Biography

Aron Nutushev, Aron Edigeev since 2006.
Aron Atabek — pen name since 1971.
Date of birth — 31 January 1953. Place of birth — Russia, Astrakhanskaya oblast (current Kalmyk Republic).

Aron Atabek’s father survived the famine known as the Holodomor. Underwent years of the Gulag. After release held position of the chairman of a collective farm (kolkhoz). Aron Atabek’s grand father and great-grandfather were subjected to repression and were shot by the Bolsheviks.
Atabek’s great-great-grandfather Kazakh poet-warrior Makhambet Utemisov — one of the leaders of the rebellion in 1836-1837 had been assassinated with hands of Kazakh mercenaries ordered by tsarist Russia.

Aron Atabek — Kazakh poet, political writer, author of poetic translations, author of books and handwritings, dissident, political prisoner, prisoner of conscience. Writes in Russian and Kazakh languages.
Believes in Tengri, regards with reverence to Aruaks, spirits of ancestors.

Arrested 17 July 2006 at the Department of Internal Affairs of the city of Almaty.
5 October 2007 sentenced to 18 years of strict regime accused in organising mass-disorder, hostage taking and murder of the police officer.

Had been fighting against totalitarianism since USSR. Being imprisoned continued to write and did not step back of his views regarding political Regime in Kazakhstan.
At the present time is kept in isolation ward of the prison  АП-162/1 of the city of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. Contacts with outer world are restricted, communication with prisoners is prohibited. Atabek had been transferred to prisons in a long distance from his home in Almaty. There is information about 7 transfers to prisons across Kazakhstan since the arrest:

  • 2006 — 2008 — СИ ЛА-155/1, Almaty (pre-trial detention);
  • 2008 — 2010 — УЧ АК-159/22, Karazhal (strict regime colony. Isolation ward);
  • 2010 — 2012 — УЧ УК-161/12, Arkalyk (high-security prison. Solitary confinement);
  • 2012 — УЧ АК-159/22, Karazhal (strict regime colony. Isolation ward);
  • 2012 — 2013 —УЧ УК-161/12, Arkalyk (high-security prison. Solitary confinement);
  • 2013 — УЧ АК-159/22, Karazhal (strict regime colony. Isolation ward);
  • 2014 — УЧ АК-159/1, Karaganda (pre-trial detention. Isolaiton ward);
  • 2014 — УЧ АП-162/1 Pavlodar (pre-trial detention. Isolaiton ward).

 Political biography

Alumni of the faculty of philology of the Kazakh State University in 1974. Graduate trainee at the Department of Mongolistics and Turkology in the Leningrad State University. Editor in State Committee for Cinematography. Lecturer at universities in Almaty.

Participated in protests of youth in Almaty in December 1986; demanded reassessment of December-86 events by the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee; fought for the liberation of participants of December-1986.

Founder and chairman of the new national freedom party Alash (April 1990). Publisher of unregistered political newspaper «Alash».  In Moscow emigration published the «Khaq» — Russian-language political newspaper (registered in Moscow with amount 20 k).

Initiated the «Turkestan» Committee, composed of oppositional-emigrants from Central Asia (1992 Baku, Azerbaijan). Participant of inspection trips to Karabakh and Chechnya in 1992; participant of the First Assembly of Turkic nations in Antalya, Turkey (1992).

Chairman of the Political Council of the National Front of Kazakhstan «Kazakh Memleketi» (2004), chairman of the community «Kazakh Ulty» (Kazakh Nation), chairman of the committee «Zher zhane Baspana» (Land and Dwelling, 2004).

Initiated movement for rights of inhabitants of shanty-towns and communities under forced evictions. Sentenced to 18 years of strict regime accused in orchestrating mass-disorder in the micro-district Shanyrak near Almaty. Atabek also had been accused of hostage taking and killing of a police officer.

Independent organisations recognised Atabek as political prisoner, prisoner of conscience. Known as poet-defender of desperates, Awarded Akhmet Baitursynov Prize (1989), literary prize Almas-Kylysh (2004), Republican Prize “Svoboda” (2008), Imprisoned Artist Prize (2010), Atabek is often compared with Nelson Mandela.

Dissident

Pursued by authorities Atabek was forced to leave Kazakhstan. From Moscow he continued political activity and remained publishing newspapers and brochures.
«Do not trust the President’s smile» published in the newspaper «Khaq» resulted Kazakhstan prosecutor’s office representatives’ and Moscow militia’s rush-in with attempt to arrest Atabek in his apartment, followed by search and confiscation of materials regarding Kazakh president.

Several states including Azerbaijan proposed political asylum. Atabek moved to Baku in August 2006. After talks with Kazakh authorities Azerbaijan refused to give political asylum.
G. Aliyev’s rise to power forced Atabek to leave Azerbaijan and stayed for several months in the North Caucasus.
Lived in Moscow and territory of Russian until 1996.

Did not exclude possible further prosecutions after turned back to Kazakhstan in 1996.

 

In late 90s and beginning of 00s poetic and scientific books were published, including a unique poetic translation with scientific commentaries of the Orkhon-Yenisey runic writings.
Editors began publishing Atabek’s works in newpapers («Kultura», «Epoha», etc.). Next poetic books followed «Makhambet», «Woman-muse», «Tamga of the Heavenly Kagan».

Beginning of 00s was marked with moving lands into private property. «Land Codex» question arose in Kazakhstan. Convinced in sanctity of each span of Kazakh land as the basement of nationhood, Atabek returns to social-political life.
Several opposition media published his articles regarding society and nation, Atabek participated in activities of several oppositional parties.

Atabek stood up for rights of oppressed citizens — refugees from suburb area, mostly Kazakhs, who were being forcedly evicted from shanty-towns and communities in Almaty, calling government to halt coercive evictions.

Sentenced by Almaty City Court to 18 years of strict regime on 5th October 2007 charged of orchestrating of mass disorders in Shanyrak, Almaty 14 July 2006. Atabek was accused of hostage taking and murder of police officer.
Atabek refused to plead guilty and stated the authorities were responsible for Shanyrak and death of the policeman. There were known senior officials.

Later Atabek would state the authorities responsible for massacre in Zhanaozen and shooting into civilians. Atabek applied to the Prosecutor’s General Office demanding to start criminal cases against the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev and the ex-prime-minister of Kazakhstan, current mayor of the city of Astana, the persons responsible for massacres in Shanyrak in 2006 and Zhanaozen in 2011.

Atabek continued to write in prison and did not step back of his beliefs. His writings cover problems of penitentiary system of the RK, fate of Kazakh nation, often including sharp but reasonable criticism of the Dictator’s regime in Kazakhstan.

Following the publication in the web of the article «Nazarbayevshina i Revolutsia» and its poetic afterword «Nazarbayevshina i Poeziya» in 2009, Atabek was sentenced to 2 years of hight security regime with no change to the main sentence.

Following the publication in the web of the handwriting «the Heart of Eurasia. The Great Aryan Kaganat Altyn-Orda» written in prison, Atabek was repeatedly sentenced to 2 years of hight security regime with no change to the main sentence.

‘The 15 of November 2012 Karazhal City Court decree’ had been cancelled by a protest of a regional prosecutor, the material sent to a new trial.

The present day Aron Atabek is being kept in isolation ward of the prison of Pavlodar.  Contacts with outer world are restricted, communication with prisoners is not allowed.
Experts say about ‘transfer-to-far’ tactics in far areas of Kazakhstan to isolate Atabek and prevent access to him; to harm his health condition by keeping in isolation wards.

Campaigns

Campaign Kazakhstan and Socialit Labour Party (UK) picketed in front Kazakh Embassy in London (05.10.12), demanding Aron Atabek’s release.

PEN-International’s Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) announced their campaign supported by Centres in Europe, North America and China, calling to take actions, to lobby respective ambassadors to Kazakhstan, Members of the European Parliament and Kazakh authorities, demanding Aron Atabek be released from solitary confinement and return to a prison within reasonable distance close to Almaty.
PEN’s recent call to action includes demand to stop outrage refusal in medical service and tortures.

Amnesty International and Article-19 notice in their annual reports of harsh conditions Atabek is being kept in depsite of International standards adopted by Kazakhstan. Amnesty International did not recognise Atabek as prisoner of conscience, allegeldy caused by accusation in death of police officer.

In his works the poet criticises the West for managing policy of double-standards, which invigorates existence of the totalitarian regime in Kazakhstan.

Current situation

Aron Atabek is being kept in isolation ward of the prison of Pavlodar. Head of the prison refused to move Atabek from isolation ward to the medical unit to obtain medical treatment and to establish a disability group, reporting 61 year old Atabek’s health condition is satisfying.

Conditions of detention were highlighed in reports of the Public Monitoring Commission. Correspondence is censored, telephone calls supposed to be given by decision of the prison administration.

Prison officers’ physical tortures and other violations against Atabek, as well as refusal of the head of the prison to direct Atabek to medical unit had been highlighted in the report to the UN Special Rapporteur on tortures.

Atabek’s books list

  • «Alash and Kazakh Nation», Moscow, «Khak», 1991;
  • «Nomadism of memory over the Zodiac», Almaty, «Zhazushy», 1998;
  • «Jollyg-Tegin. Memorial of Kul-Tegin», Almaty, «Kenzhe-press», 2000;
  • «Makhambet. Olender. Poems», Almaty, «Kenzhe-press», 2002;
  • «Muse-woman», Almaty, «SaGa», 2003;
  • «Tamga of the Heavenly Kagan», Almaty, «Saga» 2004;
  • «Makhambet and the Era», handwriting 2004;
  • «Shanyrak. Rebellion of homeless», Almaty, 2008;
  • «Nazarbayevshina and Revolution», «Nazarbayevshina and Poetry», publised in the web, 2009;
  • «Heart of Eurasia or the Great Aryan Kaganat Altyn-Orda», Almaty, 2012;
  • «Re-Zona-ns», lost and recovered poems, handwriting. Karazhal,  Arkalyk 2008 — 2012;
  • «Poemography»,  lost and recovered poems, handwriting. Almaty, Karazhal,  Arkalyk 2008 — 2012;
  • «Anti-Naz» (2013), the handwriting was sent to the KNB against author’s will;
  • «Kaganat» (2013),  the handwriting was sent to the KNB against author’s will;
  • «Heart of Eurasia» (2013), no data.