ALMATY -- The wives of two jailed leaders of Kazakhstan’s opposition Republican Social Democratic Azat (Freedom) Party have led a protest outside the National Security Committee’s detention center in Almaty, where their husbands are being held.
Some 20 opposition activists joined the protest by Aigul Abilova and Roza Qosanova on March 7.
The two women said they have not been allowed to see their husbands or to send them clothes or food since they were detained more than one week ago.
Amirzhan Qosanov and Bolat Abilov were arrested February 28 and sentenced to 15 and 18 days in jail, respectively for organizing an unsanctioned protest that day against Kazakh government policies.
The protest had condemned a government crackdown on activists following January's parliamentary elections and the deadly violence in the western town of Zhanaozen in December.