Kazakhstan: Witness in Zhanaozen riots case found dead
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 15 October 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakhstan: Witness in Zhanaozen riots case found dead, 15 October 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5089073023.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 15, 2012
A witness in the case related to deadly clashes between striking oil workers and police in the western Kazakh town of Zhanaozen has been found dead.
The head of Kazakhstan's Liberty nongovernmental organization, Ghalym Ageleuov, told journalists that Aleksandr Bozhko, who had testified that investigators had tortured him and forced him to testify against the defendants in the case, was murdered.
Ageleuov did not provide any details on when and in what circumstances Bozhko was killed.
In June, 13 people were sentenced to jail terms of between three and seven years for inciting the Zhanaozen violence, in which police shot dead at least 16 people during rioting in December.
Human rights activists and opposition politicians condemned the court's ruling, saying the defendants' rights were abused.
Based on reporting by KazTAG and ZonaKZ
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
