August 2002

Workers' Movement Kazakhstan "Solidarnost"
Over the repression of leaders of the Workers' Movement in Kazakhstan

Appeal from the Executive Committee of the WMKS

In the past couple of months there has been a significant increase in repressive measures used by the state (police, KNB, courts) against the leaders and activists of the WMKS, trade unions, human rights organizations and journalists.

This is connected to the recent split in the ruling elite, between, on the one side, some of the oligarchs and former bureaucrats and on the other Nazarbayev’s family and clan. As a result of this struggle over the redivision of power and ownership of capital and national resources, a number of leading businessmen and leaders of the so called „Kazakhstan’s Democratic Choice“ have been arrested and imprisoned. These include Ablazov and Zhakiyanov.

In order to avoid a further politicization of the country and prevent social protests by the workers and other oppressed sections of the population, and also to allow the further consolidation of reactionary forces around the President, the regime has moved to step up repression and remove even those democratic rights that are at least declared to exist. For example, a number of independent newspapers have been suspended and shut, including „Sol dat“, „Respublika“, „Vremya Po“, „Delovaya nedelya“ and the TV channel „Tan“. With the intention of further pressurizing left forces and the radical opposition, the Presidentially controlled Parliament has passed a draconian new law on „Political Parties in the Republic of Kazakhstan“ which requires any party to have over 50000 members before it is registered and therefore allowed to operate. As the population of Kazakhstan is only 13 million, clearly only a few pro Presidential parties will be able to achieve this figure.

At the same time the government has confirmed its intentions of continuing with the liberal economic reforms in the interests of a small group of bourgeoisie and multinational corporations. In the autumn, the government is planning to pass a law allowing the privatization of land, thus depriving the peasantry of the lion’s share of their earnings.

The regime sees the threat of social protest and the development of the workers’ movement, and consequently the strengthening of left and Marxist organizations as the greatest danger. The special services and local courts have therefore initiated a campaign of pressure on trade union leaders and activists in the WMKS. These include I Kurmanov from Uralsk, G Nikitin from Kentayu, I Torbekov from Dzhambul, S Zhamabayev from Almata and S Zhunusov, R Mingazov, S Popov and R Zhunusov from Karaganda.

The biggest pressure is presently on the leaders of the Karaganda workers movement because this is currently the epicenter of the class struggle in Kazakhstan. On 19th April 2002 „unknown persons“ smashed in the doors of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Karaganda but after police investigation the leaders of the Association, Saken Zhunusov and Ramil Mingazov were themselves charged with criminal damage. They and their two comrades are now the subject of 7 criminal investigations and are constantly being harassed and questioned. The EC of the WMKS believes that this is deliberate intimidation approved by K Mukhamedzhanova, the Akim (Mayor) of Karaganda and the President aimed at destroying the resistance of the working class in this important miner’s region. Left activists in the city are taken off trains, as happened with Ramil Mingazov on 25th June 2002, beaten up by the police and representatives of the Prosecutor’s office and charged with „slandering big businessmen and industrialists“. All members of the EC of the WMKS have been banned from leaving the city and all can face arrest at any time. A sinister new twist has been added by the words of the judge hearing a recent case who argued that long term psychiatric treatment was needed for the President of the Karaganda WMKS Saken Zhunusov. There has already been a case of the use of repressive psychiatric treatment in the city against the then First Secretary of the Regional Committee of the Kazakhstan CP, Victor Zhiluba. During his previous sentence he was involuntarily injected with an unknown substance, which has left him invalided.

On the 23rd of June 2002 members of the KNB took Iskander Torbekov, the leader of the Dzhambul Regional Confederation of Free Trade Unions from the train on which he was traveling. During the arrest drugs were planted in his luggage and he was charged. At the same time another leader of the Confederation, Genaddy Nikitin has been charged under 2 articles of the criminal code. On the 12th July the KNB carried out an illegal search of the flat of Co President of the WMKS, Sakhib Zhenabaeva in Almata. This search, it was claimed was in connection with the arrest in the same city of the radical journalist and opposition activist Sergei Duvanov, who has been charged with „Offending the honour of the President“ and „libel’.

It should also be pointed out that all investigations and court hearings are carried out with many breaches of legal rights and proceedings. Physical and psychological pressure is put on the friends and relatives of the oppositionists. For example the relatives of Sakhib Zhanabayev and Saken Zhunusov have been visited and threatened.

Repression and provocations are directed first and foremost at the workers’ movement. Members of the special police and KNB beat up and arrested members of the WMKS on a peaceful picket of the Supreme Court in Astane on 4th July 2002. 28 were arrested. Attempts are also being made to prevent left and worker activists from uniting their forces throughout the country. The regime is showing that most of all it fears not the new liberal opposition or the prostrated communist party, which it uses to try and channel off safely social protest. It fears the perspective that the working class will once again emerge as a unified and serious force of opposition. That is why those activists attempting to established a new workers’ party are subject to such harassment.

The Nazarbayev regime will go to any lengths to protect its interests. Now the President is hiding behind the US armed forces from the anger of his own people, he is happily offering them bases in Kazakhstan. He is stepping up the harassment and arrest of our comrades. We therefore appeal to all trade unions, left organizations to demonstrate their solidarity with the leaders and activists of the WMKS. If possible, by arranging pickets of embassies and by sending protests to the following addresses:

  • Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Presidential Administration, Nazarbayevu NA
    Fax No 007-3172-371738
  • Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Generalnaya Procuratora
    Fax No 007-3172-324959
  • Republic of Kazakhstan, 470000, Karaganda, Bulvar Mira d 39, Akimat Karagandinskoi oblasti, Akimy Mukhamedzkanovy KI.
    Fax No 007-3212 421093

We are also inviting any trade union and left activist to become a sponsor of the International Committee of Solidarity with the Workers’ Movement of Kazakhstan.

Please send copies of any protests to Fax No 007-095-1529187 or pabgem@online.ru

Yours in international solidarity,

Sakib Zhanabaev
Yuri Vinkov
Ionur Kurmanov
Ramil Mingazov
Alexander Osintsev
Joint Presidents of the Workers’ Movement of Kazakhstan

26th July 2002

 
[ Top ]

    

 Hauptseite CWI

Neues aus dem CWI