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“Anger Has Become Our Sister”: Kazakhstan’s Arrest of Zhanar Sekerbayeva Was an Attack on Rights
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Publish Date
March 11, 2025
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On March 10, Kazakhstani feminist activist Zhanar Sekerbayeva was released from prison after serving 10 days of administrative detention under Article 488, Part 7 of the Kazakh Administrative Code, which penalizes alleged violations of public assembly regulations.
Sekerbayeva is the co-founder of the Kazakhstani association Feminita, a board member of the Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community-EL*C, and a Sounding Board member with Outright International’s LBQ Connect program. She was arrested on February 28 and taken into custody directly from the courtroom. Sekerbayeva’s colleagues believe that this politically motivated arrest was an attempt to silence her activism ahead of March 8, preventing her from organizing and participating in public events for International Women’s Day.
ILGA-Europe describes the arrest as “part of a broader pattern of persecution, including arrests, fines, physical attacks, police raids, and legislative proposals designed to stifle legitimate civil society organizations advocating for equality” for women, LGBTIQ people, and other marginalized groups.
Outright International urges the international diplomatic community, human rights organizations, and feminist movements to hold Kazakh authorities accountable for their repression of feminist and LGBTIQ voices.
The following is a letter Sekerbayeva wrote from prison on March 2, reprinted with permission.
"For sisters!
My dears, how are you? Is everything okay? I am in a cell room with girls, we share everything, and it makes time passes more cheerfully and easily. Of course, I am under arrest illegally, the state is so afraid of us, our brave voices, our burning looks and our hot hearts! Do not lose heart and hold on, just like me. The spirit of freedom-loving feminists, lesbians, activists cannot be broken by anyone. Your love, courage, audacity, solidarity support me. We are frightened, they make us feel anxious, that is why it is so important not to break and fight back!
Fight, sister! In this dark time, only you have a flashlight from your phone / a torch that lights the way. Spring has come, it is important for us to clean up, sweep away the patriarchy!
I will go out on March 10 at 15:00, who is able, come to Lobachevsky, 10. Let’s hug first.
Police, NSC [1], Akimat [2] and those who are so afraid of me that they forced me to be in prison, and not with you on our day of struggle, I scream at you with my furious voice: you will never stop freedom of thought, fearlessness and love! We always win! Publish my letter in the media, in your own social media, give it to your friends.
I support you with all my strength, the patriarchy cannot withstand our feminist and queer LBQT-onset. Is it possible to stop time, the singing of birds, the flow of a mountain river?
Anger has become our sister and it helps us in difficult times. As the author, one of the authors, more precisely, of the slogan “Shal, ket[3]!” I feel its epicness and relevance. Patriarchy, go away!
I want to live in Kazakhstan, where women’s rights, LGBTIQ rights are protected and we are not persecuted for our activism, which is regarded by the state as political. Kazakhstan should not live using the laws of the russian federation, because they suppress freedom, dignity and human rights. We are a secular, legal, democratic state! Let’s live by the laws. I grew up on my native land, this is my land, my steppe, my mountains, my stray cats.
I love and hug you very much,
the unconquered rainbow batyrka[4]"
[1] National Security Committee
[2] Akimat in Kazakhstan is the local government executive body responsible for implementing policies, managing public services, and overseeing regional development.
[3] Old man, go away!
[4] Strong woman
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