Procurator General of Kazakhstan
Maksud Narikbayev
Respublika Kazakhstan
480099 g. Almaty
ul. Zheltoksan, 189

Dear Procurator General:

I wish to express my concern regarding the deaths of at least eight young inmates at LA-155/6, a penitentiary for male juveniles in Almaty.

Reports received by Amnesty International indicate that one of the juveniles, a 17-year-old named Shakmatov, died in late 1995 from a wasting condition apparently caused by ill-treatment and malnutrition. And another young man, Makamedov, also age 17, died shortly after his release from LA-155/6 at the end of 1995.

I understand that the treatment meted out to juvenile offenders by prison officials at LA-155/6 is frequently inhumane. Therefore, I am concerned that the deaths of these two inmates, and possibly the other six as well, were the direct result of the treatment they received while imprisoned there.

I request that full and impartial investigations into these young men’s deaths be conducted. Any personnel found responsible for committing acts of ill-treatment or torture should be charged with a criminal offense and brought to justice in accordance with the norms of international law.

I also call on you to ensure that conditions at LA-155/6, as well as all other juvenile detention centers in your area of jurisdiction, do not amount to ill-treatment as specified in Article 37 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child to which Kazakhstan has acceded. Please ensure that all prisoners are provided with adequate food, medical care, accommodations, and sanitary facilities.

Respectfully yours,