On 4 June 2021, Pavlodar District Court No. 2 announced the verdict in the politically motivated criminal case under Article 405 Part 2 ("participation in an extremist organisation") against civil activists from Pavlodar and Ekibastuz, Nurgul Kaluova, Daryn Khassenov, Kaliaskar Amrenov, Zhanat Zhamaliyev and Maksut Appasov. For almost 7 months, Nurgul Kaluova, Daryn Khassenov, Kaliaskar Amrenov, Zhanat Zhamaliyev have been kept in the pre-trial detention facility.
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They have been prosecuted for:
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1) Calling for and participation in subbotages (evening walks).
2) Calling for and participation in peaceful protests.
3) Discussions via Zoom with the human rights activist Lyudmyla Kozlovska on how to set up a human rights group.
4) Advising on "how to behave when detained at a rally".
5) Discussing the preparation of posters and banners for a peaceful protest.
6) Criticism of the authorities.
7) Demands for a change of power.
Judge Zhanar Turlubayeva sentenced Maksut Appasov, Zhanat Zhamaliyev, Daryn Khassenov and Kaliaskar Amrenov to 1 year of restriction of liberty. Nurgul Kaluova was sentenced by a judge to 1 year and 6 months of restriction of liberty. They were also sentenced to 100 hours of community service and a 3-year ban on social and political activities, and were each ordered to pay 27,780 tenge ($65) to the "Crime Victims' Compensation Fund".
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In its resolution on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan of 11 February 2021, the European Parliament has called on the Kazakhstani authorities to cease all politically motivated prosecutions and release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. The European Parliament condemned the Kazakhstani authorities' abuse of anti-extremism legislation to persecute supporters of the peaceful opposition movements “DCK” and “Koshe Partiyasy”.
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We call on the US, the EU, the UK and Canada to impose personal sanctions on: the head of the NSC, Karim Massimov; the Prosecutor General, Gizat Nurdauletov; and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Yerlan Turgumbayev.
