Kazakh Rights Activist Jailed Again
Aynur Kurmanov in March
July 31, 2009
ALMATY -- An Almaty court has found a Kazakh human rights group leader guilty of organizing an unsanctioned gathering, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
Aynur Kurmanov, the head of the Talmas (Persistence) movement, was sentenced to 15 days in jail.
His lawyer, Denis Alimbekov, said that he is going to appeal the verdict.
Kurmanov told RFE/RL on July 30 that he organized the July 22 meeting with the goal of handing Almaty city authorities a petition addressed to President Nursultan Nazarbaev demanding the immediate resignation of the government.
Almaty authorities say the gathering was not officially allowed.
In December, Kurmanov was found guilty of organizing a similar unsanctioned public gathering and also sentenced to 15 days in jail.