Kazakhstan’s human rights organization, the Atazhul Volunteer Organization, including its leader, Bektzhati and 19 members, have recently been officially charged with “inciting ethnic hatred” by Kazakh judicial authorities. The defense lawyer mentioned that it is extremely rare to have a diplomatic note from the Chinese Communist Party appear in the indictment, and the court is expected to render a verdict soon.
The charge against the Atazhul Volunteer Organization stems from a collective action that occurred on November 13, 2025, in the Uighur County of Almaty, Kazakhstan as revealed in the indictment provided to Epoch Times by the Atazhul Volunteer Organization. The prosecution alleges that Bektzhati and the other 19 defendants conducted a protest along the highway, where they burned the flags of the Chinese Communist Party and images of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, recorded the process in a video, and uploaded it to overseas social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, inciting ethnic confrontation through mass media.
Numerous legal experts familiar with the case have noted that this case has attracted attention in Kazakhstan’s judicial practice due to the inclusion of formal diplomatic notes from the Chinese side in the prosecution evidence. According to the indictment, on November 14, 2025, the Chinese government submitted a note to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing “serious concerns” about the actions and labeling Atazhul as an “illegal organization,” stating that their actions have damaged China’s national image and Sino-Kazakh relations, and requesting Kazakhstan to “handle it properly according to law.” This diplomatic note was fully included in the criminal case materials.
The indictment also extensively cites multiple psychological and linguistic evaluation reports. The evaluations suggested that the videos in question contain clear value judgments and negative evaluations that could lead to opposing viewpoints and emotional polarization amongst different groups; some reports pointed out that the videos could provoke a hostile attitude towards the Chinese population and stir up demands for reexamining cooperation with China, and rejecting Chinese citizens.
The defense lawyer, Shynkuat Baizhan, stated that the trial has concluded, with the indictment incorporating the Chinese consulate’s diplomatic note into the criminal charge, a highly unusual practice in local judicial proceedings.
A Kazakh legal expert who preferred to remain anonymous told reporters that using a foreign government’s diplomatic note as a crucial basis for criminal prosecution is a highly sensitive approach locally, indicating that the case has transcended mere public order or assembly issues and delves into the realm of diplomacy and national security intertwining.
The court documents indicate that the majority of the 19 defendants have been placed under “supervised detention,” while some are under house arrest. One individual, due to prior criminal records, is deemed to have aggravated circumstances. The prosecution has charged them with inciting ethnic hatred and insulting national dignity under Article 174(2) of Kazakhstan’s criminal code, which carries a maximum penalty of long-term imprisonment.
Atazhul has long been focused on human rights issues related to Xinjiang, having assisted some Kazakh families in publicly seeking their missing relatives in China. In recent years, the organization’s activities have faced ongoing restrictions at both administrative and judicial levels, with their operating space steadily shrinking. This case is seen by outsiders as a pivotal judicial handling of human rights advocacy actions concerning China within the context of Sino-Kazakh relations.
The Atazhul Volunteer Organization, based in Almaty, has compiled lists of missing Xinjiang individuals and testimonies from their families over the years. After Xinjiang authorities established education and training centers in 2017, the organization collected extensive firsthand information from those affected and provided it to the outside world, becoming an important civilian source for understanding the situation.
The defense lawyer mentioned that the court is expected to issue a judgment shortly, and whether the diplomatic note and psychological evaluation reports will be used as a basis for conviction will have a demonstrative effect on similar cases in the future.