Dear friends, THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION IN WASHINGTON on A16 IN DEFENCE OF KAZAKH TRADE UNIONISTS…. President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazerbaev, who is the eighth richest man in the world, has begun a vicious campaign of repression against the workers movement of his country. Conditions of life in Kazakhstan have become even more horrendous than in Russia since privatisation was introduced. Western and Kazak capitalists have grown very fat while ordinary people suffer a miserable existence, with epidemic spread of diseases and hunger. On 6 April 2000, Madel Ismailov, chairman of the Kazak Labour Movement Solidarity which has been militantly opposing the privatisation and repression, was arrested for alleged participation in an "illegal" demo in support of pensioners rights. Despite his relatively short "official" sentence of 15 days, there is much reason to fear. Last time he was imprisoned with his friend and fellow labour activist , Sergei Kolokolov, they both became very ill and his friend died. Kolokolov was 28 years old. With just a few days to go of his "official" sentence, Madel has begun a hunger strike. Now, two more leading trade union activists have been arrested. - . Kurmanov and Furmanova, from Uralsk where recently workers have been engaged in prolonged and fierce battles with the bosses. Also arrested has been Irina Savostina, leader of the pensioners movement, who had hoped to flee the county and seek political asylum. Now we ask, those of you who are going to Washington this weekend to protest the greed of the IMF - please, while you are there, can you find a little time to visit the Kazakh embassy there and express your feelings about Nazerbaev’s repression - the Embassy itself must understand your anger. If you are prepared to do something, please contact us immediately, so we can put you in touch with others who want to do the same, and so that you may co-ordinate your actions together. The details of the Kazakh embassy in Washington (base of Ambassador to US, Canada and Mexico) are: Kazakh Embassy , 1401 16th street, N.W. ,Washington DC 20036 ,Tel 1-202-232 5488 Fax 1-202-232-5845, Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you cant make it to Washington but want to protest anyway, please email or fax the Embassy. If you are not in US, please protest at the Kazakh embassy in your country ; see listing at http://www.un.int/kazakhstan/embas.html Also protest to any of the below: the President of Kazakhstan, Nazarbaev: Fax:(+ 7 3172) 326172 Office of the President pl. Respubliki 4 Akmola 480091 Republic of Kazakhstan Fax: (+ 7 3272) 63 9595 or 63 76 33 Please send copy of your letter to [EMAIL PROTECTED] More information available at: http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/news/kazakh2.html In solidarity, Lisa Taylor International Solidarity with Workers in Russia (ISWoR) PS Please circulate this message as widely as you can and translate into other languages if possible. *********************************************************** The RUSSIA INFO-LIST puts out information and analysis from a wide range of sources. If you have something you would like to distribute on Russia Info-List, or want to help in our practical solidarity work, contact: >[EMAIL PROTECTED]< Box R, 46 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8RZ, England ***********************************************************
