KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, FEBRUARY 2007

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SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, FEBRUARY 2007



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.

Trial of True Ak Zhol Leader Bulat Abilov
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2. On February 14, the Almalinskiy district court resumed the trial
of Bulat Abilov and his two business partners, Baurzhan Karabekov
and Ualikhan Baybosyn. Pol FSN attended the hearing. All three
defendants pled not guilty. Karabekov's lawyer requested an
adjournment until March 10 to allow time to scrutinize the evidence
in the case. The judge denied the request, prompting the lawyer to
move to exclude the judge on the grounds of bias toward the
prosecution. The district court chairman rejected the motion.


3. After considering motions, the court questioned two plaintiffs
out of the twelve present. The first plaintiff, an 81-year old
woman, presented documents showing that she was actually a
shareholder in a different investment fund. The second plaintiff,
Aleksander Bogachyev, testified that Almaty Financial Police
officers had encouraged him to file a claim against Abilov.
According to Bogachev, they said "Don't you think it would not be a
bad idea to get 50,000 tenge ($400) by mail. Otherwise, while you
will are working hard, Abilov will be relaxing in the Bahamas."
Both plaintiffs renounced their claims. The judge and procurators
appeared confused, and the hearing was suspended until February 20.


Events in Memory of Sarsenbaiuly
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4. The opposition in Almaty organized a number of events in memory
of murdered True Ak Zhol leader Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly around the
one-year anniversary of his February 2006 murder. Pol FSN attended
a February 6 hearing of the Public Committee set up a year ago to
follow the murder investigation. At the hearing, opposition
leaders, the lawyers for the victims, and Sarsenbaiuly's brother
stressed that the crime had not been properly investigated and
solved and those who organized the assassination had not been
identified. The hearing concluded that the case should be
categorized as an act of terrorism and re-investigated because "the
crime was aimed at undermining public security and intimidating the
population."


5. On February 10, a mass gathering in memory of Sarsenbaiuly was
held in Almaty in front of the Academy of Sciences. The city
administration sanctioned the gathering. Pol FSN attended the
rally, which was organized by the opposition and attracted about
1,000 participants. The opposition leaders and public figures who
addressed the meeting included Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, Bulat Abilov,
Oraz Zhandosov, Tulegen Zhukeyev, Tolen Tokhtasynov, Asylbek
Kozhakhmetov, Rysbek Sarsenbayev, Yevgeniy Zhovtis, and Irina
Savostina. Rysbek Sarsenbayev stated "I suspect President
Nazarbayev and members of his family, Rakhat and Dariga, as well as
Nurtay Abykayev of being involved in the assassination." None in
the crowd appeared shocked by the statement. Several policemen were
observing the rally, which proceeded peacefully. Participants
approved a resolution demanding the re-investigation of the case,
the dismissal of the Procurator General and Minister of Interior for
failing to solve the crime, the disbanding of the "Arystan" special
National Security Committee unit, and re-naming a street in Almaty
after Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly.

Trial of the "Shanyrak Defenders"
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6. The trial of the "Shanyrak Defenders" continues in the Almaty
city court. At a hearing of the case on February 8, the lawyers for
the defense filed a motion asking the court to call the mayor of
Almaty City as a witness. They also asked for the video recorded
during the riots to be played. Both motions were rejected. (TV
Channel-31, February 8)

Two Young Uighurs of Chilik Convicted of Hooliganism
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7. On February 8, the court in the settlement of Chilik found two
young residents guilty of inciting a November 2006 fight between
young Kazakhs and Uighurs. Last year some press reports described
the fight as an interethnic conflict. However, the court found it
was hooliganism and sentenced each defendant to 18 months in prison.
According to a press report, some residents of the settlement were
not satisfied with the ruling, saying it was too light. (TV

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Channel-31, February 8)

Academicians on Kazakhstan-Russia Relations
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8. "Sometimes the Russian elite and the journalists get the
impression that the Kazakhstani elite is not really interested in
developing and strengthening our integration relations," said
Professor Vlasov of Moscow University at a round table on
Kazakhstan-Russia relations held in Almaty on February 7. Vlasov
also raised the issue of ethnic Russians in Kazakhstan. Burikhan
Nurmukhamedov of Ak Zhol party responded by saying that "Russia is
currently impeding Kazakhstan's development." Nurmukhamedov cited
the energy sector as an example. "Kazakhstan failed to answer the
German Chancellor's question about our readiness to diversify energy
flows going to the European Union, because of the fear of damaging
relations with its northern neighbor." A journalist reporting on
the event wrote that the harsh reaction was triggered by the fact
that Professor Vlasov raised the issue of Russians in Kazakhstan.
(Panorama, February 9)

Almaty District Akim Accused of Bribery
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9. On February 7, the Turksib district court in Almaty examined the
case of the former akim of the district, Vladimir Vasilyev. In
September 2006 Vasilyev was accused of bribery under Article 311 of
the Criminal Code. The procurator in the case asked the court to
sentence Vasilyev to nine years in prison with confiscation of his
property. However, the court found Vasilyev guilty of only abuse
of power (Article 307 of the Criminal Code) and gave him a
three-year suspended sentence. (Rakhat TV channel, February 7)

New Monthly Newspaper
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10. Respublika weekly has launched a new project called "Respublika
in the Regions," a monthly newspaper that will focus on events and
developments in the regions. It is believed that Turan-Alem Bank
chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov, a former opposition leader, is behind
Respublika.

Centers for Teaching Kazakh Language
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11. Central Asian University in Almaty has set up a center for free
teaching of the Kazakh language. In the future there will be a net
of 16 centers all over the country. (Yuridicheskaya Gazeta daily,
February 8)

Suspended Sentence for Hizb ut Tahrir Member
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12. On February 8, the city court in Almaty handed down a one-year
suspended sentence to accused Hizb ut Tahrir member Rustem
Masimbayev . Masimbayev was detained in September last year while
distributing leaflets at the central market. (TV Channel-31,
February 8)

Two Well-known Public Figures Pass Away
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13. On February 20, two well-known public figures, Sabit Zhusupov
and Bolatkhan Tayzhan, passed away of heart attack. Zhusupov was 60
years old. He was a sociologist, political scientist and the
president of Kazakhstan Institute of Social-Economic Information and
Prognostication founded in 1998. From 1997 to 1998 he was the
deputy director of the Presidential Institute for Strategic Studies.
Previously, he worked for Information-Analytical Center at the
Presidential Administration headed by Marat Tazhin. Tayzhan, 66
years old, was a retired career diplomat who served as Kazakhstan's
ambassador to a number of countries: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia,
Algeria, Syria, Libya and Malaysia. Since 2005, Tayzhan had headed
a patriotic-nationalist movement, "Ult Tagdyry - Yel Tagdyry"
(Future of the Nation - Future of the Country).

ORDWAY