Political trials against activists and human rights defenders in Nur-Sultan city

On 19 April 2021 Alma #NURUSHEVA, Roza #MUSAYEVA, Nazym #SERIKPEKOVA – human rights defenders from the #Veritas movement and Daniyar #KHASSENOV – moderator of the human rights group #ActivistsNotExtremists spoke during a live broadcast about the politically motivated trials in #Astana.

In the period from 12 April 2021 to 19 April 2021 Alma NURUSHEVA, Roza MUSAYEVA and Nazym SERIKPEKOVA monitored on-line court trials against human rights defenders and activists – Aliya #ZHAKUPOVA, Yerbol #YESHOZHIN, Askar #KAIYRBEK, Ainur #MYRZALIYEVA.

 

 What is considered “extremist” in the actions of activists and human rights defenders according to the Nazarbayev regime:

– participation in peaceful protests and rallies (investigators write explicitly “for participation in peaceful protests”),

– humanitarian aid campaign for political prisoners,

– greeting Mukhtar ABLYAZOV on his birthday or New Year,

– using a gesture used by Mukhtar ABLYAZOV,

– publicly refusing to go to a protest organised by Zhanbolat MAMAY,

– calls for peaceful rallies in the Kazakh language on social media.

 

Roza MUSAYEVA and Alma NURUSHEVA noted that online trials were conducted with multiple violations. Practically, the lawyer was deprived of the opportunity to prepare and conduct an adversarial defence of activists and human rights defenders in the court:

– political prisoners were informed of a date of the court right the day before the hearing, with no opportunity for the defence lawyer to meet with the defendant and draw up a defence line because of the quarantine;

– during the trial, the defence lawyer is unable to present the defence position, to point out the violation of the client’s rights because of being silenced/blocked all the time;

– court hearings are moving in a “galloping” pace and the prosecution – the prosecutor – cannot clearly explain the violation of the law. Most of the time the prosecutor is asleep or is engaged in inarticulate reading of something from a piece of paper during the trial. The prosecution side is supported by IDENTICAL expertise, in the cases of Aliya ZHAKUPOVA, Yerbol YESHOZHIN, Askar KAIYRBEK, Ainur MYRZALIYEVA, which were made by political science student named MURAT A. However, Judge ALKENOV Ibrahim was not confused by this.

 

 The following trials:

Ainur MYRZALIYEVA – 20 April at 16:00

Aliya ZHAKUPOVA – 22 April at 15:40

Askar KAIYRBEK – 23 April at 09:00

Serik ZHAKHIN – 23 April at 09:00

Yerbol YESHOZHIN – 29 April at 11:00

 

 According to paragraph 23 of the European Parliament Resolution dated 11 February 2021, it calls on the EU delegation to Kazakhstan to monitor the ongoing human rights violations and take a public stand against violations, assist victims of political persecution and imprisoned activists by attending trials against government critics and human rights defenders and requesting prison visits, as well as to respond promptly and resolutely to any actions contrary to the rule of law, democracy and human rights principles.

 

 Unfortunately, no diplomats from the EU or the European Union in Kazakhstan were present in Astana at these trials. The trials are held online and the diplomats could have verified the political and absurd character of the activists’ and human rights defenders’ cases even without leaving their offices.

Be sure to keep MEPs informed about the progress of the political trials and how well the recommendations of the European Parliament resolution are being implemented by the Kazakhstani authorities as well as the EU diplomats.

 

More details:

 on the case of human rights defender Aliya ZHAKUPOVA:

 on the case of human rights defender Ainur MYRZALIYEVA:

 on the case of human rights defender Askar KAhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/ActivistsNotExtremists/permalink/29550411114818