Kazakhstan: tired of bullying, convict threatens to hang himself

Convicts of the mixed security facility (prison) AK-159/25, located in the city of Zhezkazgan, continue to be bullied by the staff of the prison.

Human rights activist Yelena Semenova, who was contacted by convicts Kureish Daurbekov, Khozha Aliyev and Rafik Atlukhanov, reported on another facts of violation of the rights of prisoners in AK-159/25.

Daurbekov said by phone that he had five months left until the end of his sentence. However, the employees of the institution deliberately provoke him to violate the regime.

“The deputy chief and another employee B. A. came in, and my blood pressure was 200. The nurse of the medical post registered it. I was lying down, I was sick. And they began to complain about the uniform. But what to do? How to maintain order, if there is a mess, chaos in the institution? We gave our clothes for washing, but all things were lost. And not only mine! Several convicts didn’t receive their clothes back too. Also, according to the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it’s allowed to have a short trimmed beard, no more than 1.5 cm. But the officers told me that I didn’t shave, not responding to the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and my right. I haven’t shaved for four or five days because I’m sick, I can’t. My blood pressure is 200, and the employees deliberately provoke me. In general, everything in the institution is sold, everything is bought, but they come and provoke me. It’s not clear how the head of this institution could become the head, if earlier, during his work here, a man was killed here, and he again became the head. I am writing complaints, but I have constant formal replies from the court. Therefore, the employees constantly persecute me, provoke me, create problems,” said Daurbekov.

ACCA has already written about the convicts Khozha Aliyev and Rafik Atlukhanov.

In December last year, both of them, tired of bullying and torture, went on a hunger strike.

In addition, Aliyev Khozha threatened to commit an act of self-harm, because an illegal decision was put into his case that he was allegedly a self-murderer. And Rafik Atlukhanov promised to commit suicide.

Despite the fact that both prisoners have regularly complained to all instances about the actions of the colony’s employees since October last year, no action has been taken on their complaints.

“Since March 1, I am on hunger strike again. I am not given copies of the court orders. I wrote an official application for the issuance of copies, but they refused me, citing some stupidity. Allegedly, the psychologist’s document is confidential. But how can it be confidential if this decision, recognizing me as a suicide, affects my rights and interests? After applying for a hunger strike, the prosecutor received me via Skype and promised to come on March 5, but he came on March 12. He asked me about my problems, promised to find out, but he disappeared,” Aliyev said.

In turn, Rafik Atlukhanov said that he had already tried to commit suicide and hanged himself in front of the colonel, but the doctors of the institution saved him. There was no investigation into the incitement to suicide.

“I wrote complaints to the Directorate of Personal Security, to the Ministry of Public Health about my diagnoses and why I am not being sent for treatment. The staff of the institution came and took the mattress from me, but I cannot walk, it’s hard for me, I need an operation. This is a real victimization. I said I would hang myself every two hours. There is nothing else left for me. I wrote posthumous letters that I was tired of enduring self-will, lawlessness on the part of the staff of the institution. I have posthumous letters in my pockets, so that you know. They come in, provoke me, and when they drive me mad, they turn on the recorder. So, I remain a scapegoat. Let them send me to the madhouse,” complains Atlukhanov.

In mid-November last year, an appeal from convicted Zhaniyar Zharmakhanov, who was serving his sentence in this institution, appeared on social networks and messengers. In the video, the man, who had sewn up his mouth and eye, said that the officers of AK-159/25 were torturing convicts. He called his video message “dying” and gave the name of the institution, where he was serving his sentence, “Zhezkazgan’s Guantanamo”.

Meanwhile, Elena Semenova also reported an incident at the facility EЦ-166/5, which is located in the village of Arshaly in Akmola region. According to the human rights activist, troops were brought into the maximum security colony in the morning on March 17.

“Relatives, who could, arrived at the institution early in the morning. An ambulance was already at the gate. According to the relatives, the reason for this event was the conflict among the convicts. Allegedly, a conflict situation was previously deliberately provoked. The staff brought vodka, drugs, cell phones to the institution, thus provoking a conflict among the convicts. This was the reason to bring in troops. Everyone knows how planned and unplanned searches are carried out. This was probably why the ambulance had arrived early in the morning. Don’t allow lawlessness!” said Semenova on social networks.

ACCA already wrote about the institution EЦ-166/5, popularly called “Cherry”. It was here that Ruslan Bobrov, sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling drugs, made a protest action in September 2019, having sewn up his mouth.