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

July 1, Konaev city, a criminal case under Article 371 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on negligent performance of their duties by officials of the police department of Almaty region during the January events is being investigated. The information provided says that at present the heads and employees of the duty units of internal affairs bodies, where such facts were available, are being questioned [1].

July 1, Almaty, the Anti-Torture Working Group and Civic Solidarity Platform has presented the fifth annual measurement of the Torture Prohibition Index for seven post-Soviet states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. It is easy to see one peculiarity: torture has been and continues to be an important feature of totalitarian and authoritarian states[2].

July 2, Almaty, Adilkhan B., an activist with the movement «Oyan Kazakhstan», was detained on July 2 at 5:40 p.m. at Almaty airport while checking in for a flight. He and his comrades believe that this action was politically motivated[3].

July 2, Almaty, overview from the Adil Soz Foundation on the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from June 20 to July 2, 2024[4].

July 2, Astana, activist Orynbasar Zhanibek reported that he had been taken to the police station. They released him after “preventive interview”. The activist was determined to ask the President of Kazakhstan to return the body of Kazakh journalist Sadykov A. from Ukraine to his hometown Aktobe for posthumous honors[5].

July 2, Almaty political scientist Alzhanov D. stated that unidentified persons tried to attack him near the entrance to his house. The incident took place at about 00:30 on the night of July 2. Two unknown men drove up to his house in a car after blocking the way out of the yard. Furthermore, in his words, they chased him first. He managed to run to Dostyk Avenue and contact his lawyer[6].

July 2, Kiev, opposition activist and journalist A. Sadykov, founder of the YouTube channel “Base”, died on the 14th day after an assassination attempt on him[7].

July 2, Kyiv, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine reported that in connection with the death of Sadykov A., the article of persons suspected of attempted murder will be reclassified from assassination attempt to premeditated murder, (p.p. 11, 12 Part 2, Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which was committed by order and by prior conspiracy of a group of persons. The investigation is being conducted by the General Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine.[8].

July 3, Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, wrote in her social media account X that she was “deeply shaken” by Sadykov A’s death. “The killing of media workers is an attack on media freedom. Justice must be served”, she wrote, and accompanied her post with the hashtag #NoImpunity (no impunity)[9].

July 3, Astana, Makhanova Nazgul was detained in Astana. This illegal detention may be linked to the SCO in Astana. The activists are also subjected to 24/7 illegal video surveillance and outdoor surveillance in the courtyards of houses[10].

July 3, Astana, Kopeyev Zhaslan was arrested. His ribs may have been broken. This illegal detention may be linked to the SCO in Astana. The activists are also under 24-hour illegal video surveillance and outdoor surveillance in courtyards[11].

July 3, Astana, on Wednesday morning, July 3, a policeman came to the mother of Kazybek Kudaibergenov, who was sentenced to a long term in the January events. The mother of Kazybek Kudaibergenov came to Astana from the Kyzylorda region to ask for the charges against her son to be dropped and his conviction to be overturned[12].

July 3, Shymkent, the court considered the appeal of the city police department against the court’s decision to reject the request to deport M.V. Nizovkina to Russia. The decision of the court of first instance remained unchanged. The appeal was rejected. The court decided to recover 300,000 tenge from the Shymkent police department as reimbursement for representation expenses[13][14].

July 4, Almaty, Dostiyarov A. was summoned to the police station of the Auezov district. He said that he was planning to go to the “Karagaily” square in the center of the city, where activists were going to lay flowers in honor of the death of A. Sadykov. The activist was released shortly thereafter. A police officer reported that the activist had been called for a “preventive interview”[15].

July 4 Almaty, the “Karagaly” square, where the monument to the victims of the famine of the 1930s is located, was cordoned off. Police officers stood at the entrance, and the area was fenced off with red and white tape. It was planned that activists would lay flowers and pay tribute to the memory of the journalist Sadykov A. on this square at 11:00 a.m. However, the activists were not allowed to hold a memorial event[16].

July 4, Akmola region, persecution in connection with the summit of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana. External surveillance of the leader of the emerging party “Alga Kazakhstan!” Dzhakhin A.[17].

July 4, the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the Ukrainian and Kazakh authorities to find the perpetrators of A. Sadykov’s murder as soon as possible and bring them to justice[18].

July 5, Astana, Tokpaeva A., the wife of Syzdykov A., who is currently under arrest, reported that she had received a decision appointing her as a public defender. On July 1, the Prosecutor’s Office overturned the June 13 decision of the investigator refusing to appoint her as a public defender. Political prisoner Syzdykov A. stopped his previously announced hunger strike[19].

July 5, Almaty, overview from the Adil Soz Foundation on the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from June 27 to July 5, 2024[20].

On July 5, in Aktobe, a few dozen people gathered at the local Asaty restaurant to pay tribute to the memory of the slain Sadykov A. The people gathered, including former colleagues and community members, recited a prayer from the Koran[21].

5 July, Kyiv region, Chaika village. A farewell ceremony was held for Kazakh journalist Sadykov A. The ceremony was held in accordance with Muslim traditions[22].

On July 5, in Almaty, the Collegium of the Military Court revoked the acquittal of Zhuman Arman, convicted in the case of the death of Meldekhan A.. A new guilty verdict was passed on him, according to which he was found guilty under Article 451, Part 2, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of the RK and sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment. The appeal verdict has become final[23].

July 5, Monitoring of the harassment of activists in connection with the summit of the heads of state of the SCO in Astana[24].

July 5, Astana, activist Kopeyev Zhaslan, 30 days detention[25].

July 5, Astana, we bring to your attention an overview of the situation with freedom of speech, countering disinformation and propaganda, and protecting the rights of journalists in Kazakhstan. Over the past three months, significant events have taken place in Kazakhstan’s media sphere[26].

July 6, Astana, several activists paid tribute to the memory of A. Sadykov, who died in Kiev after an assassination attempt. People gathered at the Nur Astana mosque and recited a prayer[27].

July 6, Zhanaozen, the police detained about a dozen people who were going to pay tribute to the memory of Sadykov A. The police detained activist Dosekeeva Zh. with the use of force. A case was filed against her under Article 488 of the Criminal Code of the RK and a court date was set. The police also took Zhumagaziev M., Otegenova A., Seilov Y., Karashaeva A., Utekesheva Sh. to the police station in the village of Tenge near Zhanaozen. After three hours they were released with a warning[28].

July 7, “I condemn the killing of journalist Aydos Sadykov and call for a thorough investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The safety of journalists must be guaranteed wherever they may be working, to enable them to exercise their journalistic duties”, said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay[29].

July 8, Zhanaozen, Mangistau region, activists held a memorial service on the seventh day since the death of Sadykov A. after an assassination attempt in Kiev. A few dozen people from Aktau city, Shetpe station and Zhetybai village gathered and recited the Koran in memory of the deceased[30].

July 8, USA, TrialWatch and Covington & Burling LLP, in a submission to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, claim that M. Zhylanbaev’s conviction violates the fundamental legal principle that a person must be able to foresee that his or her actions may be criminal[31].

July 9, Aktau, Dosekeeva Zh., Uskenbaeva N., and a local resident named Botha were detained. They were taken to the police station and released a few hours later. They wanted to speak out about the law known as the “Law on Domestic Violence” and the social situation of the population, especially in favor of providing jobs for young people and against price increases. Dosekeeva said that they had not filed a notice of the action[32].

July 9, Aktau, residents of the 19th microdistrict tried to block the road; the reason was the lack of water in the houses. The published video shows that representatives of the authorities and law enforcers arrived at the place dressed in black and wearing masks. One of the residents told the arriving representatives of the local authorities that «they have been without water for five days»[33].

July 10, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch urged the Kazakhstani authorities to abandon consideration of the petition “We are against overt and covert propaganda of LGBT in Kazakhstan!” Human Rights Watch calls the petition “discriminatory” and “a threat to fundamental freedoms”[34].

July 10, USA, in the U.S. Department of State’s annual 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to Kazakhstan. It believes that restrictive legislation and practices are firmly entrenched in Kazakhstan[35].

July 10, Almaty, “Mr. Lastayev! Why do you keep inviting me for a personal meeting? Why? For more than a year you have been imitating attentiveness and benevolence and calling me for a personal meeting. So I repeat that we can solve the problem online, and the first thing I ask is to answer my questions and letters on the merits» — reported human rights defender Toregozhina B.[36].

July 10, Kyzylorda, activists Serikbayeva G. and Bekmagambetov Y. went to the police station to inquire about the whereabouts of Kaster Musakhanuly, an ethnic Kazakh from China. The activists learned from friends that on July 4, 2024, Kaster was illegally placed under administrative arrest for one month in a temporary detention center in Kyzylorda by court order for allegedly lacking identity documents[37].

July 10, Akmola region, Stepnogorsk, A. Sadvakasova, a human rights activist of the “Elimay” movement, wanted to meet with the colony administration to discuss the conditions of detention of Zhylanbaev M. However, apparently, the colony administration did not want to meet with her, so she could not meet either with the head of the colony, K. Tulakov, or his deputy, K. Baikadamov.[38].

July 10, Konaev, Klyshev K., Article 405, Part 1/2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 5 years imprisonment. The court rejected the petition, stating that in 2022 the court had already given him “confidence” and changed the punishment from imprisonment to restriction of liberty, but Klyshev K., “failed” the confidence of the court[39].

July 10, Konaev city, Namazbaev D., Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 5 years of imprisonment. The city court left without satisfaction the petition for substitution of punishment, in connection with the fact that there were two warnings during imprisonment[40].

On July 10, in Astana, a regular working group meeting was held to discuss the petition to ban LGBTIQ+ propaganda in Kazakhstan. Journalists were not allowed to attend, but activists and the author of the petition were live-streaming the meeting. Here are the details of the meeting, which was held behind closed doors. The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs supported the petition[41].

July 11, East Kazakhstan oblast, Kurchum district, criminal case against six residents of the village of Maraldy. They were charged with “trespassing” on the territory of a gold mine being built near the village, “using violence” against the workers of the enterprise, and “causing property damage”. The case was dropped by the decision of the Samara District Court[42].

July 11, Taldykorgan, S. Aktymbayev, a veteran police officer who is the father of Askar Nursap, the former head of the Taldykorgan Police Department (PD), believes that the initiators of the criminal prosecution of his son must first of all hold accountable the leadership of the former Almaty region and the management of the main law enforcement agencies of the region, which, in his words, «ran away» during the January events[43].

July 11, Almaty, Shevchenko Street narrowed after the reconstruction of the Valikhanov Square, arrangement of parking lots, safety islands, signal poles and crosswalks. The Almaty Police Department sent recommendations to the Akimat, following which the authorities decided to change the locations for peaceful assemblies and marches[44].

July 11, Almaty it became known that Sadvakasova E.V., an activist and member of the Public Association for the Protection of the Rights of Market Traders, was detained. The police of the Alatau district registered some facts of a criminal offense against her for disclosure of the pre-trial investigation in a criminal case opened at her request under Article 147, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the RK[45].

July 12, Almaty, overview from the Adil Soz Foundation on the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from July 5 to July 12, 2024[46].

July 12, Shymkent, Dzhaparova K., Article 174, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the RK, 2 years of restriction of liberty. The judicial board on criminal cases did not change the verdict of the pensioner, who was charged under the article on incitement to ethnic hatred. The board found that the guilt of the defendant was completely proved. The court left her appeal without satisfaction[47].

July 12, Almaty, human rights defenders believe that the change of places for holding marches is a violation of international documents, and deputies ask their colleagues to involve the public to make a decision on the change of places for holding marches and peaceful assemblies[48].

July 12, Western Kazakhstan region, farmers from five districts were denied permission to hold a rally in the village of Saykhin on July 19 to address the problem of drought. The farmers fear that this could lead to massive livestock deaths. The farmers wanted to demand the introduction of an emergency regime due to the lack of fodder[49].

July 12, Almaty, the city court canceled the private ruling of the Turksib District Court as of December 8, 2023, on the deprivation of the lawyer Zhuaspayeva G., lawyer’s license[50].

July 12, Akmola region, Stepnogorsk, Institution No. 4. Lawyer Doskaraev M. visited Zhylanbaev M. in the disciplinary cell. This place is completely unhygienic; the toilet is located directly in the cell and is not closed. M. Zhylanbaev is on hunger strike for the 22nd day as a sign of protest because he was placed in the disciplinary cell under the «safe place» program, although he should have been sent to the medical unit, the lawyer said[51].

July 12, Astana, what to do if you are sued for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. In case of unlawful detention, violation of professional, constitutional rights or if you have any questions, you can contact «Media Qoldau», write to mediaqoldau@gmail.com or call +7 7172 424 432[52].

July 12, the Open Dialog Foundation, together with human rights experts from the #ActivistsNoExtremists coalition, prepared a report on the transnational political persecution of Mendygaziev B. The report provides facts on how Chevron Corporation, one of the world’s largest energy companies based in the United States, was used to crack down on the human rights defender and eco-activist[53].

July 12, Almaty, Svetlana Zhamuratova, wife of political prisoner A. Zhamuratov, Article 405, Part 1/2 of the Criminal Code of the RK, was admitted to the intensive care unit due to a drastic deterioration of her health. She spent 5 days in the hospital and then the doctor prescribed drugs to reduce the probability of critical health conditions in the future[54].

July 13, Almaty, we continue our own journalistic investigation into the murder of Sadykov A., co-founder and author of the YouTube channel «Base». We sent two journalistic requests to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On July 13, we received empty answers to our specific questions[55].

July 14, Almaty, activist Yelena Sadvakasova was released by the Investigative Court and placed under house arrest. A criminal offense was registered against her at the police of the Alatau district of Almaty for disclosure of pre-trial investigation in a criminal case opened on her application under Article 147, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Distribution of personal data)[56].

July 14, Almaty region, police officers Turpanbaev S., Sopakov B., Khamitov N. and Shoibekov A. were arrested last spring and have the status of accused of torturing musician Ruzakhunov V. and 23 citizens of Uzbekistan under Articles 146, 451 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Turpanbaev S., Sopakov B., Khamitov N. and Shoibekov A. were released from the detention center under a written pledge not to leave the country[57].

July 15, Astana, activists protesting against the recycling fee, claim pressure on them. About 20 people arrived at the building of the Ministry of Construction and Industry of Kazakhstan, coming from different regions of the country. On Monday, the police presence near the building of the Ministry was increased; security forces and parked police cars and vans can be observed[58].

July 15, Almaty, Maria Kochneva was summoned to the Almalinsk District Police Department after an anti-war video of her participating in rap freestyle was circulated on social media. There she sang the song “Yo, orystar” (“Yo, Russians”). She was charged with an administrative case under Article 434 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The reason was the use of foul language in a public place[59].

July 15, Astana, M. Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, said that in the first years of his first presidential term, Tokayev K. and his supporters had to overcome the resistance of the old power elites[60].

July 15, 2024, the closed trial against Mukhamedkarim D., Article 405, Part 2 and Article 258, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the RK continued in the court of Konaev city. Mukhamedkarim D.’s relatives and civil activists came to show their support. Representatives of the Akimat, the prosecutor’s office and the police also came to the court, claiming that this was an illegal meeting[61].

July 15, Almaty, at the plant “Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan” the so-called “Public hearings on consideration of the petition against the recycling fee and primary registration” were held. Public hearings in quotes, because there was no public at them and their presence was not even planned. A group of concerned citizens who were trying to get into the hearings were simply not allowed to get in. Many police cars were on duty near the plant, as if the SCO summit was taking place there[62].

July 16, Zhanaozen city, Dosekeeva Zh. was sentenced to a fine of 180908 tenge (380 USD at the exchange rate) under Article 488, Part 12 of the Criminal Code of the RK for an offense committed for the second time within one year. According to the court’s decision, Dosekeeva Zh. tried to organize an illegal rally by gathering residents of the city using her page in the social network TikTok[63].

July 16, Almaty activist Maria Kochneva claimed that she began receiving insulting and threatening messages a few days after a video of her participating in an anti-war rap freestyle appeared. She sang the song “Yo, orystar” (“Yo, Russians”) and said she would file a complaint with the police[64].

July 17, Astana, the case of journalist Adilbekov D., Article 419 of the Criminal Code of the RK, was referred to the Criminal Court of Astana for consideration. “Meanwhile, I have not received any official notification about the referral and the indictment. This is a serious violation of the prosecutor”, — said his lawyer Mautkanov[65].

July 17, Turkestan region, the Tolebi district court began considering the criminal case against activist Tataev Nurlybay. He was accused of committing an offense under Article 405, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The reason for the charge was his online conversation three years ago with Ablyazov M. The defendant is on recognizance not to leave the country[66].

July 18, Almaty: “Ombudsman Lastaev A. rejects all our complaints, claiming that political prisoners themselves do not ask him to visit them. In response to all our appeals, he writes that I should have a power of attorney from political prisoners to represent their interests in state bodies. This is another marasmus of the ombudsman. People are in places of deprivation of liberty, pre-trial detention centers and temporary detention centers, and A. Lastaev needs a power of attorney from a notary”, -said human rights defender B. Toregozhina[67].

July 18, Astana, journalist Tamara Vaal stated that the draft rules “On Approval of Standard Rules for Accreditation of Journalists (Representatives of Mass Media)»”, developed by the Ministry of Culture and Information under the leadership of Balaeva A., violates the Constitution, is a direct censorship and establishes a ban on the profession[68].

July 18, Almaty region, Konaev city, Muhammedkarim D., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK. He was transferred to a hospital. “Due to stress, prolonged hunger strike Duman’s health deteriorated. He has liver, kidney and stomach pains. There are joint protrusions. He has many diseases. He was told that the treatment will take about 10 days”, said his lawyer Nurpeisov G.[69].

July 18, Almaty, Lawyers of persons convicted in the case of seizure of the airport during the January events disagree with the Supreme Court’s refusal to review the case of their clients. They will continue to seek a review of the case[70].

July 18, Aktobe, the regional court considered the appeal of Dauylov M.K. against the decision of the administrative court of the region to cancel the decision and recognize the decisions of the state institution “Akim’s office of the city of Aktobe” illegal. He drew the attention of the court to the right to express an opinion in the form of a picket in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The court decided to leave the decision of the court as of February 13, 2024 unchanged and leave the appeal without satisfaction[71][72].

July 19, Astana, the criminal case against former Minister of Internal Affairs Turgumbayev E. came to court under the heading “top secret”, reports the press service of the Astana court[73].

July 19, in Kazakhstanthe outrage among journalists continues to grow against the draft order “On Approval of Standard Rules for Accreditation of Journalists (Representatives of Mass Media)”, developed by the Ministry of Culture and Information — journalists leave their comments under the post of Balaeva A., the head of the ministry[74].

July 19, Almaty, Adil Soz Foundation believes that the rules regulating the work of journalists and the media should facilitate access to information rather than hinder it. And when developing the rules, the norms of international commitments in the sphere of freedom of speech undertaken by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the provisions of the Constitution and current legislation should be strictly observed[75].

July 19, Astana, Minister of Industry and Construction Sharlapaev K., gave judgment on the results of consideration of the petition on the issues of recycling fee. It was decided to reject. The document, published on the e-government portal at 17.00, contains 24 pages of text in small print[76].

July 19, Almaty, After the Ministry of Industry announced in the afternoon that it would not abolish the recycling fee, participants in the anti-recycling fee movement reported that they intend to hold rallies. Activists have filed notices in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktobe, and Kyzylorda. It is reported that other cities will also submit applications to the Akimats[77].

July 19, Almaty, overview from the Adil Soz Foundation on the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from July 11 to July 19, 2024[78].

July 20, Konaev, the visit of the National Preventive Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture to the TDF in the city of Konayv was thwarted by an illegal attempt of the guards of the institution to divide the visitors into trustworthy and not so trustworthy, and also by the refusal of the visitors to comply with the illegal demand of the police officers[79].

July 22, Kokshetau, the trial on the case of torture in colony No. 1 (EC-166/4) in Atbasar, videos of which were circulated in September last year, began. There are 41 victims in the case and 12 people in the dock. They are charged under Article 146, Part 3, p.1 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The court proceedings have been declared open and are held with the participation of jurors[80].

July 22, Konaev city, Muhammedkarim D., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, was questioned at the court session. His lawyers said that Muhammedkarim D. did not admit the charges against him and claimed that there was no evidence[81].

On July 22, in Petropavlovsk, Izmailov S. received a phone call from a police trainee who said that Izmailov had to pay a fine. The deadline for this fine had not yet expired. Izmailov S. asked the trainee to introduce himself, but the trainee refused. The problem is that the trainee is not even a probationer, but has access to personal data and has no responsibility under the ethics of a public servant[82].

July 23, Almaty, Kochneva M.: The court on administrative cases decided to detain the activist for 10 days under Article 434 of the Criminal Code of the RK. Previously, Kochneva M. had been summoned to the police station because of her performance of the song “Yo, orystar” (“Yo, Russians”) at a music festival[83].

July 23, Almaty, Russian Natalya Narskaya, who had been detained for a year on Moscow’s extradition request, was released from a detention center in Almaty. She was accused of “incitement to extremism”[84].

July 23, Mangistau region, Zhabbasova Amangul, who was taken off the transport in late June while trying to travel to Astana during the SCO summit, has arrived in Astana from the city of Zhanaozen. She plans to go to the presidential administration building to seek justice[85].

July 23, Konaev city, a court was held to consider the petition of the lawyer Zhamuratov A., Article 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, to conduct open court hearings in his case. The court denied the request, referring to the statement of the prosecutor that there is a witness who allegedly fears for his life and safety, and also for the life and safety of his family[86].

July 24 Zhanaozen, a criminal case was opened by the police against the activist Dosekeeva Zh. under Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on incitement to discord because of posts in social networks. The trial in her case has been set for the 25th of July[87].

July 24, Almaty, a doctor who was shot in the head during the January events continues to struggle to live a normal life. The man is disabled and cannot have children. And yet he has been denied the right to even take out a mortgage! Family and friends are outraged by this attitude: a man who risked his life to save the lives of others deserves more than that[88].

July 25, Konayev city, municipal hospital: Mukhamedkarim D., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said: “I will never give up. I will stand to the end. I will never ask for apology or forgiveness. Above all, I will never confess to their false accusations. I’m sure I’ll still come out a winner. And not just me. The whole nation will win. Right now the system of thieves is in a dead end. They’ve backed themselves into a corner. And they have no other way out..”[89].

July 25, Astana, France’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kazakhstan Didier Canesse said in an interview: “238 dead according to official figures. This raises many questions. Unfortunately, many of them remain unanswered. I was shocked by the extent of the torture. Photographs of the bodies of victims tortured with an iron in Taldykorgan are forever etched in my memory. I was also frustrated by the trials that took place behind closed doors. Why are the people of Kazakhstan not considered worthy of knowing the whole truth about the ‘January events’”?[90].

July 25, Turkestan region, Dilara Isa, Azattyk’s correspondent in Shymkent, was summoned to the Saryagash district police station for questioning as a witness in the criminal case opened in connection with the incident in the village of Zhibek Zholy[91].

July 25, Almaty, the wife of A. Zhamuratov, Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK, Svetlana Zhamuratova informs that she received a call from Asylbek and he said that he would sew up his mouth as a sign of protest against the closed courts and political prosecution of Svetlana and relatives. His wife fears for his life and health[92].

July 25, Almaty, overview from the Adil Soz Foundation on the situation in Kazakhstan with the right to freedom of expression, receiving and disseminating information from July 18 to July 25, 2024[93].

July 26, Almaty, in the press center of the Human Rights Bureau, the parents of Ruzakhunov V. described the detention of their son. The 27-year-old resident of the city of Kentau, Turkestan region, was detained by NSC officers exactly one month ago after a search, during which nothing reprehensible was found. The NSC officers who conducted the search recorded this fact in a certain official document, which they offered to the detainee’s parents to sign[94].

July 26, Astana, Merkul A. was found guilty of committing an offense under Article 434, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment. In social networks, Merkul A. published a video recording of his speech in which he used foul language. This was the reason for holding the comedian liable[95].

July 29, Konaev, Mukhamedkarim D., Articles 258, 405 of the Criminal Code of the RK. Debates on the case of the journalist started. The prosecutor has requested for the defendant journalist 7 years of imprisonment and a 3-year ban on socio-political activities[96].

July 30, Karaganda, the courts of both instances refused to reinstate N. Devyatkin, who had previously been dismissed by Qarmet (formerly ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC) and who claimed to have lost his job after complaining about violations at the Shakhtinskaya mine where he worked[97].

July 30, Zhanaozen, Dosekeeva Zh. informed that a criminal case was brought against her under Article 174 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the RK. The activist together with her lawyer familiarized themselves with the case materials, with the conclusion of the expert Mirzakhodzhaev, where he says that there are signs of incitement to social discord in her posts. The subject of the investigation was the post[98].

July 30, Almaty, Aigul Akhmetzhanova, the wife of Ruslan Kuat, who was shot dead during the events of January 2022, filed a lawsuit against the state. She demanded compensation equal to her late husband’s two-year salary and reimbursement of funeral expenses. The court dismissed the claim of the widow[99].

July 31, Kokshetau, Akmola court started the trial against 12 employees of Atbasar penitentiary colony. Three of them are under arrest, the rest are free on bail. They are charged with the commission of a criminal offense in accordance with article 146 of the Criminal Code of the RK. T. Danebayev applied for dissolution of voluntary units of convicts in the colony. To bring military servicemen to criminal responsibility: Zhumataev, Rymzhanov, Abildin for concealment of the crime and to dissolve military unit No. 5510[100].

July 31, Almaty, at a press conference devoted to the verdict, public figure Sarsenbai R. made a statement on behalf of civil society activists. Sarsenbai R. said that the court’s decision in the case of Mukhametkarim D. will have an impact not only on his fate, but also on the fate of all independent journalism[101].

[1] https://kaztag.kz/ru/news/delo-o-khalatnosti-rassleduyut-po-yanvarskim-sobytiyam-protiv-politseyskikh-almatinskoy-oblasti

[2] https://bureau.kz/novosti/rezhimnaya-atributika/

[3] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33020573.html

[4] https://adilsoz.kz/weekly-monitoring/narusheniya-svobody-slova-v-kazahstane-s-20-iyunya-po-2-iyulya-2024-g-.html

[5] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33018913.html

[6] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33018881.html

[7] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33018096.html

[8] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33018544.html

[9]https://x.com/OSCE_RFoM/status/1808497235480420568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1808497235480420568%7Ctwgr%5Eb6bc83732adb0c9540405b9d1bb2061d91f10e08%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Frus.azattyq.org%2Fa%2Fv-kieve-pohoronili-zhurnalista-aydosa-sadykova%2F33021870.html

[10]https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02bo3Jzt7iRPeYdKETopMABehx7jsmWm3hz7PdPGTPzGiK8LiNq2Jxs7h2r97hDmhAl&id=100022710849711

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[12] https://rus.azattyq.org/a/33019829.html