In the mixed security facility (prison) AK-159/25, located in the city of Zhezkazgan, three inmates went on hunger strike. Well-known Kazakh human rights activist Elena Semenova reported this on social networks.
In her open appeal addressed to the Committee of the Penitentiary System and the Prosecutor General’s Office, the human rights activist writes that she has received “warning signals” from this institution
“Aliyev Khoja has been on hunger strike since October 26. His health has become worse; his blood pressure reduces. They called an ambulance. He refuses to eat because he found out that an illegal decision was put into his case stating that he allegedly tried to commit suicide. On this occasion, the prosecutor came and the convict, in the presence of the prosecutor, asked the psychologist why she wrote that. The psychologist replied that maybe he told someone that he might commit an act of suicide, i.e. the psychologist wrote it just like that, and the convict is trying to prove that this document is falsification. For justice’ sake, the convict is ready to commit an act of self-harm, because he is tired,” writes Semenova.
The second convict, who went on hunger strike, is Rafik Atlukhanov. According to Semenova, he has not taken food for 10 days, and has lost 9 kg of weight over the past week. The third person is a certain V.L. Filin. According to Semenova, he also has not eaten for 10 days and, moreover, has sewn up his mouth.
“According to convict Rafik Atlukhanov, he is provoked and brought to an act of suicide. He is asked to write a waiver, and other convicts are turned against him. He also said that the prosecutor came and during the conversation told the convict that he constantly gathers his employees and conducts lectures and professional talks. What kind of lectures and professional talks can a prosecutor conduct if, within the framework of his powers, he is obliged to take measures of prosecutorial response?’ Semenova is surprised.
According to her, the doctors of the institution don’t take any measures, don’t monitor the state of health of the convicts who are on hunger strike.
It should be noted that the institution AK-159/25 has been on the news just recently. In mid-November, an appeal from convict Zhaniyar Zharmakhanov appeared on social networks and messengers. On the video, a man who has sewn up his mouth and eye, says that employees of this institution torture prisoners. He called his video message “dying”, and gave the name of the institution where he is serving his sentence “Zhezkazgan’s Guantanamo”.
On November 16, a video with the convicted Nurlybek Baimakhanov appeared on YouTube. He also said, addressing to the Prosecutor General and the President of the country, that the employees of the institution wanted to kill him.
At the end of November, the Department of the Penitentiary System in Karaganda region reported that a check had begun on the facts of these video appeals. The Department also clarified that Zharmakhanov and other convicts, who have sewn up their mouths and eyes, serve their sentences for committing especially grave crimes.
“In order to clarify the circumstances, an investigative-operational group arrived at the institution together with representatives of the Prosecutor’s office and the leadership of the Department of the Penal System in Karaganda region. In the course of the investigation, the convicts were questioned, their mobile phones were seized. We would like to inform you that convicts, who file complaints, have been repeatedly prosecuted and are malicious violators of the established regime of detention,” the Department noted.
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