Bekizhan Mendygaziyev (in grey T-shirt) with his brothers and friends
The police, National Security Committee (NSC)and Prosecutor's Office fabricated a politically motivated criminal case under Article 296 Part 2 ("Illegal production, processing, purchase, storage, transportation without intent to sell narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their analogues") against Bekizhan Mendygaziyev, brother of human rights activist and philanthropist Barlyk Mendygaziyev.
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On 6 November 2020, OMON officers (approximately 20 men) raided the office of Karagachanak Support Service LLP ("KSS"), located in Aksay, in order to conduct a search. During the search of Bekizhan Mendygaziyev's brother's room of temporary residence, in his absence, investigators "found" (planted) a bag of hash in a jacket which was hanging in the room. According to Bekizhan, the jacket did not belong to him. Bekizhan denies using, possessing or distribution of narcotic substances and their analogues.
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Bekizhan's first interrogation took place on 28 December 2020, after which no investigative measures were taken. However, following Bekizhan's participation in a peaceful authorised protest in Uralsk on 28 February 2021 demanding freedom for political prisoners, an investigator summoned Bekizhan to the police on 3 March. The investigator demands that Bekizhan performs a DNA test using his blood to determine whether the jacket in which the police had planted the bag of hash belongs to Bekizhan. When asked by Bekizhan why blood and not a cheek swab, a fingernail or a hair, the investigator insists on blood.
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The investigator added that in case of refusal, he will get a court order that will oblige Bekizhan to take a DNA test. The NSC assigned six people to the investigation team in this criminal case (two from Astana and two from Uralsk), although such a case can and usually is handled by a single investigator from a district police department. This confirms the political motive of the case.
The political persecution of Bekizhan Mendygaziyev is linked to the patronage and human rights activities of his brother, Barlyk Mendygaziyev. Barlyk Mendygaziyev helps to pay fines, services of lawyers for activists and provides humanitarian assistance to the families of political prisoners and those politically persecuted.
Bekizhan Mendygaziyev told his story to human rights defenders Lyudmyla Kozlovska ("Open Dialogue" Foundation), Antonio Stango (Italian Federation for Human Rights) and Daniyar Khassenov ("ActivistsNotExtremists" human rights monitoring group).
