An opponent of the construction of a ski resort at 10km of Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty, in the Kok-Zhaylau area, was taken into custody in Almaty. She had previously posted videos on Instagram that allegedly showed a private discussion about the fate of Red Book-listed trees destined for logging.
On August 29 in Almaty, eco-activist Aruna Ortaeva was taken to the Police Department following a search. The opponent of the development of the new ski resort -for which half a billion dollars is currently earmarked in the budget- posted audio recordings on her Instagram page, presumably from a meeting at the city administration of the “southern capital” discussing the fate of Red Book-listed trees that would be affected by the resort’s construction.
The Red book is the official register of endangered species in Kazakhstan, the local equivalent of the Red List of IUCN. This inscription is supposed to protect trees juridically from destruction.
The audio recording contains a discussion about ensuring that 700 Red Book-listed apple trees -which were among the 2,000 trees slated for removal- would no longer be classified as such, as well as how to “properly” conduct “public hearings,” in order to legitimize this operation.
Aruna Ortaeva spent nearly the entire day at the police station, after which she was designated a witness with the right to legal defense under Criminal Code Article 148 “Unlawful violation of the confidentiality of correspondence, telephone conversations, postal, telegraphic, or other communications” and was remanded in custody for 15 days for “failure to comply with lawful police orders.” The case was not initiated under the charge of “spreading knowingly false information,” which indirectly suggests that the authorities do not dispute the truthfulness of the content. In this regard, criminal liability arises under Article 340 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“Illegal Felling, Destruction, or Damage to Trees and Shrubs”).
– She reported believing that the police would investigate and catch the real criminals, but they detained her instead. Not only that, but it appears she was injured during the arrest as she showed bruises and scratches, as seen in footage her supporters later shared on social media.
The construction of yet another ski resort on land that belongs to a national park is now a done deal. According to representatives of the contractors, the project is scheduled for completion within three years, and the felling of each spruce tree is being individually approved by the Ministry of Ecology.The project also has international backing as French company POMA has been contracted to supply the resort’s cable car infrastructure .
This isn’t the first attempt to push this project through. A previous attempt was blocked after public outrage and expert assessments concluding the resort would be unprofitable, leading President Tokayev to declare in 2019 that the matter was closed, stating “we don’t need it.” This year, however, he appears to have been persuaded otherwise, while the country’s civil society is no longer what it used to be.
