Kazakhstan: 19 Activists Sentenced for Peaceful Xinjiang Protest
- A court in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, convicted 19 citizens on April 13, 2026, for their participation in a peaceful protest against human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region.
- The defendants, who are linked to the Atajurt movement and the Nagyz Atajurt Volunteers Group, were sentenced for a demonstration held in November 2025 near the city of...
- Eleven of the activists received five-year prison sentences on charges of inciting interethnic or social discord under Article 174 of the Criminal Code.
A court in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, convicted 19 citizens on April 13, 2026, for their participation in a peaceful protest against human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region.
The defendants, who are linked to the Atajurt movement and the Nagyz Atajurt Volunteers Group, were sentenced for a demonstration held in November 2025 near the city of Almaty.
Eleven of the activists received five-year prison sentences on charges of inciting interethnic or social discord
under Article 174 of the Criminal Code. Among these eleven, two women were granted suspended sentences because they have young children.
Eight other defendants were given non-custodial sentences described as restrictions of freedom
on the same charges. The court banned all 19 individuals from engaging in public or political activities for a period of three years.
Details of the Protest and Legal Escalation
The November 2025 protest involved ethnic Kazakhs from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) who condemned the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang, some of which Human Rights Watch states amount to crimes against humanity.
During the event, protesters called for the release of Alimnur Turganbay, a Kazakhstani citizen originally from Xinjiang who has been detained by Chinese authorities since July 2025 on unknown grounds.
The demonstration included the burning of Chinese flags and a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Following the protest, the Chinese consulate in Almaty urged Kazakhstani authorities to take appropriate measures. While the activists initially faced administrative charges, the authorities escalated the case to a criminal prosecution following the diplomatic complaint from China.
International Reactions and Human Rights Concerns
Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing, with Marie Struthers, the organization’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, describing the convictions as a travesty of justice
.
The Kazakhstani authorities must immediately release the 19 activists as they are imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their human rights. Authorities must quash their convictions and sentences. Criminalizing peaceful protest under the vague pretext of ‘inciting discord’ is a travesty of justice and an affront to international human rights standards.
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Amnesty International further reported that several of the convicted individuals have serious health conditions and has called for the authorities to provide immediate access to appropriate medical care for those in detention.
Human Rights Watch noted that while Kazakhstani authorities have long misused the broad offense of inciting discord
to suppress dissenting voices, this case marks the first time such a large group of activists advocating for human rights in Xinjiang has been imprisoned.
The legal actions take place against a backdrop of Kazakhstan’s long border with China and the presence of a sizable Uyghur and Kazakh diaspora from the Xinjiang region within the country.
Amnesty International has urged the government to uphold the human rights of all citizens, specifically the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.