From left: Zamparutti, Stango, Zahikianov, Perduca; May 30, 2006

KAZAKHSTAN. HOC MEETS WITH OPPOSITION, DISCUSSES UN MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS

May 30, 2006: Hands Off Cain met with two Kazakh opposition leaders during its visit to the country: Amirzahan Kosanov, Secretary of Democratic Choice of Kazakistan and the party’s founder Galymzhan Zahikianov.
HOC asked them to consider adding to their party agenda a UN based moratorium on capital executions and the ratification of the International Criminal Court.
Amirzahan Kosanov said he would put the moratorium appeal text up for party debate whilst Galymzhan Zahikianov gave his signature to the document.
Galymzhan Zahikianov was governor of the Semipalatinsk and the Pavlodar regions; however, he was dismissed by President Nazarbaiev after voicing requests for greater freedom and democracy.
He then founded Democratic Choice of Kazakistan but was arrested four months later on charges of abusing power. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and after serving half his sentence was released last January 22.
During the meeting Zahikianov described the terrible prison conditions and the abuse present in the special sections where he spent some time together with some inmates sentenced to death. (Sources: HOC, 30/05/2006)