Relatives of political prisoners in Kazakhstan keep on advocacy work, hope for democratic reforms

Inside an unfinished office building in the center of Almaty, down the hall and up a seemingly endless set of stairs was a tiny room packed with people. A child sat outside the room waiting for his mother, playing Roblox full volume on a tablet. On a March afternoon, nearly 40 people gathered around a table covered with scattered papers. The room occasionally broke out into chants for freedom and justice. The walls were nearly empty except for a map of Kazakhstan and a couple of signs, one of which read: “Let political prisoners be freed.”

In this gathering place, hidden from prying eyes, the people convened to fight for justice for Duman Muhammedkarim, an independent journalist in Kazakhstan, most known for his political YouTube channel called ​​Ne Deydi, meaning, “What are they saying?” in Kazakh.

Muhammedkarim is one of over 1,400 Kazakhstani citizens who have been arrested on financing terrorism charges, a crime critics say is often used to silence opposition voices in the country. In August last year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. The court also banned him from engaging in political and public activities for three years upon his release.

“When he was moved to Kyzylorda, they knew Duman’s story and his role [as a journalist],” Almas Tilepov, Muhammedkarim’s father, said. “How he investigated the cases of innocent January victims and those who were beaten, so they have not touched him physically.”

The exact incident that led to Muhammedkarim’s incarceration is up for debate. Some say he has been persecuted for interviewing Mukhtar Ablyazov, ex-banker and the leader of a banned party, while others blamed the content of his political journalism, which painted the government in an unfavorable light. Whatever the original cause, critics said, his arrest and subsequent conviction served as a chilling message to journalists to tow the political line or face repercussions.

Tilepov said while his son was working for state television, he attempted to investigate the Bloody January events of 2022, when the authorities violently quashed the unrest, and they told him to stay quiet. He refused and was arrested shortly thereafter.

“As for every parent would be the case, this is very hard,” Tilepov said. “We were proud he was a journalist. He traveled all around the world, he went with presidents, we learned things from him. He was a good son, the beloved son. But once he was in jail, we are worried about his health.”

The Coalition of human rights NGOs reports 105 people recognized as political prisoners in Kazakhstan in October of 2022. This number includes human rights defenders and journalists.

Muhammedkarim has gone on multiple hunger strikes and his health is suffering as a result. Tilepov said Muhammedkarim experiences issues with his kidneys, back, and sciatica pain.

“They wouldn’t give him water when he asks for it, they wouldn’t give him cigarettes, they insult him with words, curse him out,” Tilepov said. “The law says the detention in solitary confinement is not supposed to last more than 15 days and it’s been more than 90 days now for him.”

At the March meeting, Tilepov was not the only family member present who had lost a loved one to the prison system in Kazakhstan. Rysbek Sarsenbaev is a retired journalist and social activist fighting for justice for Muhammedkarim. He has closely followed Muhammedkarim’s case.

“After he [Duman] was detained, he saw a lot of violations,” Sarsenbaev said. “So, he complained and wrote to the prosecutor and wrote with a request that they inspected the prison, and he was placed in solitary again.”

Sarsenbaev lost his brother, Altynbek Sarsenbaev, in a 2006 assassination. Altynbek Sarsenbaev spoke out openly against former President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

Altynbek Sarsenbaev was the Kazakh ambassador to Russia, information minister, and the co-chairman of the opposition Naghyz Aq Zhol (True Bright Path) party. Altynbek Sarsenbaev, his driver, and bodyguard were found dead two days after going missing with gunshot wounds to the backs of their heads and their hands bound behind their backs.

“We were told that when he [Nazarbayev] was gone, we will have democracy, but Tokayev is now continuing his job, that hasn’t happened, there is no democracy,” Rysbek Sarsenbaev said. “So, journalists like Duman Mukhammedkarim – it’s important to put them in front of people.”

Sarsenbaev and Tilepov share one goal– justice for Duman Muhammedkarim.

“For the true freedom of speech in Kazakhstan, the system has to change,” Tilepov said. “But the eyes of the youth have been opened, so they will be able to change it.”

Sarsenbaev echoed the sentiment. He also said he would like to see real democratic reforms.

“That’s why I live my life, they need to know, we need to fight,” he said.