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Kazakhstan
Trade Union leader in jail
www.socialistworld.net, 29/08/2002
website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI
Four activists from the Karaganda Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Kazakhstan are currently under arrest and are facing serious charges. This is a continuation of the type of repression doled out to worker activists who are building an independent class opposition to the authoritarian rule of gangster-capitalist Nazabayev regime.
Call for an international protest on 7 September 2002
The following is an appeal by Rob Jones in Moscow, who is helping to highlight their case throughout the CIS and internationally:
At a hearing on 28 August, the judge refused to release Saken Zhanusov and he now faces several months in jail awaiting his trail, the date of which has not been set.
Saken and his three comrades who are currently on bail are charged with a total of 9 criminal offences and Saken faces up to 5 years in jail. The charges are criminal trespass (in their own premises), libel (which is a criminal, not a civil offence in Kazakhstan) and assaulting officers of the court.
The latter charge arose when a court bailiff manhandled Saken, including choking him. When Saken’s son, Ruslan went to assist his father, both men were accused of "attacking" three court officers and three police. The libel charges relate to a campaign, organised by the trade unions, which exposed how money due to be paid as wages was being used by local businessmen for other purposes. As a result of their campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars have been repaid in wage arrears, but instead of bringing charges against these crooked businessmen, the court is accusing the trade union of smearing their character.
The court and prison system in Kazakhstan are designed to defend the interests of the ruling elite and its business supporters. Saken now faces several months in prison whilst the police continue their investigations. It should be remembered that Ionur Kurmanov, a well-known workers’ leader and CWI supporter, and two of his comrades were in a similar position in the mid nineties and spent 5 months in jail. One of the comrades later died as a result of the conditions in jail. When Ionur was eventually brought to trial, the charges proved to be practically unsubstantiated. A tremendous international campaign of solidarity organized by the CWI was instrumental in getting the eventual release of the comrades in Uralsk.
In Saken’s case, the repressive nature of the charges are so blatant that the Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Kazakhstan, in effect the EU Ambassador in Kazakhstan has contacted Saken and told him that they are very concerned at what is happening and will be officially requesting an explanation from the Kazakhstan Government.
We say:
- Free Saken Zhanusov immediately!
- End repression of the trade unions in Karaganda!
- Drop the charges against Saken and Rustan Zhanusov, Ramil Mingazov and Sergei Popov!
- End repression of the Worker’s movement in Kazakhstan!
- Pay off all wage arrears immediately!
- Put on trial all businessmen involved in fraud!
The CIS section of the CWI is calling a Day of International Protest on 7 September 2002. We plan to organise pickets on that day and around that date at a number of Kazakhstan embassies and consulates and other representative bodies. We aim to include:
Australia – in Sydney
Austria
Belgium
Belarus
Canada (Consulate in Toronto)
Czech Republic (Mission in Prague)
Germany (Embassy in Berlin, Consulates in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Hanover)
Greece (Consulate)
Israel (Tel Aviv)
Italy (Rome)
Poland
Russia
Spain
Ukraine
England
USA (Consulate and UN Mission in New York)
Full details of these offices and others are provided below.
We appeal to all socialists, workers’ movement activists, trade unionists, community and student activists and human and democratic rights activists to take action immediately.
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Algeria - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Armenia - Ambassador with residence in Moscow |
for information see Russia |
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Australia - Consulate (Sydney) |
144 Clyde Street |
tel:(612)9365-3011, fax:9365-3044 |
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Austria - Embassy (Vienna) |
Felix Mottlstrasse 23 |
tel: (431) -367-91-750 fax: 367-91-7433 |
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Azerbaijan -Embassy (Baku) |
370000 Baku, Inglab street 82 |
tel: (99412)-90-62-48 fax: 90-62-49 |
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Bahrain - Ambassador with residence in Riyadh |
. for information see Saudi Arabia |
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Belgium - Embassy (Brussels) |
Avenue van Bever, 30 |
tel: (322)-374-95-62 fax: 374-50-91 |
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Belarus - Embassy (Minsk) |
Minsk, Kuibysheva, 12 220029 |
tel: (375172)-13-30-26 fax: 84-48-10 |
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Bulgaria - Ambassador with residence in Budapest |
for information see Hungary |
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Canada - Ambassador with residence in Washington D.C. |
for information see United States |
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Canada - Consulate (Toronto) |
347 Bay Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2R7, Canada. |
tel: (1416)-593-40-43 fax : 593-40-37 |
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China -Embassy (Beijing) |
N9, Dong 6 Road, San Li Tun, |
tel: (8610)-6532-6182, fax: 6532-6183 |
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China - Passport-VisaServise (Urumqi) |
31, Kunming road, Urumqi, China 830011 |
tel: (86991) 381-57-96, fax:382-1203 kazpass@mail.xj.cninfo.net |
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Cuba- Ambassador with residence inNew York |
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Czech Republic - Mission (Prague)Ambassador with residence in Budapest |
Romaina Rollanda 12, |
tel/fax: (4202)-333-756-42, 333 756 43 |
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Egypt - Embassy (Cairo) |
73, 15th Street , Maadi, Cairo, Egypt |
tel/fax: (202)-359-84-21 |
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France - Embassy (Paris) |
59, rue Pierre Charron |
tel: (331)-4561-52-00 fax: 4561-52-01 |
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Finland-Ambassador with residence in Moscow |
for information see Russia |
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Germany - Embassy (Berlin) |
Nordenstrasse 14-17, D-13156 Berlin |
tel: (4930) 470-07-111, fax 470-07-125 |
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Germany - Consulate General (Frankfurt) |
Untermainkai 44, 60329 Frankfurt/M BRD |
tel: (4969) 971-4670, fax: 97146818 |
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Germany - Consulate (Dusseldorf) |
BRD, Morserstrabe 57, 40667 Meerbusch |
tel (492132) 931-640, fax: 931-642 |
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Germany- Consulate (Hannover) |
30171 Hannover, Sallstrasse 64A |
tel:(49511) 301-868-80, fax 301-868-88 |
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Greece - Consulate (Athens) |
8, Zalokosta str., 10671 Athens, Greece |
tel.: (301) 361-66-87, fax 361-66-89 conskaz@otenet.gr |
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Hungary - Embassy (Budapest) |
1025, Budapest, Kapy u. 59 |
tel: (361)-275-13-00, fax: 275-20-92 |
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India -Embassy (New Delhi) |
4, Olof Palme Marg, Vasant Vihar, |
tel: (9111)-614-4779, fax: 6144778 |
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Iran -Embassy (Tehran) |
Tehran, Darrus, Hedayat st., Masjed 1 , N4 |
tel: (9821)-256-59-33, fax: 256-64-00 |
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Irish Republic - Ambassador with residence in London |
for information see United Kingdom |
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Israel - Embassy (Tel-Aviv) |
270, Hayarkon Str. |
tel: (9723)-604-33-49, fax: 604-33-64 |
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Italy - Embassy (Rome) |
Piazza Farneze 101, |
tel: (3906)-6880-8640, fax: 6889-1360 |
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Japan - Embassy (Tokyo) |
9-8 Himonya 5-chome, |
tel: (813)3791-5273 fax: 3791- 5279 |
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Jordan - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Korea, Republic of -Embassy (Seoul) |
32-15 Nonhyun-dong |
tel: (822)-548-14-15, fax: 548-14-16 |
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Kyrgyzstan - Embassy (Bishkek) |
Bishkek, Togolok Moldo street, 10 |
tel: (996312)-66-04-15 fax: 22-54-63 |
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Kuwait - Ambassador with residence in Riyadh |
for information see Saudi Arabia |
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Libyan Arab Jamahiriya - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Lithuania -Embassy (Vilnius) |
LT 2009, Vilnius, Akmeny str.7 |
tel: (3702) -22-21-23 fax: 31-35-80 |
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Malaysia - Embassy (Kuala Lumpur) |
Suite 6.07, Floor (North Block), AmpWalk 218 Jalan Ampang 50450, Kuala Lumpur |
tel: (603)-216-64-144, 216-67-872, 216-66021 |
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Malta - Ambassador with residence in Roma |
for information see Italy |
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Marocco - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Mexico - Ambassador with residence in Washington D.C. |
for information see United States |
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Moldova - Ambassador with residence in Kiev |
for information see Ukraine |
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Mongolia - Mission (Ulan-Bator) |
Ulan-Bator, 6 mcr, N 95 |
tel: (9761)-312240 fax: 312204 |
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Oman - Ambassador with residence in Riadh |
for information see Saudi Arabia |
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Norway - Ambassador with residence in London |
for information see United Kingdom |
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Pakistan - Embassy (Islamabad) |
House N2, Street N4 |
tel: (9251)- 226-2807, fax: 226-2806 |
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Pakistan - Consulate-General (Meshed) |
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tel (9851) - 71-61-67, fax 762-55-90 |
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Pakistan - Consulate (Karachi) |
Plot 6/3, Street 27, Phase 5 Extention |
tel: (9221) 583-84-20, fax 583-84-18 |
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Poland - Embassy (Warsaw) |
lok 18, ul.Staroseinska 1, 02-516 |
tel: (4822) 849-42-30, fax 646-0705 kazdipmis@hot.pl |
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Russia - Embassy (Moscow) |
Russia, Moscow, |
tel: (7095)-927-18-12, fax: 208-26-50 |
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Saudi Arabia - Embassy (Riyadh) |
Riadh 11693 P.O. Box 94012 |
tel: (9661)-454-86-60 , fax: 454-77-81 |
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Spain - Embassy (Madrid) |
C/cascanucces, 25 |
tel: (3491) 721-6290, fax 721-9374 |
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Sweden - Ambassador with residence in London |
for information see United Kingdom |
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Switzerland - Embassy (Bern) |
Alleweg 15, CH-3006, Bern |
tel:(4131)351-7969, fax:351-7975 |
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Switzerland - Mission to the United Nations’ Office in Europe (Geneve) |
Chemin de Prunier 10, |
tel: (4122)-788-66-00, fax: 788-66-02 |
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Syrian Arab Rep. - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Tajikistan - Embassy (Dushanbe) |
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tel (992372) 27-18-38, fax: 21-89-40 dipmiskz@tajik.net |
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Thailand - Mission (Bangkok) |
Suite 3E1-3E2, 3rd Floor, |
tel: (662) 7149890, 7149891, fax: 7147588 kzdipmis@asianet.co.th |
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Tunisia - Ambassador with residence in Cairo |
for information see Egypt |
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Turkey - Embassy (Ankara) |
Turliye Ankara/ Cankaya 06680 |
tel: (90312)-441-23-01 fax: 441-23-03 |
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Turkey - Consulate (Istanbul) |
Sahil Caddesi, No. 3/1, Yesilyurt-Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Turkey |
tel: (90212)662-5347, fax 662-5349 |
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Turkmenistan -Embassy (Ashgabad) |
Ashgabat, Gerogly street, |
tel: (99312)-39-55-48, fax: 39-59-32 |
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Ukraine - Embassy (Kiev) Ambassador cross-accredited to Moldova |
Melnikova str.26 |
tel/fax: (38044)-213-1198, |
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United Arab Emirates - (Dubai) Ambassador with residence in Riyadh |
PO Box 14180, Dubai UAE |
tel (9714) 224-24-62, fax 224-24-82 |
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United Kingdom - Embassy (London) |
33 Thurloe Square |
tel: (44207)-581-4646, fax: 584-8481 |
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United Nations Organization - Permanent Mission (Ambassador cross-accredited to Cuba) |
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 586 |
tel.: (1212) 230-19-00, |
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United States of America - Embassy (Washington D.C.) |
1401 16th Street, N.W. |
tel: (1202)-232-54-88 fax: 232-58-45 |
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United States of America - Consulate (New York) |
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 586A |
tel: (1212) 888-30-24, fax 888-30-25 |
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Uzbekistan -Embassy (Tashkent) |
700015 Uzbekistan |
tel: (99871)-136-09-86 fax: 152-16-50 |
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Vietnam - Ambassador with residence in Beijing |
for information see China |
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Committee for a Workers' International