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Kazakh Bank Picketed After Foreclosure-Related Suicide


Activists from the Housing for People NGO protesting in front of BTA Bank's headquarters
Activists from the Housing for People NGO protesting in front of BTA Bank's headquarters
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Several dozen activists have picketed a bank in the Kazakh city of Almaty after a foreclosure-related suicide, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

The activists from the Housing for People NGO picketed BTA Bank's headquarters on May 24 to protest what they termed its "cruel foreclosure policies."

Marat Nurkenov, 38, committed suicide earlier on the same day by jumping from the roof of a10-story apartment block in the northern city of Pavlodar.

Nurkenov killed himself as his family was being evicted from an apartment in the that was being foreclosed by BTA Bank.

A photo taken at the scene shows his body lying on the ground a few meters from family furniture that had been removed from the apartment during the eviction.

The protesters demanded a halt to the eviction of BTA Bank's clients from foreclosed houses and apartments and the amending of all mortgage loan agreements between BTA and its clients.

None of BTA Bank's staff agreed to talk to the protesters. The police filed a report with the names of the protesters, but no one was detained or arrested.

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