Almaty court upholds 15-day arrest of eco-activist Aruna Ortayeva
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The Almaty City Court upheld the 15-day administrative arrest of eco-activist Aruna Ortayeva on September 3. Her lawyer, Yelena Zhigalenok, announced the decision on Facebook. The arrest stems from a police search on Saturday and a charge of disobeying police under Article 667 of the Administrative Code.
Key Facts
- The Almaty City Court upheld the 15-day administrative arrest of eco-activist Aruna Ortayeva on September 3.
- Ortayeva was charged under Part 1 of Article 667 of the Administrative Code, which carries a fine of 30 MCI or arrest up to 15 days.
- Police searched Ortayeva's home on Saturday and gave her witness status with the right to defense under Criminal Code Article 148.
- Ortayeva opposes the construction of a ski resort in the Kok-Zhailau tract and published audio recordings allegedly showing officials discussing how to remove protected status from Sievers apple trees.
Court Decision
The Almaty City Court left unchanged the ruling on eco-activist Aruna Ortayeva, who was previously arrested for 15 days under Part 1 of Article 667 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Lawyer Yelena Zhigalenok announced the decision on Facebook on the evening of September 3. Part 1 of Article 667 covers disobedience to a lawful order or demand of a law enforcement officer, expressed in obscene language, disrespect, indecent behavior, or provocation. The offense carries a fine of 30 MCI or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.
Arrest and Search
On Saturday, police conducted a search at the eco-activist's home and then took her to the police station. She was given the status of a witness with the right to defense under Criminal Code Article 148, which concerns illegal violation of the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations, postal, telegraphic or other messages. The punishment under Article 148 ranges from a fine of 2,000 MCI (8,650,000 tenge) to five years of imprisonment.
Kok-Zhailau Opposition
Aruna Ortayeva, an opponent of the ski resort construction in the Kok-Zhailau tract, published audio recordings on Instagram. The recordings allegedly show akimat employees discussing at a working meeting how to make the protected Sievers apple trees lose their protected status so they could be cut down for the construction of a road to Kok-Zhailau. The recordings also allegedly cover how to properly conduct public hearings. The Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law noted that since the case was not initiated under the article on spreading knowingly false information, the meeting most likely actually took place.
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