Activists Win Lawsuit Against Oskemen Administration Over Denied Protest

Activists in Oskemen have won a legal battle against the city Akimat after officials unlawfully prevented them from holding a peaceful march against the time zone change, reports Orda.kz.

In December 2024, when activists filed a notice to hold it, authorities rejected their application, claiming the location was reserved for cultural and recreational events. However, Leonid Kartashev, an Afghanistan war veteran, visited the site at the scheduled time and discovered no events.

When we arrived at the site where the march was planned on December 9, 2024 at 4:40 p.m., we were deeply disappointed - there was uncleared snow on the square, it was dark and cold. There were no athletes or artists in sight, Kartashev stated in his legal claim.

On March 5, the court ruled in Kartashev's favor, declaring the Akimat's refusal illegal.

Sergey Vasiliev, a local blogger and public figure who moderates the Facebook group "Oskemen: What? Where? When?", explained: 

The refusals to hold rallies and marches issued by officials were unlawful. If the authorities prohibit a peaceful assembly, citing other events, they are obliged to offer an alternative site. But they did not do this.

While the court case was in progress, activists submitted another application for a protest. On February 21, they approached the Akimat requesting permission for a rally on February 28 - the anniversary of Kazakhstan's transition to a single time zone.

Deputy Akim Irina Smith suggested postponing the event until after the holidays.

The rally has now been rescheduled for March 14, but Kartashev plans to file another lawsuit regarding denying their request to protest on the anniversary date.

Orda.kz has sent an official inquiry to the Oskemen Akimat requesting comments on the "cultural and health event" and their reasons for denying the protest permit.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva