Maksat Dosmagambetov speaking at a press conference in Moscow during the strike
Last week Kinzhigali Suieyov and Mukhtar Umbetov, president and vice-president of the Mangystau trade union (which represents oil-workers and is affiliated to Zhanartu), visited Maksat Dosmagambetov and Naryn Dzharilgasinov, two of the oil-workers imprisoned following the massacre by state forces in Zhanaozen in 2011. A couple of weeks earlier, they both visited the well-known oil-workers’ leader Rosa Tuletaeva.
The trade unionists, representing the jailed strikers, were there to ensure that the conditions in which the strikers are being held are acceptable. Together with Rosa Tuletaeva, Maksat and Naryn have recently been transferred to a prison colony not far from Aktau where they are to serve the remainder of their sentence in less severe conditions.
They wished to thank everyone who has participated in the campaign for their release, as they think that it has helped ensure that they have been transferred to better conditions. Rosa, Maksat and Naryn are maintaining contact with the trade union.
Campaign Kazakhstan coordinated pickets and protests world-wide at news of the mass killing of participants in the peaceful demonstration of striking oil-workers and supporters in Zhanaozen on 16th December 2011. When strikers were viciously ‘punished’ with long sentences in prison, further protests were organised throughout the world including by workers and left activists throughout Russia and Ukraine. The World Federation of Trade Unions has also taken up their plight.
Irish socialist and Member of the European Parliament, Paul Murphy, who had visited the oil-workers to give support to their struggle, played a key role in preparing and moving a resolution in the European Parliament on Zhanaozen and on democratic rights in Kazakhstan. He also organised a number of public ‘hearings’ on these issues in the Brussels headquarters.
The solidarity campaign in support of the imprisoned oil-workers will continue. The authorities, sometimes to create an image of “liberalisation”, can under pressure of such activities and protests make some concessions and relax the conditions in which worker activists are held. According to recent information, another workers’ activist, Kanat Zhusipbaev has been moved from prison to the comparatively better condition of a prison colony.
These responses of the authorities are welcome, of course, but our main demand is still that all imprisoned worker activists are cleared of all charges against them and released.
