Mother of Almas Shakhimov Refuses to Attend Trial, Calling Charges “Too Lenient”

The trial into the death of conscript Almas Shakhimov is nearing its conclusion in Almaty, but the proceedings have taken place without participation from the victim’s family.

An Orda.kz journalist spoke with Almas’s mother, who explained why she chose not to attend.

Shakhimov died three years ago, a little over two months after being drafted into National Guard Unit 5571 — the same unit where another conscript, Mukhtar Yerbayan, was later seriously injured.

The official version of his death has been attributed to a sandstorm and a tent collapse. The military posthumously awarded him the “For Courage” medal, saying he had saved fellow soldiers during the incident.

His parents rejected this version, as well as the award and compensation, and have continued to seek accountability.

Even before the trial started, I filed a notice that I would not participate. Because the charges brought against him were too lenient. The officer faces only one year. They don’t want to change the charges. My son was killed intentionally. Both my lawyer and I refused to participate in the trial. But they continued the trial without us anyway. That’s unlawful. A trial can’t proceed without the affected party,
 Indira Shakhimova told Orda.kz.

My son had a fractured skull. His back was burned with cigarettes, and he was strangled. And despite this, the case is being prosecuted under Article 452, Part 2. This means the accused officer will get off with a year’s probation or amnesty,
 she added.

During the exhumation, one expert, without parental consent, took my son’s cervical vertebra and destroyed it. I only found out about this a year later. This is deliberate destruction of evidence.

There’s a prison across from Unit 5571. I’ve received letters: ‘Your son died in a prison. The commander took him to a fight and then took him away in a KamAZ truck.’ I can’t name the sender; he’s at risk The mothers of soldiers who served with Almas won’t let their children talk. They’re afraid. No one believes the collapsed tent. For three years now, I’ve been unable to get the truth,
 Indira said.

She showed Orda.kz a photograph of the forensic report, which many who have seen it say undermines the tent-collapse explanation. Unit 5571 has faced scrutiny before, but no one has received a serious punishment in connection with Almas’s death.

An Orda.kz journalist attempted to obtain commentary from the accused officer, Dauren Bayizbekov, but he declined.

Original Author: Asem Zhuken