Brutal attack by company thugs on CWI members in
Almata
Last Friday afternoon, members of the ‘Socialist Resistance’ in
Almata city, Kazakhstan, organised a peaceful protest outside the Head
Office of the giant construction and oil refinery company, Kuat
Corporation. They were protesting against companies, such as Kuat, which
are behind the forcible evictions of tenants from the outlying areas of
Almata, so that elite new housing complexes can be built in their place.
The Socialist Resistance comrades held placards saying, "We won’t allow
the destruction of Almata" and "Hands off Shanyrak!"
With minutes of the protest starting, Kuat company security guards
approached the picketers. Initially, the guards were restrained by the
presence of over a dozen journalists. But after a short wait, the head
of security suddenly attacked Socialist Resistance member, Ainur
Kurmanov, twisting his arm behind his back and frog-marched him into the
company’s premises. Two other comrades, Daniyar Yenikeev and Yakov
Federov were thrown to the ground and badly kicked.
According to Ainur, who managed to use his mobile to speak to
journalists, the three Socialist Resistance members were badly beaten.
Yakov has a broken nose and is badly bruised. The ambulance called by
the comrades arrived after | ten minutes but the security thugs came out
to the doctors and "had a quiet chat" encouraging them to leave. The
three Socialist Resistance members were then transferred to the local
police station, where apparently, the police were reluctant to take them
in, fearing that then they would be accused of the beatings.
Email protests can be sent to the company’s office, demanding the
sacking of the security thugs and a public enquiry into the actions of
the construction companies in Almata.
Update 13 Sept:
CWI comrades in the CIS sent the following update on the case of
three comrades who were attacked and badly injured by oil company thugs,
in Almata Kazakhstan, last Friday (for details, see above):
Journalists who witnessed the beating of three comrades (Ainur
Kurmanov, Daniyar Yenikeev and Yakov Federov) during a protest outside
the Head Office of the giant construction and oil refinery company, Kuat
Corporation, issued a public statement attacking the company. After this
condemnation was aired on TV, the General Director of Kuat was forced to
apologise for the brutal attack on the three comrades!
Given this, it seems the police are not sure what to do next (in the
‘normal’ course of things, the police would arrest and charge the
security thugs responsible for the attack and investigate the role of
the company bosses in the attack).
Following our appeal, we understand that over a dozen international
protests went to the Kuat Corporation (undoubtedly more were sent;
please make sure forward protests to the CWI email address given below).
These have also had an effect.
Please continue to send protests, demanding the sacking of the
security thugs responsible for the attacks and calling for a public
enquiry into the actions of the construction companies in Almata, such
as Kuat, which are behind the forcible evictions of tenants from the
outlying areas of Almata, so that elite new housing complexes can be
built in their place.
Protests should be sent to:
г. Алматы, пр-т Достык 160
многоканальный телефон: 8 (3272) 444-555
E-mail: [email protected]
(With copies to local Kazakh embassies)
