In Kazakhstan, war breaks out between human rights defenders

A “war” broke out between Kazakh human rights defenders, who mainly advocate for the rights of prisoners. For the second month now, on social networks and human rights sites, huge amounts of dirt have been laid out in huge portions. It finds out that some of those who defend the rights of convicts did not disdain to take money from the colonial administrations in order to turn a blind eye to certain facts of torture and mockery of prisoners.

The first clashes in this war began in the second decade of August. The well-known human rights activist Elena Semenova, who advocates for the rights of prisoners, published a post-disclosure on her Facebook page about one of her colleagues, who managed to turn one correctional institution into a “golden cow”, where prisoners were tortured.

“I have some very interesting and unexpected documents: fake contracts related to correctional institutions, fake court orders, and some more evidences which are impossible to get rid of and refute,” Semenova wrote. “Studying these documents, it is amazed at how and in what manner things turned out, how they deceived the convicts and their relatives, as well as the entrepreneurs who helped the “human rights defenders”, as they thought in their noble cause.”

Then, without giving names, she listed some facts of this “human rights” activity.

For example, they bribed journalists to turn a blind eye to the outrageous facts of prisoners’ torture and not write about it. They paid the media to create a positive image for them. Also they took money from the prison staff that no one finds out about torture…

This post made a lot of noise. However, reasonable criticism was expressed to Semenova that the disclosure should contain specific names and surnames of those exposed.

Later Semenova posted a new post in which she explained that it was about the Head of the Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners, Konstantin Gadauskas.

“Gudauskas (of course, he was not alone) promised prisoners and relatives freedom and reduction of time in jail, investigation of deaths in prisons and he took millions for his promises,” the human rights activist wrote on August 26. “He borrowed millions from the relatives of the convicts, and when it came time to give money back, the convicts and their relatives suddenly started having problems.”

Semenova explains that in order to convince the relatives of the convicts, Gadauskas posted on his page a fake video made near the Supreme Court, where he claimed that he allegedly won the case and the convict was discharged.

“Of cause, nobody checked his words, everyone congratulated him on the victory. Despite, it was a lie, people believed him and went to him. Later, when Gudauskas “smelled troubles”, he deleted this video,” Semenova claims. “In addition, the needed photos were taken with the right people during various meetings, as they say, good shots. Then these photos were shown to relatives and prisoners. And what could prisoners and their relatives think looking at such shots?”

It should be noted that Gadauskas didn’t ignore the attacks against him and put forward counterclaims. So, in his opinion, Semenova was hired by those who wanted to take control of a new business that appeared in Kazakhstan’s prisons – the SIZO [Pre-trial detention center] Shop.

The SIZO Shop is an online store where relatives of convicts or prisoners themselves can purchase goods that are allowed in places of imprisonment: cigarettes, food, hygiene products, etc. The online store started work in May of this year. As stated then in the Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners, which is one of the creators of the project, the SIZO Shop will minimize corruption risks and reduce the waiting of relatives at the walls of the prisons. In addition, it was noted that the proceeds would be directed to projects that improve the lives of people in places of imprisonment.

According to Gadauskas, bullying on social networks began just when the SIZO Shop began to make a profit.

Semenova didn’t remain leave that unanswered and published on the website of the Unified Media Platform of the Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan an answer to these charges, saying that the prices in the SIZO Shop are cosmic. For example, a bread costs $0.45 (in ordinary stores the price of bread is $0.20), and sausage costs $14.6 (in ordinary stores it is three times cheaper). At the same time, according to Semenova, the prisoners also paid for the delivery of purchased products – $6.5. Thus, according to her calculations, the amount of one order could reach up to $100.

At the end of August, Semenova reports that Gadauskas borrowed the idea of ​​a delivery store from another project – vnimaniye.kz, whose partner is the Regional Representative office of the International Organization PRI Penal Reform International.

When the passions reached their culmination, the Republican public association “Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners” published an open letter on its website signed by the Chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Coalition Marianna Guryina, as well as all the leaders of the regional branches of this organization:

“We, the leaders of the regional branches of the NGO “Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners”, officially declare the following, in connection with the information provided by the public figure Semenova on her Facebook page,” the document says. “The alleged charges brought against Konstantin Gudauskas didn’t related to the regional representatives, as well as other employees and members of the Coalition who honestly and conscientiously fulfill their duties. In order not to mislead Internet users, we officially declare that the RPA “Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners” is a republican organization that includes many public figures and experts, not just Konstantin Gudauskas, against whom serious charges are being brought. Putting human values ​​and rights above all else, we demand not to depict the activities of the RPA “Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Prisoners” and its employees as criminal. In the future, the authors of negative materials regarding K. Gudauskas should keep in mind: when mentioning people not involved in any illegal actions, each of us reserves the right to apply to the court for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. We inform you that at the moment, the work of branches in the regions cannot continue until the situation is clarified or the Coalition is reorganized. We publicly declare the suspension of documents or projects in force or at the stage of signing. Further information about the resumption of activities or other actions will be carried out by us on the Coalition’s website and on the Coalition’s page, or on the personal pages of regional leaders. According to our data, the founders of the organization verify the arguments published in social networks.”

It should be added that posts about Gadauskas provoked the appearance of publications about other alleged human rights defenders. So, an article on the activities of human rights activist from the Karaganda region Nina Erkaeva, who is the Chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC), appeared on the site of the Unified Media Platform of the Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan.

It reported that Erkaeva tried her best to prevent members of the Association “Relatives against torture” Ruslan Ozdoev, Tatyana Fast, Rymkesh Abeldinova from visiting institutions AK-159\7 and AK-159\5 to verify the facts of torture of convicts.

“It is not surprising that it was under such leader of the PMC that torture, corruption, extortion, ill-treatment, and gross violations of the rights of convicts were and are being committed. It was Erkaeva who covered all these crimes. However, according to Erkaeva herself: “The Public Monitoring Commission of Karaganda region was created to help the Department of the penal system.” And it was in one of the prisons of Karaganda region that the political prisoner Mukhtar Dzhakishev, who became a disabled person as a result of such treatment, was systematically persecuted and ill-treated. But, Erkaeva, not only didn’t notice that, she assisted it, because she defended the interests of the penitentiary system,” the publication says.

As for Gadauskas, on her Vkontakte page, Semenova posted audio recordings on which supposedly Gadauskas talks with the prison officers and asks to arrange for some prisoner a personal hell – “so that they beat him” and “push the mop in the anus” (https://vk.com/id559223599?w=wall559223599_20).

It remains to add that Gadauskas became famous in 2012, when he was sentenced to five years in prison. Then, human rights organizations supported a well-known philanthropist and public figure helping former prisoners and seriously ill children. Gadauskas organized concerts for children, and helped freed prisoners get a job. However, the police found out that the funds for charity were received by Gadauskas as a result of criminal activity – he robbed the rich and gave money to the poor (https://www.ktk.kz/ru/news/video/2012/02/16/16140/?fbclid=IwAR0XIrmtHvqkhh68k6DE4FSp33QR5Yk8vWAq3vYKZZvMMV7xfaQJyN_X4ZU )

As for Elena Semenova, she began her advocacy work by protecting people who took mortgages. Then her activities began to cover the rights of prisoners. Semenova, in her own words, repeatedly received threats. Last year, someone tried to set her house on fire. At the end of January of this year, Pavlodar police used physical force against the human rights activist. This incident caused the International Organization “Amnesty International” to defend her.