Court Battle Starts In Oral Over Land Beneath Afghan Veteran Memorial

In Oral, a legal dispute has begun over a plot of land beneath a monument to Afghan war veterans. Resident Nikolai Vink is demanding the demolition of the memorial and recognition of the akimat’s actions as unlawful, Orda.kz reports, citing Moy Gorod.

Lawyer Gulzhan Begeyeva told the outlet that the 0.1507-hectare plot was originally allocated for the construction of a recreation zone. The land was purchased in 2016 by Vink’s brother, who later transferred ownership to him.

Despite all the necessary documents, the “Eternal Memory to Internationalist Soldiers” memorial was built on the site.

Measurements by the Government for Citizens specialists confirmed that Vink’s plot overlaps with the park dedicated to Afghan war veterans.

Vink filed a lawsuit demanding the monument’s removal, but on August 12, the city akim issued a decree seizing the land for state needs.

The order raised questions: it bears a stamp but lacks both a signature and an electronic confirmation. As a result, lawyers withdrew the first claim and filed a new one in the administrative court, seeking to invalidate the decree.

The akimat acknowledged that the monument stands on the disputed land, but stated that the owner will be offered an equivalent plot, though in another district or on the city’s outskirts.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov