Kazakh Activist Arrested On Suspicion Of Misinforming Investigators

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan's southern city of Shymkent has placed civil rights activist Suin Abulda under arrest for two months pending further investigation and trial.

Al-Farabi District Court judge Ghani Baiarystan told RFE/RL that Abulda was charged with intentionally providing investigators with false information in a fraud case and arrested on December 8.

Neither Abulda nor his lawyers were available for comment.

Abulda was jailed for 15 days in May 2016, over his involvement in rallies against land reforms.

In April and May 2016, thousands of people across Kazakhstan protested against changes to the Central Asian country's Land Code allowing land privatization. Dozens of people were sentenced to several days in jail or fined.

Activists Maks Boqaev and Talgat Ayan, who were involved in protests in the western city of Atyrau, were sentenced to five years in prison each after being found guilty of inciting social discord, knowingly spreading false information, and violating the law on public assembly.Amnesty International considers both men to be prisoners of conscience.