Urgent protests needed
Esenbek Ukteshbaev, president of the Kazakhstan Trade Union, ‘Zhanartu’ (‘Renaissance’), and vice-president, Ainur Kurmanov have been on an extended visit in Moscow as a result of threats to their lives from the Nazarbayev dictatorship in Kazakhstan.
It recently came to the attention of Esenbek and Ainur that the head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Mangistau region in Kazakhstan, Colonel Amanzhol Kabylov, arrived in Moscow to conduct negotiations with law enforcement officers of the Russian Federation.
This same senior officer of the Kazakh Interior Ministry is at present in charge of “investigations” into the bloody events of December 16 -18 in Zhanaozen and at Shetpe station in the Mangistau region, which resulted in the deaths of a large number of striking workers and their relatives who had been involved in a peaceful protest.
A new criminal case is already being fabricated against Esenbek and Ainur in Kazakhstan for ‘inciting social discord’ and an attempt to blame them and the opposition for the tragic events of December 16-18 is underway. They believe this is the reason for the Colonel’s visit – to organise their arrest and subsequent delivery to Kazakhstan. They fear this will be done in secret and without due process.
Campaign Kazakhstan TU branch support letter
Campaign Kazakhstan TU Branch Resolution
See – www.campaignkazakhstan.org to participate in the email campaign and to read protest letters from leading trade unionists, including RMT general secretary Bob Crow.
