The Socialist 30 September 2009

Fight all council cuts

Socialism 2009: ideas to change the world

New right wing government, but success for the Left Party in Germany

Kazakhstan: Socialist activist attacked by thugs

No to BNP TV platform

London postal workers: Big majority to stop funding Labour

Unison witch-hunt - Defend the Four!

Students ready to fight back

1949 - Chinese revolution

Honduras: Coup leaders step up repression

Nepal - mass rallies back Prachandra

Vestas workers fight on

Leeds council workers' strike solid

Management forced to retreat

Mass rally in support of South Yorkshire firefighters

Civil service compensation scheme: Thousands say no to cuts

Previous issues, etc

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Kazakhstan: Socialist activist attacked by thugs

ON 22 September, unknown thugs attacked Ainur Kurmanov, a leading member of the organisation Socialist Resistance (CWI in Kazakhstan) outside his home in Kazakhstan's main commercial city, Almaty. Ainur is in hospital with concussion, head wounds, severe bruising and a broken finger.

Socialist Resistance reporters, Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, such an assault cannot be called a 'random' act - this assault was 'made to order'. As a high profile campaigner for working people and the poor, Ainur has long been a target, with repeated arrests and imprisonments on trumped up charges, including 15 days jailing in July.

Recently, Ainur campaigned to defend workers at Almatinskii Wagon Factory and at the Almatinskii Heavy Engineering Plant (AZTM). With Ainur's active assistance, workers there went on strike and held protest meetings and other acts of 'civil disobedience'. Hundreds of workers' jobs were saved at the wagon factory and the plant rescued from bankruptcy and collapse.

The factory bosses now want to stop this being repeated at AZTM. The owners and shareholders obtained these large plants for small sums during the privatisation process and aim to force through bankruptcy proceedings in preparation for asset stripping.

Struggle stepped up

Whoever was behind the cowardly attack on Ainur aimed to frighten off all those who struggle alongside him. But Ainur will not be scared off. The struggle for the rights of workers and other oppressed people in Kazakhstan will be stepped up.

Socialist Resistance members call for supporters internationally, trade unionists etc, to protest at this attempt to terrorise opposition in Kazakhstan and to demand the immediate arrest of those guilty of this cowardly attack.

Send protest letters to the Almaty city government's official site and to the city's prosecutor at the following addresses:

http://www.almaty.kz/page.php?page_id=416&lang=2

http://www.prokuroralm.kz/page.php?page_id=17&lang=1