Step up protests over arrests and fines
[see also: last article with protest letter]
‘Kazakhstan 2012’ held a press conference in Almata. In a statement, its leaders said:. “Yesterday in a record [short] time, activists of the campaign ‘Leave the people’s homes alone’ were subjected to various fines and the leader of the organisation, Yesenbek Ukteshbaev, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest”. Initially, it was indicated that up to nine were being held, but now it remains Esenbek alone and he needs maximum support internationally.”
Stan TV reported: “The leaders of the movement are not giving up. Activists of ‘Leave the people’s homes alone’ will have another try to meet the ‘Leader of the Nation’ (Nazarbayev). On the 15 March they did not get to meet him, the road was blocked by the forces of order, who brutally attacked them and took them to the police stations. To get to meet with the President is no longer an aim, but a principle. Leader of the movement ‘Talmas’, Ainur Kurmanov, declared that now the aim is to call on the Kazakhstan people to boycott the election, and to stand in defence of their leader Esen Ukteshbaev. “’We are prepared to spread our protest over all of Kazakhstan’, he said. ‘And are starting a petitioning campaign’. According to Kurmanov, it is even possible there will be pickets of embassies organised in other countries. Kurmanov declared that the real electoral rights of the citizens are under attack, crushed, he says, by the truncheons and jackboots of the riot police”.
Campaigns of protests are urgently needed to get Esen released, and all charges dropped, in the form of letters and, and, where possible, pickets of embassies. Please see previous report where addresses and e-mails for protests and messages of solidarity are listed.
[see also: last article with protest letter]
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