An activist who openly protested against Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Kazakhstan to participate in a two-day summit in the capital, Astana, has been sentenced to 15 days in jail on a charge of violating regulations on public gatherings.
Vera Zharylqasymova told RFE/RL that her husband, Rafiq Zharylqasymov, was handed the sentence late on October 13, hours after plainclothes men detained him in a shop in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty.
According to Zharylqasymova, her husband's hearing was held behind closed doors.
"Nobody was informed about the hearing. Nobody knew when exactly the hearing was to be held," Zharylqasymova said, adding that her spouse had to defend himself in court, as his lawyer was not at the hearing.
Zharylqasymova said earlier that her husband's detention was most likely linked to his recent call to hold a rally in Almaty to protests Putin's presence in the Central Asian country.
Zharylqasymov was detained the day after he posted a video on Facebook urging officials to stop Putin's visits to Kazakhstan, calling him "a terrorist" over Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine launched in late February.
Online protests against Putin's visit to Kazakhstan increased ahead of Putin's arrival in Astana on October 12.
Separately on October 14, journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim, who was sentenced to 15 days in jail in Almaty three days earlier over his public call to hold rallies against the early presidential election scheduled for next month, started a hunger strike.
Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeisov, told RFE/RL that his client is protesting his incarceration, calling it illegal.
