Appeal from Kazakh activists to Frenchmen: Rescue Ablyazov from Putin and Nazarbayev
“Rescue Ablyazov from Putin and Nazarbayev” – this is the appeal from Kazakhstan activists to the President of France, Francois Hollande, and the Prime Minister Manuel Valls. The action was supported by key representatives of Kazakh civil society, journalists and human rights defenders, including Serykbołsyn Äbdyldin, Ramazan Yesergepov and Karishal Asanov.
The appeal was signed by
- Ramazan Yesergepov
- Dr Karishal Asanov
- Bakhyt Tumenova
- Yevgeniy Zhovtis
- Rozlana Taukina
- Andrei Sviridov
- Gulzhan Ergalieva
- Sergey Duvanov
- Zhasaral Kuanyshalin
- Aliyia Turusbekova
The telegram was sent directly from the Almaty branch of Kazakhtelecom on 11th March. The signatures were collected a day prior during the presentation of the “Svoboda” award. In his speech, this year’s laureate, Serykbołsyn Äbdyldin, noted that it was Ablyazov who became the first to be presented with the award and it is he who needs support the most today.
The appeal was signed by Kazakh activists, representatives of the media and academic circles, including the well-known Kazakh investigative journalist Ramazan Yesergepov, arrested for criticising Nazarbayev, Dr Karishal Asanov, human rights defenders Bakhyt Tumenova and Yevgeniy Zhovtis, the independent journalists Rozlana Taukina, Andrei Sviridov, Gulzhan Ergalieva and Sergey Duvanov, and the activists Zhasaral Kuanyshalin and Aliyia Turusbekova.
The telegram was dispatched by the wife of the oppositionist Vladimir Kozlov, Aliya Turusbekova, who had previously initiated a similar campaign in support of Muratbek Ketebayev, arrested at the end of the year in Spain (currently Ketebayev is free). As Turusbekova explained, the appeal was addressed to the President and the Prime Minister, because under French law, after the Cassation Court upheld the judgement on the extradition of Ablyazov, the final decision will be made by the authorities. Turusbekova argued that his extradition to Russia or to Ukraine, and in particular to Kazakhstan, would be tantamount to a death sentence. She also recalled the recent murder of Nemtsov and the death of Aliev. “We do not want Mukhtar Ablyazov to meet a similar fate,” she said.
The action was not without an intervention from Kazakhtelecom though. When Turusbekova was filling in the required forms, the company’s security guards demanded that cameras be switched off by the numerous journalists gathered on location. Ultimately, a telegram was sent and a reply from the French authorities is awaited.
Sources: nakanune.kz, azzatyq.org
More about
-
07Kozlov: Home country of La Marseillaise may not support dictatorships
apr -
04Manuela Serra appealed to the President of France
dec -
10France has refused to extradite Mukhtar Ablyazov to Russia and Ukraine
dec -
10France has refused to extradite Mukhtar Ablyazov to Russia and Ukraine
dec -
14France to extradite Ablyazov on Moscow's request. Mediapart about his case.
mar
Related galleries
-
Ablyazov’s memories: how he dropped out of school and got into business
-
Mukhtar Ablyazov with family
-
Mukhtar Ablyazov: Prison Camp Experience
-
The Italian television channel ‘TG1’ about the kidnapping of Ablyazov’s family members
-
Akorda’s political hostages
Related Publications
- In a shocking decision, French Government Decrees Extradition of Kazakh dissident Mukhtar Ablyazov to Russia (.pdf, 0.42 MB)
- The statement of human rights activists of Ukraine and Kazakhstan on the inadmissibility of the extradition of Syrym Shalabayev, a relative of a Kazakh opposition leader (.pdf, 0.88 MB)
- The case of Tatiana Paraskevich: Through misuse of the EU's justice system, Kazakhstan's lobbyists seek to have Paraskevich's asylum status revoked (.pdf, 0.32 MB)
- The Open Dialog Foundation welcomes Lithuania’s decision to deny the extradition of Syrym Shalabayev to Kazakhstan or Ukraine (.pdf, 0.33 MB)
- Prominent Russian human rights activists сalled for preventing the extradition of Mukhtar Ablyazov (.pdf, 0.18 MB)
