On the 28th of January, 2012, leaders and activists of the ANSDP conducted a rally in the city of Almaty. The aim of the action was to force the authorities to carry out an objective investigation of the tragic events in Zhanaozen and to release the arrested opposition activists.
On the previous day (the 27th of January), at the press-conference, Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, the chairman of the ANSDP urged to summon a meeting of the “healthy” political forces as well as non-governmental organisations in order to discuss the ways of restructuring of the political system in Kazakhstan to prevent destabilisation, reports IA Novosti-Kazakhstan.
Approximately 1,000 people took part in the rally. Mukhtan Tayzhan, the chairman of the Bolatkhan Tayzhan’s Foundation, Gulzhan Ergalieva, a journalist, Mukhtar Shakhanov and others delivered their speeches to the crowd. The plans to organise the next event on the 25th of February were announced.
The rally resulted in apprehensions. The leaders and activists of the ANSDP, namely: Bolat Abilov, Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, Amirzhan Kosanov and Amirbek Togusov were found guilty of conducting an unsanctioned rally. The Specialised Interdistrict Administrative Court of the city of Almaty issued a decision, sentencing Amirzhan Kosanov i Amirbek Togusov for 15 days of imprisonment, and Bolat Abilov for 18 days of imprisonment (3 additional days of the whole term were ordered for showing contempt of the court). Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, the co-chairman of the ANSDP was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 20 MCI (“monthly calculation index”, the amount of the fine is approx. 30 thousand tenge). Baltash Tursynbaev, an activist of the party, who also had been arrested, was released.
