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What are Kazakhstan's prisoners hoping to achieve through hunger strikes?

On December 19th, a press conference was held at the Kazakhstan Bureau for Human Rights, focusing on the issue of hunger strikes among prisoners. The discussion specifically highlighted journalist Duman Mukhametkarim and Marat Zhylyanbaev, the leader of the unregistered party "Alga, Kazakhstan!" Orda.kz reports on the reasons behind their hunger strikes.
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As Nurpeisov explained, initially, Mukhmetkarim, who was in the pre-trial detention center, was informed that according to the rules, he should have been transferred to a correctional facility. He agreed, and he was subsequently moved to the detention center.

“There, they twisted Duman's arms and threw him into a cell. He started demanding his rights to be respected, after which he was transferred to a cold punishment cell — without heating, without warm clothing, and on a cold floor,” Nurpeisov recounted, noting that his client has kidney issues.

The hunger strike that Mukhmetkarim ultimately declared was a way to draw attention to the violation of his rights. It was also an attempt to achieve a legal transfer from the detention center to a penal colony. For this reason, as Galyam Nurpeisov explained, Mukhmetkarim cut his hands, stomach, and neck. The lawyer emphasized that his client did not attempt to take his own life. However, they cannot clearly explain why Duman has not been sent from the pre-trial detention center.

“In the meantime, there have already been six transfers to Zarechnoe. But Duman has still not been moved.”

Currently, Mukhmetkarim has stopped his hunger strike. Meanwhile, Marat Zhylyanbaev, who was also mentioned at the press conference, has been continuing his since November 13. This is not the first hunger strike declared by the leader of “Alğa, Qazaqstan!”, who was convicted at the end of 2023 under the article on participation in and financing of an extremist organization, namely the banned “Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan.”

As reported by “Alğa, Qazaqstan!” activist Sergey Izmaylov and Zhylyanbaev's lawyer Meyrzhan Doskaraev, the convicted marathon runner is protesting against the conditions of his detention. He is serving his sentence in a colony in Stepnogorsk and is currently in the disciplinary isolation unit. According to Izmaylov and Doskaraev, the condition of the cells in the DIZU is terrible — rats are running around, and there is very high humidity.

“In their cell, even mushrooms are growing. There is dampness and mold!” Doskaraev exclaims.

However, the initial reason for the hunger strike was the lack of communication with loved ones. Zhylyanbaev requested that Skype be set up for communication with his family, to which he was told that the messenger had been banned in the penal system. Izmaylov clarified that currently, Marat is completely deprived of contact with the outside world.

“He has no opportunity to watch television. He doesn't even receive letters, although by law he should receive them without restrictions, immediately after passing censorship,” says Sergey Izmaylov.

Meyrzhan Doskaraev also pointed out that the colony in Stepnogorsk is currently headed by Kazbek Baikadamov. In 2023, he was in charge of the colony in Atbasar — precisely when staff there were beating inmates. This is the case for which a court process recently began.