Vadim Kuramshin, campaigner for prisoner rights and member of the Socialist Movement Kazakhstan has been jailed for 12 years.
The charge against Vadim, that he allegedly attempted to extort money out of Mukhtar Uderbaev from the Kordai regional prosecutor’s office, was clearly fabricated.
Under judge Nurmukhammat Abidov this latest trial was rushed through and the sentence declared without either Vadim himself or his advocate being present in the courtroom! They were replaced by a court appointed lawyer who sat there as if he was just an extra piece of furniture.
From the trial’s beginning the judge took the side of the prosecution. Not one objection from the defence was upheld, neither defence or prosecution witnesses were questioned.
Some of the prosecution witnesses appeared by Skype in which members of the “security organs” showed no reluctance in instructing the witnesses how to give the “right evidence”. Vadim himself was not even allowed to see the documents submitted to him.
At the end of August 2012 a jury found Vadim not guilty of this charge and he was freed from the court.
However the Kazakhstan authorities are out to seek revenge on this fighter against corruption. He was again arrested and dragged before the court.
This has so annoyed the members of the previous jury that they have formed their own action committee in defence of Vadim Kuramshin.
- Please send urgent protests at this vindictive jailing of Vadim Kuramshin demanding his immediate release, to the Kazakh embassy in Britain: Ambassador Kairat Abusseitov, 33 Thurloe Square, London, SW7 2SD. [email protected]
- Also to the General Prosecutor of Kazakhstan at: [email protected]
Please send copies to [email protected] and [email protected]
Commemoration marking the first anniversary of the notorious massacre of unarmed people by state forces in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan.
Sunday 16 December, 2.30-6pm.
Venue: The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London WC1 1JD
£5 waged, £3 unwaged.
Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com/event/4921581583
Films, poetry and live music.
Speakers: Weizmann Hamilton, Democratic Socialist Movement, South Africa (reporting on the Marikana massacre); Peter Taaffe, general secretary Socialist Party; Mick Whale, Campaign Kazakhstan secretary (recently returned from Zhanaozen).
