Kazakh Opposition Granted Rare Permit To Hold Rally In Almaty

A few hundred people attended an opposition protest rally in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, on November 14. Permission for the rally was granted by the authorities, although its organizers are the frequent target of political persecutions. Organized by Zhanbolat Mamai, a leading figure of the unregistered Democratic Party, and the YouTube channel Base, created by exiled opposition activists Aidos and Natalia Sadykov, the rally called for a boycott of the next parliamentary elections, scheduled for January; freedom for political prisoners; and a moratorium on land sales for foreigners -- a suspected source of income for corrupt government officials. The protest was only the second opposition rally permitted by local authorities.