Almaty Court Rejects Appeals Of Kazakh Activists Convicted In 2022 Airport Unrest

Noted civil rights activist Aigerim Tileuzhanova was sentenced to four years in prison.

The Almaty City Court on November 10 rejected the appeals of five activists against prison terms they were handed in July after a lower court found them guilty of "organizing mass unrest at Almaty airport" during unprecedented anti-government protests in January 2022 that turned deadly. Noted civil rights activist Aigerim Tileuzhanova was sentenced to four years in prison, while the other activists, all men, received eight years in prison each. Some were also charged with storming a building, vehicle hijacking, and robbery. All have denied wrongdoing, saying they did not commit any crimes while taking part in the demonstration. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.