KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, APRIL 2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001129

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, APRIL 2007

Ref: A. Astana 1033, B. Astana 834, C. Astana 691


1. The "Almaty Notes" series is intended to maintain focus on
developments in civil society, the media, and the opposition in
Kazakhstan's "southern capital" following the move of the Embassy to
Astana.

Journalist Still Missing
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2. Journalist Oralgaysha Zhabagtaykyzy, last seen March 30 in Almaty
(Ref A),remains missing. Zhabagtaykyzy's relatives believe that
her disappearance is related to her articles for the "Zakon I
Pravosudiye" (Law and Justice) independent weekly. The two
articles, entitled "What are the Links between the Murder of an
Invalid and the Embezzlement in KazakhMys Corporation?" and "Bloody
Arbitrariness, or Who is Behind the 'Makhnovtsy' Brothers" were
published on March 7 and March 26 respectively. In her first
article, the journalist wrote about a resident of Dzhezkazgan City,
Sagit Shakputov, who reportedly was killed by a hit man, Vita
Makhmakhanov. Someone allegedly hired the killer to conceal
embezzlement in the KazakhMys Corporation. The second article was
about the Kazatkom conflict. Zhabagtaykyzy and her colleague Mukhit
Iskakov traveled to Almaty from Astana on March 29 to collect
additional information about the Kazatkom conflict for another
article.


3. On April 18 a group of Mazhilis deputies sent a request to the
Procurator General, National Security Committee and Interior
Ministry asking them to ensure special control over the
investigation into the case of the missing journalist. (Interfax,
April 18)

Aliyev Versus Nurbank Managers
--------------


4. The case of former Nurbank chairman Abilmazhin Gilimov (Refs B
and C) has been passed to the Medeu district court in Almaty, the
Vremya weekly reported on April 12. Gilimov has reportedly been
accused of inciting and organizing the March 31 attack on Nurbank's
office. The officers of the special police squad who participated
in the attack have been charged with abuse of power. President
Nazarbayev's son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev is the main shareholder of the
bank.


5. The Medeu district court also continues to examine the libel
lawsuits filed by Rakhat Aliyev against the wives of the Nurbank
former managers, Armangul Kapasheva and Nadira Bazarbayeva. In
early February, Kapasheva and Bazarbayeva accused Aliyev of
"depriving their husbands of freedom." In response, Aliyev filed
libel lawsuits against them. Recently there have been rumors about
possible reconciliation between the parties. However, Mrs.
Kapasheva has not confirmed the reconciliation. The last court
hearing on April 18 did not take place because witnesses from both
parties failed to appear in the court. (www.zonakz.net, April 19)

Alga Party's Problems with Registration
--------------


6. In an attempt to attract public attention to its problems with
registration, in late March in every region of the country the Alga
party filed applications to demonstrate on April 12 in front of the
local offices of the Ministry of Justice. Out of 17 applications,
10 were denied and seven received no response. Alga then decided to
organize public events on April 12 to hand over petitions instead.
However, on the eve of the event in some regions, including
Shymkent, Kzylorda, Taraz, Aktobe and Petropavlovsk, local
procurators visited the Alga offices to serve the party with
warnings against the actions. Alga nevertheless went through with
the planned events In Almaty and Astana cities the events went
peacefully, but in other regions they were disrupted by the local
authorities. In the cities of Petropavlovsk, Kostanay and Rudniy
nine Alga activists in all were fined for organizing the
unsanctioned actions. (Alga party press releases, April 12 and 18)


7. Alga filed its most recent application for registration on
November 9, 2006. According to the Law on Political Parties, the
Ministry of Justice was supposed to make a decision within one
month. On March 8, the MOJ's Registration Committee suspended the
registration process in order to check the submitted documents.
Since then the registration has remained suspended. (Alga party
press release, April 12)

Almaty Residents Protest Intensive Construction
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8. The city administration has denied Almaty city residents' request
to hold a rally in the center of the city, the head of the
committee, "Let's Defend Our City", Dametken Alenova, told a press
conference in Almaty on April 10. The city administration offered
the outskirts of the city for the rally, but the organizers of the
rally rejected the offer and have filed a new request for a rally in
the center of the city on April 29. The Let's Defend Our City
Committee opposes the demolition campaign and what they perceive as
overly intensive construction in Almaty. (Kazakhstan Today news
agency, April 10)

Women Object to Eviction from Dormitory
--------------


9. On April 11 about 30 women, tenants of the Architecture Academy
dormitory in Almaty, picketed the city administration office. They
were protesting against the eviction of their families from the
dormitory. The deputy city akim received the women, but denied
their right to stay in the dormitory. The women threatened to
picket the Eurasia Media Forum and to seek asylum in other
countries.


10. A month ago, court bailiffs attempted to evict forty families
from the dormitory belonging to the academy. The tenants opposed
the eviction and on April 4 announced a hunger strike. The tenants
maintained they had been living in the building for many years and
had the right to privatize their living quarters. (Channel-31,
April 11)

Draft Bill on Opposition Activities
--------------


11. The National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan organized on
April 12 in Almaty a round table discussion of its draft bill on
opposition activities. The draft bill provides for guarantees that
opposition parties will have representatives on election commissions
and that opposition factions' representatives in Parliament shall
chair at least a third of parliamentary committees. According to
the bill, if there is a block of opposition parties in Parliament,
it will be allowed to nominate the deputy speaker of each house.
Some participants expressed doubts that Parliament would accept the
bill for consideration and support it. (Press release, April 12)

Self-Mutilation in Corrective Facility
--------------


12. On April 15 in the high security facility in Zarechnaya, Almaty
Oblast, 70 inmates slashed their stomachs and wrists to protest
conditions in the facility. Twelve inmates were hospitalized.
Criminal cases have been filed against the participants of the
action, a representative of the oblast prosecutor's office reported.
Recent amendments to the Criminal Code provide for 7 to 10 years
imprisonment for those who participate in self-mutilation and
disobedience actions. (Interfax news agency, April 15 and 20)

Police Officers Involved in Brawl Arrested
--------------


13. In Almaty three former policemen who participated in a fight
with local residents in the Bodrym caf have been arrested, the
deputy head of the Almaty police told the Kazakhstan news agency on
April 14. During the March 25 conflict in the caf the former
policemen killed a visitor and harshly beat two others. A probe
into the case is underway.

ORDWAY