Kazakhstan: human rights defender will be returned to prison for appealing to Dariga Nazarbaeva

The well-known Kazakh human rights activist and lawyer Vadim Kuramshin was found guilty by the court that he was not at home after 10 p.m. According to Kuramshin, he was punished for the video appeal to the speaker of the Senate of Kazakhstan, Dariga Nazarbaeva, in which he asked the daughter of Nursultan Nazarbaev to intercede for the Kazakh citizens who bought cars in the countries of the Customs Union (in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan).

Vadim Kuramshin, whose main activity was the protection of the rights of prisoners, was arrested in January 2012 in Zhambyl region. He was accused of extorting money from the prosecutor’s assistant of Kordai region.

In August of that year, the jury, having examined the case of Kuramshin, re-qualified the prosecution for the article “Usurpation of power” and sentenced him to one-year restriction of freedom. However, later the board of appeals of the Regional court of Zhambyl quashed the judicial decision. The human rights activist was sentenced to 12 years in prison in a maximum security colony with confiscation of property.

Six years later, Kuramshin was released on parole. He moved to the capital of Kazakhstan (the city of Nur-Sultan), and to survive in an elementary way, he purchased a car in Armenia and worked as a taxi driver.

Note that before the citizens of Kazakhstan had the opportunity to drive cars with foreign license plate numbers (from the Customs Union’s countries). However, in January 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that these cars should be cleared by the customs and registered in Kazakhstan. Otherwise, the cars will be expelled from the country.

Vadim Kuramshin, like hundreds of other Kazakh citizens, was in an unenviable situation, since customs clearance of such cars would cost 10% of their value. In this regard, he decided to create a public association “Steering wheel to the people”, which would advocate for these car owners. According to the human rights activist, immediately after the announcement of this initiative, pressure from law enforcement agencies increased on him. However, Kuramshin did not stop this, and on January 27 he published a video message on YouTube to the speaker of the Senate of Kazakhstan, the daughter of the country’s first President, Dariga Nazarbaeva.

“People in the regions went to rallies, but we have nothing to do with these meetings. I did not participate in these meetings, because I do not have the right to do this and do not want to be in prison again,” Kuramshin, who is under probation supervision, said in his message. “In fact, we are forbidden to drive our cars. Thousands of people are asking you, Dariga Nursultanovna, to step in this situation. I believe that I have the moral right to ask you to spare me 30 minutes of your precious time to discuss this issue.”

After the video message was released, Kuramshin published a poll on Facebook, where he asked the opinion of subscribers what they would do with him for addressing to Dariga Nazarbaeva.

“Answer options: 1) again they put me like a sprat in a tin can / put in prison; 2) they will call me to the NSC, remind of my responsibilities as a parole person and possibly hurt; 3) Dariga Nursultanovna will order an examination of my sanity with the provision of free treatment in a closed institution; 4) I will be lynched by active freethinkers on Facebook; 5) our meeting will take place this time (if it takes place, the result is implied by itself),” Kuramshin wrote on January 28.

On February 1, an administrative offense protocol for non-execution of the court verdict was drawn up against the human rights activist. In particular, he was accused of being absent from home after 10 p.m., where he was supposed to stay as a person under probationary supervision.

According to Kuramshin, he was in Kokshetau at that time, where he took a client. At the same time, the human rights activist noted that he applied to law enforcement agencies for permission to do a private long-distance transportation. And this permission was given to him by the first deputy chief of police of Saryarkinsky district of Nur-Sultan city, the police lieutenant colonel K. Zhumagaliev. Moreover, Kuramshin explains, he was in constant contact with the district police officer, reported to him about his movements, and the policeman knew very well that he was not at home at the moment.

But, despite this, the court found Kuramshin guilty of an offense incriminated to him.

“The inquisition has just happened in court. As my lawyer said, Kazakh justice has just wiped its feet on the law,” Kuramshin said after the trial.

He also said that before all these events he hoped for the removal of parole and leave Kazakhstan to Russia.

“But they again imprison me in the most shameful way! What for? I abandoned the idea of ​​registering a public association. I only dreamed of removing parole and leaving for Russia in March. Moreover, the state gives me no other choice, because my car is recognized outside the law and must leave Kazakhstan. Karim Masimov (the chairman of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan), you are far from stupid person! But why is this nonsense happening? What is the logic? It is clear that your department is behind this. Dear Karim Masimov, change your mind! Why do you need me here?” says Kuramshin

It should be noted that if this court decision is not canceled, the human rights defender will be returned to the colony for the entire unexpired term.