Russian Public Figures Plan Appeal Over Aslan Tolegenov’s Sentence, Expert Says It Holds No Weight in Kazakhstan

The Russian Presidential Human Rights Council is preparing an appeal to Kazakhstan regarding the sentencing of blogger Aslan Tolegenov. Orda.kz asked political scientist Gaziz Abishev what this initiative from Russian public figures could mean for Kazakhstan.

Marina Akhmedova, a member of the above council and editor-in-chief of Regnum, recently announced the planned appeal.

Tulegenov was a pro-Russian blogger and advocated for closer ties between Kazakhstan and Russia. He said many Russians had sacrificed their lives to ensure Kazakhstan had oil, and he couldn’t tolerate hearing Russians called occupiers. He said that thanks to Russia, Kazakhstan had become a civilized country. That’s why he had so many enemies. I’ve already contacted Uzbek human rights activists about Aziz Khakimov’s case. They promised to look into it, but nothing has changed. Contacting Kazakhstan won’t change anything, but we’ll keep doing it,
 she wrote on Telegram.

It’s important to understand that Russian officials and public figures have the right to their opinion, but what happened is entirely an internal matter for Kazakhstan. Aslan Tolegenov is a native and citizen of Kazakhstan, and no Russian state interests were violated. There’s no need to be overly sensitive; we should simply acknowledge that the Russian justice system, public opinion, and civil society have no bearing on this case,
 he said.

There are differing views on the verdict. In Kazakhstan, some support it, some oppose it, and others are neutral or unaware,
 the political scientist noted.

As a reminder, blogger Aslan Tolegenov was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for inciting ethnic discord and spreading false information.

Original Author: Zarina Fayzulina