Civic Alliance welcomes the decision of the competent authorities to grant Dinara Smailova and Almat Mukhamejanov the status of persons under international protection in Montenegro, after almost two years of proceedings.
Dinara Smailova, an activist from Kazakhstan, spoke publicly about the violence she suffered, which made her a symbol of the fight against impunity and for women’s rights in that country. Through the establishment of the “NeMolchiKZ” Foundation, she helped thousands of women in Kazakhstan, which led to the conviction of 315 abusers and exposed the systemic passivity of the Kazakh police, more than 200 policemen were disciplined, and 12 policemen were sentenced to prison for serious crimes.
Because of this, the Kazakh regime initiated eight politically motivated criminal proceedings against her, she is falsely accused of fraud and spreading disinformation, and her fund’s donors are subjected to police interrogations and intimidation. The authorities forbade her to return to Georgia, where she lived in exile, and she requested international protection in Montenegro.
The decision to seek refuge in Montenegro was not at all easy, but it stemmed from a real threat to her security, which the Montenegrin institutions eventually recognized.
This ended a long and complex procedure, and Dinara Smailova and Almat Mukhamejanov now have the opportunity to continue their lives in a safe environment in Montenegro.
We remind you that Dinara Smailova and Almat Mukhamejanov approached the Civic Alliance less than two years ago, and since then our legal team has followed them through all stages of the procedure – from the expression of intention and submission of a request for international protection, to the collection, preparation and translation of extensive evidentiary documentation, as well as during numerous hearings before the competent authorities.
With the completion of the demanding evidence procedure, a positive outcome was achieved in this case, which represents a significant result of joint engagement. Civic Alliance continues its cooperation with Dinara Smailova and Almat Mukhamejanov and will provide support in the future for their full integration into Montenegrin society.
Free legal aid was provided in cooperation with UNHCR Montenegro, through the project “Providing free legal aid to seekers of international and temporary protection”.
Petar Vukčević,
Civic Alliance
