Kazakh authorities have jailed several opposition activists on the eve of rallies planned across the country on May 1. A court in Astana on April 29 sentenced opposition activists Amangeldi Zhakhin and Marat Musabaev to 15 days in jail each on a charge of disobeying police orders. The same day, a court in the northern Pavlodar Province sentenced activist Embergen Qurmanov to 17 days in jail after convicting him of making online calls for an "illegal" rally. Three days earlier, a court in the East Kazakhstan Province sentenced Ruslan Nurkhanov to 15 days in jail on the same charge. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Kazakh Activists Under Pressure Before Announced Rallies
Kazakh activist Amangeldi Zhakhin (left) was jailed for 15 days. (file photo)