The Adil Soz Foundation expresses concern over the situation surrounding Duman Mukhametkarim

Despite a sharp deterioration in Duman Mukhametkarim’s health, he has not undergone a medical examination, lawyer says

A press conference was held in Almaty to discuss the situation of political prisoner Duman Mukhametkarim*. The journalist’s lawyer, Galym Nurpeisov, said his client’s health had deteriorated significantly and stressed that his actions in prison were not suicide attempts, but a form of protest against violations of his rights.

In 2024, Duman Mukhametkarim was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 405 of the Criminal Code (“Participation in the activities of a banned organisation”) and Part 1 of Article 258 (“Financing of extremism”) and sentenced to seven years in prison.

According to his lawyer, investigators accused Duman of supporting extremism after an interview with Mukhtar Ablyazov was published on his YouTube channel. The prosecution linked the bank details provided in the video description to an alleged attempt to finance the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement, which is designated as extremist in Kazakhstan. The defence disputed this conclusion. Nurpeisov also said that, according to the findings of a psychological and philological expert examination, the interview contained no signs of propaganda for a banned organisation.

According to Galym Nurpeisov, the bank accounts listed in connection with the interview did not belong to Ablyazov, but to two women living abroad. Moreover, the accounts had already been blocked in Kazakhstan before the interview was published, and no money was transferred to them.

Duman is currently being held in a correctional facility in Kyzylorda and has spent more than 600 days in solitary confinement. During this period, he has been on hunger strike for approximately 200 days, causing his weight to fall from 90 to 55 kilograms. His lawyer said this amounted to a violation of his client’s rights:

“His period of prison isolation must not exceed 180 days. We demand respect for his rights guaranteed by law and an end to his prolonged isolation,” Galym Nurpeisov stressed.

The lawyer said the journalist has complained of heart and kidney pain but has not been given a comprehensive medical examination. He also said that Duman does not admit the charges against him and has on several occasions swallowed medication and batteries as an act of protest. According to the lawyer, he was not provided with medical assistance for four hours after these incidents.

On one occasion, the protest was triggered by the refusal to allow him to speak directly with his parents by phone. Duman was offered the option of communicating with them through another prisoner, who would relay his words to his parents and then pass their responses back to him. Duman refused the call and subsequently swallowed a battery in protest.

“This was not a suicide attempt, but one form of protest against violations of his rights. He wants to draw public attention to his situation and to the circumstances of other citizens convicted under politically related charges,” the lawyer said.

Galym Nurpeisov also said that a UN human rights working group had reviewed the case and issued a decision confirming that Duman Mukhametkarim’s rights had been violated. A special report was also presented at meetings held under the auspices of the OSCE, and the issue was brought to the attention of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, to date, these demands have resulted in no concrete changes. The Committee of the Penitentiary System has not acted on the request to transfer Duman to a correctional facility in the Almaty Region.

The deadline for a response to the latest request to transfer Duman to the Almaty Region expires on 15 August. If no response is received, or if the authorities provide only a formal reply without addressing the substance of the request, Duman Mukhametkarim is prepared to launch another protest action, his lawyer said.

The main demand of Duman’s lawyers and civil society activists is that his legally guaranteed right to healthcare be respected and that his prolonged isolation be brought to an end. This case remains an important indicator not only of Duman’s situation, but also of the state of freedom of expression and the development of civil society in the country.

The Adil Soz Foundation expresses concern over the situation of journalist Duman Mukhametkarim and, in light of the deterioration of his health, calls for full respect for his legal rights and for his transfer to the Almaty Region.

* Duman Mukhametkarim is an independent journalist and the creator of the YouTube channel Ne deidi? (“What Does It Say?”). After being repeatedly held administratively liable in May and June 2023, he was arrested in June. He was later charged under provisions of the Criminal Code concerning “financing of extremism” and “participation in the activities of a banned organisation.” On 2 August 2024, a court found Duman Mukhametkarim guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison. He was also banned from engaging in social and political activities for three years.