Nineteen Kazakh activists, many in poor health and without access to medical treatment, are facing up to ten years in prison for participating in a protest last November of the treatment of ethnic Kazakhs in the Xinjiang region of China.
They had also demanded the release of an activist who has been detained in China since traveling there last year, and they had “voiced concern about China’s growing political and economic influence in Kazakhstan.” The fact that they’re being persecuted for expressing such concerns is evidence of their validity (IPHR Online, March 13, 2026).
As the trial of 19 activists affiliated with the Atajurt movement nears its conclusion, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (KIBHR) renew their call on Kazakhstan’s authorities to drop the charges against the activists and release them….
The protest remained peaceful throughout and included no calls for violence or hostility, although participants burned small Chinese flags and a portrait of China’s president and chanted slogans critical of the Chinese government.
“Peaceful protest—even if politically inconvenient—is not a crime,” said Denis Dzhivaga, director of KIBHR. “Expressing indignation at Chinese government policies does not amount to incitement to hatred and should not lead to years behind bars.”
Initially, the activists were sentenced to short-term detention and fines for “petty hooliganism”—an administrative offence. However, after the Chinese General Consulate in Almaty issued a diplomatic note demanding that “appropriate measures” be taken in response to the protest, authorities initiated criminal proceedings.
The trial…began on 23 January 2026…. After a request from one defendant citing security concerns, the court ordered the proceedings to be held behind closed doors, although the other 18 defendants were in favour of a public hearing. The closed process severely limits transparency and reinforces concerns about the fairness of the trial….
That Kazakhstan authorities leapt to obey the demand of some CCP diplomat, likely consigning the 19 defendants to ten years behind bars, is surely even more evidence of China’s baleful influence on the country.
The defendants are being held in detention or are under house arrest.
One of those under house arrest, Nazigul Maksutkhan, was heavily pregnant at the time of her detention and gave birth through surgical intervention on 19 February 2026. While the proceedings were postponed due to her hospitalisation, the court has refused to allow her to participate in the remaining hearings online, despite the health risks that physical attendance and travel pose for her and her newborn baby.
There are also serious concerns about the health and well-being of activists held in pre-trial detention amid reports of inadequate conditions, the deterioration of pre-existing medical issues, and lack of access to appropriate medical care.
Verdicts may be announced at a March 19 hearing. Anybody showing support for the defendants, either in social media posts or by showing up at the trial in person, is also at risk. “In one case, a supporter was reportedly fined for ‘funding an unregistered organisation’…over a small, customary gift of money given to Nazigul Maksutkhan to celebrate the birth of her baby.”
Also see:
The Diplomat: “Documenting the Tragedy in Xinjiang: An Insider’s View of Atajurt”
“The Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights Organization has provided an enormous amount of information about the Chinese concentration camps and the dystopian regime in Xinjiang. We have hosted journalists from all around the world including Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, the United States, Canada, Britain, France, and Germany, among others. Serikjan played such a crucial role in documenting the tragedy in Xinjiang that his arrest triggered a wave of international outpourings of support. Leading media outlets including CNN, the BBC and the New York Times had all visited Atajurt’s office in Almaty; journalists and human rights activists were aware of how valuable a source of information Atajurt was. Nevertheless, Atajurt’s role, efforts, and scope of activities have rarely been truly acknowledged….
“What makes Atajurt different from many other organizations is its volunteers’ enthusiasm and energy to fight against 21st century fascism while continuously facing challenges within Kazakhstan.”
