Zhanar Sekerbayeva and Aktorgyn Akkenzhebalasy have been sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention
BY NANCY KELLEY, IMAGE BY GETTY
Last Friday, Zhanar Sekerbayeva, Feminita co-founder and board member of the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), along with another Feminita activist, Aktorgyn Akkenzhebalasy were arrested and sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention after taking part in a protest demanding that Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former minister convicted of brutally murdering his wife, be given a life sentence.
The Bishimbayev case has become a lightning rod for activism against femicide and domestic abuse in Kazakhstan, and it is believed that Zhanar and Aktorgyn have been arrested and detained to prevent them from organising or participating in planned actions for International Women’s Day this weekend.
In her powerful and moving letter from prison, Zhanar called on the community to stand up in the face of oppression: “Do not lose heart and hold on, just like me. The spirit of freedom-loving feminists, lesbians, activists cannot be broken by anyone. Your love, courage, audacity, solidarity support me.”
EL*C has described these arrests as “a blatant attack on feminist and LBTQ+ activists” and is calling for Zhanar and Aktorgyn’s immediate release. Silvia Casalino, EL*C executive co-director says “Freedom of assembly is a fundamental human right. Together with our sisters from Feminita NGO, we are working to bring institutional and media attention to this illegal detention. Sadly, no one seems to care – for now. Two lesbians imprisoned in a distant country are deemed unimportant. Please help us reach every possible ally: partners, authorities, donors, and lesbian communities around the world.”
ILGA Europe “strongly condemned” the arrests, which they describe as “part of a broader pattern of persecution, including arrests, fines, physical attacks, police raids, and legislative proposals designed to stifle legitimate civil society organisations advocating for equality—whether for women, LGBT individuals, or other marginalised groups”.
This is not the first time that Feminita has been targeted, but it follows recent attacks on community events and a court-imposed fine for Feminita’s founder Gulzada Serzhan for “managing an unregistered public association” (the authorities have been refusing to register Feminita since 2017). Although homosexuality was decriminalised in Kazakhstan in 1988, there is no meaningful state protection of LGBTQIA rights, and the day to day lives of LGBTQIA people are characterised by discrimination, harassment and violence.
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