The Qaharman rights group in Kazakhstan said on December 22 that a court in Astana handed an additional 15 days in jail to activists Aset Abishev and Aidar Syzdykov two days earlier on a charge of disobeying police orders. The two were arrested on December 6 near a detention center where they were awaiting the release of their colleague and sentenced later to 15 days in jail each on hooliganism charges which they rejected as politically motivated. Rights activists in Kazakhstan say pressure on dissent has increased as the second anniversary of unprecedented anti-government protests that turned violent approaches. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
