2018 arrest of WhatsApp group members

In 2018, the government of Kazakhstan made a mass arrest of nine Kazakh men who were members of a group chat for discussing Islam on the messaging app WhatsApp.[1] Their arrest was determined to be in violation of international law by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.[2] However, five of the men remain imprisoned, and the four that are no longer imprisoned still face restrictions.[3] The five who remain imprisoned are: Beket Mynbasov, Samat Adilov, Nazim Abdrakhmanov, Ernar Samatov and Bolatbek Nurgaliyev.[1]

Background

Serious international concern has been given about the situation of human rights in Kazakhstan, in particular concerning freedom of religion and arbitrary detention.[2][4] The founder of the WhatsApp Group, Bolatbek Nurgaliyev is a Salafi Muslim.[5] He started the group, called "Ahli Sunnah Val Jamagat" on 2 December 2013.[2] Between 2013 and 2018, the group grew to 171 members.[2] Most of the messages in the group were sharing articles written by Islamic scholars.[2] Kazakh authorities accused the group of encouraging terrorism, however an independent analysis by Adil Soz showed that messages on the server did not incite hatred or violence based on religion, nor the superiority of any religion.[5][6] Nurgaliyev has said that he strongly opposes terrorist action.[2]

Arrest and trial

Nurgaliyev was arrested on October 27, 2018.[7] Other members of the group were arrested October 27–28.[8] Their trials ended on 5 August 2019, and the men were sentenced to prison time, ranging from 5–8 years.[7][9] During the trial, "no evidence that any members of the group were ... advocating, encouraging or condoning acts of terrorism" was presented.[2]

Imprisonment and further repression

There has been concern that some members of the group are being tortured and put in solitary confinement.[1] Additionally, many of them have been forbidden from accessing the Koran, praying the namaz, or marking Eid al-Fitr while imprisoned, with disobeying prisoners given rotten food and threatened with extra jail time.[1][6][10]

International Response

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recognized the men as religious prisoners of conscience.[7][11][12][13][14]

References
  1. Corley, Felix (24 May 2022). "9 Known Muslim Prisoners Of Conscience In Kazakhstan Face Torture, Solitary". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  2. "Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-first session, 6–10 September 2021" (PDF). United Nations. 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. Corley, Felix (28 April 2022). "KAZAKHSTAN: Six months after UN decision, no releases from sentences, no compensation". Forum18. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  4. Felix Corley; John Kinahan (4 September 2018). "KAZAKHSTAN: Religious freedom survey, September 2018". Forum18. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  5. Corley, Felix (18 December 2019). "24 prisoners of conscience, 6 restricted freedom sentences" (PDF). Human Rights Without Frontiers. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  6. Corley, Felix (28 November 2019). "KAZAKHSTAN: Appeals rejected in absentia". Forum18. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  7. "Bolatbek Nurgaliyev". United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  8. "WhatsApp Group Members". Freedom Now. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  9. Corley, Felix (5 August 2019). "KAZAKHSTAN: Eight jailed for up to eight years". Forum18. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  10. Corely, Felix (May 1, 2022). "Kazakhstan: Six Months After UN Decision, No Releases From Sentences, No Compensation". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  11. "Beket Mynbasov". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  12. "Samat Adilov". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  13. "Nazim Abdrakhmanov". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  14. "Ernar Samatov". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
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