobe, the court sentenced E. Dosmalov and two other residents to a fine of 129,220 tenge (about $280) under Article 488 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. They were accused of calling for an illegal rally against the utilization fee. Earlier, the police had filed a report against them under the article on violation of the order of organizing and holding peaceful assemblies[115].

January 30, the Akimats of Almaty, Astana, Aktobe, Shymkent and Pavlodar did not give permission to hold a peaceful protest on February 3, 2024. Theme: Freedom for political prisoners. Freedom for Zhylanbaev M. Reasons for denial: Previously authorized events, exclusion of the specified place from the list of special places for holding peaceful assemblies, snow removal and tree pruning, improvement of the territory, provision of incomplete data[116].

January 30, the Akimats of Petropavlovsk, Kokshetau, Kostanay, Semey, Karaganda and Uralsk did not give permission to hold a peaceful protest on February 3, 2024. Theme: Freedom for political prisoners. Freedom for Zhylanbaev M. Reasons for denial: Previously authorized events, exclusion of the specified place from the list of special places for holding peaceful assemblies, provision of incomplete data[117].

January 31, Almaty city, it is reported about the theft by police of firearms, which were returned after Qantar events. “Officers of the Almaty city police department sold more than 27 firearms, which had previously been confiscated in cases of the January events. It is reported that one of the policemen escaped. Moreover, this fact is registered in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations of the Internal Investigations Division of the Almaty City Police Department at No. 247569031000004 under Article 362, Part 4, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of the RK”[118].

January 31, Almaty, the suspect in the case of missing confiscated weapons from the police has been detained. “A criminal case has been initiated. The suspect was taken to a temporary detention center”, reported the press service of the police department[119].

January 31, Almaty, Nauryzbay specialized interdistrict court on criminal cases: at the trial on “Tractor case”, where seven people are accused of “calls to seize power”, “planning mass riots”, began the debate. During the debate, the prosecutor Rakhat Yestebek demanded from 3.4 to 15 years of imprisonment in a medium security institution for the defendants[120].

January 31, Astana, on the sidelines of the Majilis, R. Vasilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, did not answer the question about the denial of accreditation to journalists of Radio Azattyk. Instead of answering, he asked to address the press service[121].

January 31, Astana, Kazakhstan MP Shatalov N. called “coincidence” his proposed amendments to the draft law “On Mass Media” concerning the work of foreign media in Kazakhstan, after the refusal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue/extend accreditation to 36 journalists of Azattyk[122].

January 31, Vienna, Austria, The draft law “On Mass Media” currently under consideration in the Kazakh Parliament may negatively affect the situation of freedom of expression in the country, says the International Press Institute (IPI), urging Kazakhstan to reject the amendments on accreditation of foreign mass media[123].

January 31, Almaty, the Board on Criminal Cases of the City Court left unchanged the verdict of the court of first instance against convicted journalists, Severny Vladimir to 7 years’ imprisonment and Severnay Nargiz to 8 years’ imprisonment under Article 194, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan with postponement of the sentence of Severnay Nargiz for five years in connection with the presence of minor children[124].

January 31, Astana, representatives of the media community are sure that the new version of the law will worsen. The experts intend to ask President Tokayev K. to veto the law if it is adopted in this form[125].

January 31, Mangistau region, Aktau, dozens of people visited the Akimat and demanded to meet with Akim Nogayev N. to solve the strikers’ problems. Instead of the Akim, a representative of the Akimat came and answered their questions. The strikers’ relatives said they would stand in front of the Akimat until their demands were met[126].

January 31, Astana, members of the organizing committee for the establishment of the opposition party “Alga, Kazakhstan!” have submitted to the Ministry of Justice the list of the initiative group to begin registration of the party. The authorities refused 22 times (since May 2022), referring to Article 8 of the Law on Political Parties (the list of the initiative group allegedly does not meet the requirements of the law). The authorities did not give a concrete response as to what exactly does not comply with the law[127].

[1] https://orda.kz/nas-mogut-ustranit-fizicheski-glava-fonda-nemolchikz-prosit-zaschity-u-tokaeva-380939/

[2] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32758764.html

[3] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32758524.html

[4] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32758622.html

[5] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32758321.html

[6]https://exclusive.kz/zhurnalist-ashat-niyazov-vosstanovil-dostup-k-telegram-kanalu/?fbclid=IwAR2Qkm6ENUXMm3mVG2Cvx132xhuOUIvelv_iy0j9ALDV1zkcoluvCFycu38

[7] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32759463.html

[8] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32759743.html

[9] https://orda.kz/mirnyj-protest-ili-popytka-perevorota-kakie-vyvody-o-kantare-sdelal-kazahstanskij-politolog-381049/

[10] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/32761492.html

[11] https://www.facebook.com/groups/ActivistsNotExtremists/posts/3718678445118078/

[12] https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FGEtkh84oGIU%3Fsi%3DiW14KHEjpnJIZqaY%26fbclid%3DIwAR0imVtc-nEgXzih5T2DvONp8B8WbhsgOIH3cLu97EX0g2NfOvkc5MiBji0&h=AT1jzmFNP0_Z8A9pjjWvgzAKhOpJ48dZ44FMLQ2QY0IY6qybBLZDiMCGSThNQ_mx5cp8N-wpfdqexQZaA-3NLupQ-6DiGuFntj_5XkqetIx_yapajXIqHE6wNp3S77J0_W_J&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1_EhwkhG56kzaYcSBbMnVuZ9Lfzgwm3twlCvow8d6EbXjdSqVGNKVa9x_vq-pZplZq5GYrjZb56gMmFb55VrawghFR-Z6mj7PJSYlhJlhL1QhhxBKYkm4m3K_W9nGrpQtlwIM1P2Ha40fVijfqtDhythFrt92-CzdKFcRWE5MbnPV6fklXuD6DHta5u6JQ9lpbiH1jYxL3QQ