Atbasar Colony: Activist Timur Danebayev Speaks about Abuse

Activist Timur Danebayev told the court about how prisoners were abused in the Atbasar correctional facility, Orda.kz reports, citing Vlast.kz.

Twelve former employees of the penal institution are in the dock. 41 people have been recognized as victims. The jury trial is public.

The trial began in July 2024 in the Aqmola Specialized Interdistrict Criminal Court. Three defendants are in custody, and nine are on bail. They are being tried under Article 146 of the Criminal Code — "Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, Torture." 

Social activist Timur Danebayev told the court that he was assaulted in the Atbasar correctional facility; he lost consciousness. All the incarcerated persons were forced to clean restrooms, and those who refused had their heads put into a toilet.

They hit me so hard that I lost consciousness. They piled on me and beat me, Vlast.kz quotes him.

Danebayev said he counted at least 20 cases of cruel treatment. The colony employees abused several convicts with rubber truncheons. 

Despite all my requests, they did not stop hitting. Do you know what it's like to be beaten with a rubber truncheon? There is a geometric progression: the first blow is a four, the second is an eight, the third is already a sixteen... With each blow it hurts more and more. It is impossible to just remain silent. I did not just scream, I screamed like a banshee. They beat me for nothing, I did not deserve it in any way, said Danebayev.

A video showing the abuse emerged in September last year. Judging by the captions on the screen, the video was downloaded from the colony employees' video recorders.

The penal system's leadership stated that the colony employees' actions were illegal and showed signs of exceeding authority. All those involved were dismissed, and the head of the institution and his deputy were suspended from their positions.

The dismissed employees recorded a video message to President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev, claiming they acted lawfully and prevented mass disobedience. 

Before using physical force, they allegedly informed the Prosecutor's Office; the supervisory authority reportedly did not intervene in the situation.

In February 2022, Timur Danebayev contacted the police and requested that President Qassym-Jomart Toqayev be held accountable for "false information" about an attack on Almaty by 20 thousand terrorists. 

He was sentenced to three years under Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (incitement of discord). 

At the end of September 2023, Timur Danebayev was transferred to the Astana pre-trial detention center. 

Original Author: Aliya Askarova