Aikorkem’s Death: Prosecutor Requested 7 years, Defense - Acquittal

The Almaty military court has completed the court debate on four-year-old Aikorkem Meldehan’s death during the January events, an Orda correspondent reports.

The prosecutor of the Almaty military garrison, Aidos Akbergen, requested 7 years of imprisonment for the serviceman, Arman Zhuman. This is the maximum penalty under the article he is being charged with: paragraph 1 of part 2 of Article 451 "Abuse of power with the use of weapons, which entailed grave consequences."

At the same time, the defense demanded his full acquittal. An Orca correspondent has learned about this from the affected party’s lawyer, Zhangaza Kunserkin.

Zhangazy Kunserkin and Aidos Meldehan / Photo: Orda.kz

The lawyer also spoke about inconsistencies in witnesses' testimony. 

Initially, Bauyrzhan Meldehan, (Aikorkem’s brother — editor's note), speaking in court, said that a Hyundai Accent car drove near his car. After the victim's words, other military witnesses also started talking about this car. That is, they were all in the same spot on that ill-fated day, but for some reason no one noticed the car in which Aikorkem was sitting with her brother and sister, Zhangazy Kunserkin said.

Aidos Meldehan / Photo: Orda.kz

This is the 20th hearing in the case. Aidos Meldehan, the girl’s father, told the correspondent that he is not satisfied with the way the trial was going. 

I don't understand why five people who should be in the dock together with Arman Zhuman are witnesses in the case. They were right next to him. They fired indiscriminately at cars. But someone gave them an order, didn't they? Why don't they punish unit commanders, battalion chiefs, who should be responsible for military personnel, says the girl's father.

Threats

Aidos Meldehan says that after the case’s wide publicity, unknown people have been putting pressure on him. If earlier threats and insults were only online, then on October 21, Meldehan was attacked.

The attacker was a little-known neighbor named Marlen, who recently moved into the apartment complex where I live with my family. He attacked me on the evening of October 21. I was sitting in the yard with two neighbors when Marlen came up to us and started insulting me, accusing me of my daughter's death and that I was going to put an innocent man in jail. Family is the most sensitive subject for me. Therefore, in a fit of anger, I approached him, after which he stuck first. He also threatened to kill me, saying that he would "finish me off", the man recalls.

Meldehan said that after the incident, the attacker followed him and wanted to talk further from the cameras. But Aidos Meldehan did not do so. CCTV cameras have recorded this moment.

Immediately after the attack, the girl's father filed a statement with the police. He claims that law enforcement officers ignored it, however. Only after reactions in social networks did law enforcement officers bring their attention to the incident. Now Meldehan is going to write not only a second statement, but also a letter.

I have already visited the Turksib DOIA and now I am waiting for a meeting with the district police officer to submit a second statement. I will also write a posthumous letter that if something happens to me, my family or my property, the attacker will be to blame. Because I believe that this is a contract attack from the security forces.

RMB: Four-year-old Aikorkem Meldehan died in her father's car on January 7, 2022, when the car came under fire on the square in Almaty. A bullet hit the girl in the head. There were four children of Aidos Meldehan in the car at that moment. They were also injured. Meldehan himself was at home.

Orda’s editor-in-chief learned about this story by chance. On January 8, she saw the girl's father, Aidos Meldehan, at the gates of the Almaty morgue. The story of Aikorkem has remained in Kazakhstanis’ hearts, and the girl herself has become a symbol of numerous demonstrations.

Original Author: Silam Aqbota

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece, the text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original article in Russian for accuracy.