Kazakhstan, 12.08.2014
Vladimir Kozlov, incarcerated at Zarechnoy near Almaty (Kazakhstan) has had his application for a transfer to a lighter discipline colony rejected.
According to article 73 of criminal executive code, depending on the convict's behaviour and attitude towards labour in the colony, convicts may, after having served a third of their sentence, be transferred to another place of detention (the so-called. Колония-поселение). On 23rd July, two and a half years had passed since Kozlov was imprisoned, which gave him the right to be transferred to a semi-open colony with a lighter regime, where, amongst other privileges, visitation by family members would be permitted.
However, in early August this year the commission rejected Kozlov's application due to the four reprimands he had allegedly been attributed. As the politician's wife claims, Kozlov himself had not been aware of the alleged reprimands. In order to obtain explanations, both Turusbekova and Kozlov addressed Yevgeny Zhovtis, human rights activist and President of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law.
When asked to investigate, Zhovtis stated that a convict may not be reprimanded without being informed of the fact. Issuing a reprimand involves the necessity for the colony officer who discovers the respective violation to submit a report. Next, evidence is collected. A reprimand may only be issued in the respective convict's full awareness of the fact and in account of his right to appeal, including in court.
Turusbekova is certain that the ungrounded reprimands were merely a pretext to have Kozlov's application rejected. This very same opinion is shared by Zhovtis, who points to abuses of this lawless procedure in the penitentiary system of Kazakhstan.
Info taken from: Respublika
