Feminita Founder Zhanar Sekerbayeva Given 10 Days of Administrative Arrest

A Feminita movement founder, Zhanar Sekerbaueva, was detained on February 28 after training in a gym.

She was accused of organizing a rally for participating in a march in May 2024. During that march, women protested following the sentencing of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, reports Orda.kz.

Zhanar Sekerbayeva was charged with an administrative offense under Article 488, Part 7 of the Code of Administrative Offenses ("Organization of rallies in violation of the established procedure").

The Feminita movement page reported that Sekerbayeva was ultimately given 10 days of administrative arrest.

The Feminita team believes that Zhanar's arrest "was done intentionally to disrupt any plans the activist had for March 8." They add that the trial was held "with many violations."

Zhanar Sekerbayeva was also recently tried as the head of an unregistered organization. 

She was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of almost 400 thousand tenge. Gulzada Serzhan, co-founder of the Feminita movement, received the same sentence. The movement has opened a fundraiser to pay the fines of both Zhanar and Gulzada.

Original Author: Oksana Matvienko