Beatings, midnight phone calls and a culture of fear
This is the transcript of my interview with an independent journalist in Kazakhstan. He was commiserating with me about my hospital stay, and mentioned that he too, had suffered because of his political beliefs. I grabbed my little camera, and asked him to describe what happened to him.
You want to know about hospital. What happened. For me it happened because we have this public association here of professionals. And our organization, they try to take away from us.
Apparently, it was authorities and in that particular case, you know, there, some guys show up and they just start beating. You know. Just like this. But my friends also have been beaten many times, like (DELETED) and others. Going home at night, and somebody suddenly attacks.
So. It happens, you know? From time to time.
I wouldn’t say deliberately, but it happens, nobody knows why.
When you go home at night or (DELETED-a place where journalists gather to escape the secret police) these journalists, when they write articles, they are also harassed or attacked.
Attacks, they do it like two times. Like once in a while.
But harassment, it is always taking place.
Through relatives, for example. (DELETED)
When you demand the rights are being – so there’s justice.
Then they try to intimidate you.
You receive a call from national security – apparently.
But you don’t know in reality, whether they are or not.
And they tell you you shouldn’t be engaging in politics
You shouldn’t be supporting this movement
You shouldn’t go there for this action, like FlashMobs or protest actions
They try to pin you down, from like, very brutal threats
Through your relatives. That’s what stops people from participation.
From political actions, and defending their own rights.
It’s usually it’s free. You can get together and talk about it.
But once you try to do something about it, they get together to impede you.
For example, when we launched our website (DELETED)
It’s been already attacked by Denial of Service and many other things.
One of our activists after that was also beaten
And we don’t know whether it was because he was with us
Or because it just happened,
But in any case, it’s not good
They don’t steal people, they don’t try to take you away
They try to put you away through the legal system, which is now restrictive in manner
Once you participate (DELETED names of journalists) are now facing 50 days in jail for just rallying to support Yevgeny Shoftis, whose trial, appeal trial is going on right now
So there are many different instances all over the country of these things
There is certain line that everyone feels here
Because they created the fear among us.
We know that we shouldn’t be participating in protest actions
Once we do it, we know we’ll get in trouble
So we try to organize these FlashMobs, which nobody knows where we gather
And we try to do it, film it, and put on the web
That’s how we try to escape the persecution
But once it’s officially announced
If you go there and protest, say something against
-for example, this restrictive law –
Then you might face a problem with fine. First-
They will fine you. If you go a second time, you can face jail for 15 days
That’s the maximum they can give you in this country.