Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASTANA929
2009-06-01 10:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, MAY 11 - 22
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000929
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ECON SOCI KIRF KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, MAY 11 - 22
ASTANA 00000929 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000929
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ECON SOCI KIRF KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, MAY 11 - 22
ASTANA 00000929 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) The "Almaty Notes" series from U.S. Office Almaty focuses on
developments in civil society, the media, and the political
opposition in Kazakhstan's "southern capital."
TRIAL OF OPPOSITION LEADERS ENDS
3. (U) The trial of opposition leaders Bulat Abilov, Asylbek
Kozhakhmetov and Tolen Tokhtasynov came to an end on May 22. The
procurator asked the judge to find the opposition leaders guilty of
concealing a serious crime. (NOTE: The opposition leaders had
signed letters supporting an asylum request made in Ukraine by
Yesentay Baysakov, a Kazakhstani citizen previously involved with
the opposition, who turned out to be a suspect in a murder. END
NOTE.) At the same time, the procurator asked the judge not impose
any punishment because the statute of limitations had expired in
April. The judge satisfied these requests in his May 22 verdict.
4. (U) Civil society leader Yevgeniy Zhovtis, who served as defense
attorney for the opposition leaders, described the judge's ruling as
"controversial." He said it was not clear if the guilty verdict
would nevertheless have legal consequences for the opposition
leaders (such as barring them from participating in future
elections). In any event, they plan to lodge an appeal.
5. (SBU) Abilov's deputy, Peter Svoik, told us on May 20 that the
case was designed to target another opposition leader, Galymzhan
Zhakiyanov. According to Svoik, the authorities had hoped to lure
Baysakov and his brother back from Ukraine and get them to testify
against Zhakiyanov in the murder case. However, the Baysakovs did
not return to Kazakhstan and Svoik believes they are unlikely to do
so. In addition, Abilov refused to testify against the Baysakovs.
Now the authorities have no option but to quietly let the case
against the opposition figures drop, Svoik claimed.
CAMPAIGN FOR A FREE INTERNET
6. (U) On May 15, an activist from the Campaign For A Free Internet,
Irina Mednikova, was warned by an Almaty procurator not to organize
a "flash mob" -- a form of protest which has become increasingly
common in Almaty. However, she ignored the warning, and on May 16,
approximately 30 youth activists from the Campaign For A Free
Internet assembled in Arbat square in Almaty to protest against a
draft law on the Internet which was recently sent to the Senate.
The activists told passers-by that the new law would limit access to
the Internet in Kazakhstan. Police watched the protest, but did not
interfere. No one was detained.
NEW MASS MOVEMENT
7. (U) On May 13, the Leave the Houses to the People organization
held a press conference to announce that it is starting a new mass
movement, "Kazakhstan - 2012." The movement will unite individuals
with burdensome mortgages and "dolshiki" (i.e., people who lost
savings they invested into the construction of housing that has not
been completed). According to the leaders of the new movement -- a
group which includes noted activist Aynur Kurmanov -- its
coordination committee alone includes more than 5,000 people. The
slogan of the new movement is, "Change Your Policy, or We Will
Change (Replace) You." One participant in the new movement, Akhmet
Askharov, said, "We firmly state that we will not support the
current regime in the next elections, and that is why we called our
movement 'Kazakhstan - 2012.'"
TRADE UNION ROUND TABLE
8. (U) On May 16 in Almaty, leaders of several independent trade
unions, together with NGO activists, held a round table on "Problems
of the Consolidation of Trade Unions in Kazakhstan." It was the
first event of its kind during the past decade. Participants
included Pavel Shumkin of the Independent Trade Union of Miners,
Ivan Bulgakov of the Eastern Kazakhstan Copper Industry Trade Union,
Daniyar Besbayev of the Oil Industry Workers Trade Union, Sergey
Belkin of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and
representatives of Aynur Kurmanov's Socialist Resistance movement.
Many participants argued that the current economic crisis has
ASTANA 00000929 002.2 OF 002
created favorable conditions for reviving the organized labor
movement. The pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of
Kazakhstan refused to attend the round table.
UNIFICATION CHURCH UNDER INVESTIGATION
9. (SBU) On May 12, an Almaty procurator ordered authorities tojyaQNQguilty
verdict against Drenicheva, but vacated the prison term. During a
meeting with us on May 21, Unification Church leaders Konstantin
Krylov and Tatyana Andrushchenko expressed serious concern about the
investigation.
MILAS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ECON SOCI KIRF KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, MAY 11 - 22
ASTANA 00000929 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) The "Almaty Notes" series from U.S. Office Almaty focuses on
developments in civil society, the media, and the political
opposition in Kazakhstan's "southern capital."
TRIAL OF OPPOSITION LEADERS ENDS
3. (U) The trial of opposition leaders Bulat Abilov, Asylbek
Kozhakhmetov and Tolen Tokhtasynov came to an end on May 22. The
procurator asked the judge to find the opposition leaders guilty of
concealing a serious crime. (NOTE: The opposition leaders had
signed letters supporting an asylum request made in Ukraine by
Yesentay Baysakov, a Kazakhstani citizen previously involved with
the opposition, who turned out to be a suspect in a murder. END
NOTE.) At the same time, the procurator asked the judge not impose
any punishment because the statute of limitations had expired in
April. The judge satisfied these requests in his May 22 verdict.
4. (U) Civil society leader Yevgeniy Zhovtis, who served as defense
attorney for the opposition leaders, described the judge's ruling as
"controversial." He said it was not clear if the guilty verdict
would nevertheless have legal consequences for the opposition
leaders (such as barring them from participating in future
elections). In any event, they plan to lodge an appeal.
5. (SBU) Abilov's deputy, Peter Svoik, told us on May 20 that the
case was designed to target another opposition leader, Galymzhan
Zhakiyanov. According to Svoik, the authorities had hoped to lure
Baysakov and his brother back from Ukraine and get them to testify
against Zhakiyanov in the murder case. However, the Baysakovs did
not return to Kazakhstan and Svoik believes they are unlikely to do
so. In addition, Abilov refused to testify against the Baysakovs.
Now the authorities have no option but to quietly let the case
against the opposition figures drop, Svoik claimed.
CAMPAIGN FOR A FREE INTERNET
6. (U) On May 15, an activist from the Campaign For A Free Internet,
Irina Mednikova, was warned by an Almaty procurator not to organize
a "flash mob" -- a form of protest which has become increasingly
common in Almaty. However, she ignored the warning, and on May 16,
approximately 30 youth activists from the Campaign For A Free
Internet assembled in Arbat square in Almaty to protest against a
draft law on the Internet which was recently sent to the Senate.
The activists told passers-by that the new law would limit access to
the Internet in Kazakhstan. Police watched the protest, but did not
interfere. No one was detained.
NEW MASS MOVEMENT
7. (U) On May 13, the Leave the Houses to the People organization
held a press conference to announce that it is starting a new mass
movement, "Kazakhstan - 2012." The movement will unite individuals
with burdensome mortgages and "dolshiki" (i.e., people who lost
savings they invested into the construction of housing that has not
been completed). According to the leaders of the new movement -- a
group which includes noted activist Aynur Kurmanov -- its
coordination committee alone includes more than 5,000 people. The
slogan of the new movement is, "Change Your Policy, or We Will
Change (Replace) You." One participant in the new movement, Akhmet
Askharov, said, "We firmly state that we will not support the
current regime in the next elections, and that is why we called our
movement 'Kazakhstan - 2012.'"
TRADE UNION ROUND TABLE
8. (U) On May 16 in Almaty, leaders of several independent trade
unions, together with NGO activists, held a round table on "Problems
of the Consolidation of Trade Unions in Kazakhstan." It was the
first event of its kind during the past decade. Participants
included Pavel Shumkin of the Independent Trade Union of Miners,
Ivan Bulgakov of the Eastern Kazakhstan Copper Industry Trade Union,
Daniyar Besbayev of the Oil Industry Workers Trade Union, Sergey
Belkin of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and
representatives of Aynur Kurmanov's Socialist Resistance movement.
Many participants argued that the current economic crisis has
ASTANA 00000929 002.2 OF 002
created favorable conditions for reviving the organized labor
movement. The pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of
Kazakhstan refused to attend the round table.
UNIFICATION CHURCH UNDER INVESTIGATION
9. (SBU) On May 12, an Almaty procurator ordered authorities tojyaQNQguilty
verdict against Drenicheva, but vacated the prison term. During a
meeting with us on May 21, Unification Church leaders Konstantin
Krylov and Tatyana Andrushchenko expressed serious concern about the
investigation.
MILAS