Kazakhstan Court Convicts 19 Atajurt Members on Discord Charges After Xinjiang Protest

Kazakhstan has sentenced 19 individuals to prison for their involvement in a peaceful protest against human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region. A court in Taldykorgan convicted all defendants on charges of inciting interethnic or social discord related to their November 2025 protests.

The 19 defendants are associated with the Atajurt movement, an unregistered group that documents alleged rights abuses against ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

They were arrested following a protest demanding the release of Alimnur Turganbay, an ethnic Kazakh detained in Xinjiang since July 2025. Of the 19 convicts, 11 received five-year prison terms, while the remaining eight were given non-custodial 'restriction of freedom' sentences. All 19 were also banned from engaging in public or political activities for three years.

Videos from the November protest showed demonstrators burning the Chinese flag and a portrait of Xi Jinping, as well as chanting slogans against the Chinese leader. The Chinese consulate in Almaty urged Kazakh authorities to 'take appropriate measures' following the protest, which was held under tight security restrictions.

Reporters were denied access to the courtroom and were required to follow the proceedings via a live video link.

' She expressed frustration over the treatment of her husband and the broader implications for ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs. Human Rights Watch described the sentencing as the first large-scale imprisonment of Xinjiang rights advocates and criticized the 'inciting discord' charge as vague; Kazakh officials have defended the action as necessary to maintain social harmony.