Kalimash Toishybekova, the mother of convicted Kazakh journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim, has appealed to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for help protecting her son's rights. She made the appeal at a press conference held by the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights, Vlast.kz reports.
Toishybekova said she decided to turn to Melania Trump because of the First Lady's humanitarian work, particularly on issues concerning children and families. According to the journalist's mother, Melania Trump has previously helped in cases where children were separated from their parents.
«Today I ask you for that same kind of help, on humanitarian grounds, for my only son, Duman Mukhammedkarim. [...] Duman's sentence has been a severe trial for our family. Although a convicted person is supposed to serve their sentence at the nearest facility, my son was sent to another region of Kazakhstan, to the city of Kyzylorda, 1,200 km from his home,» Toishybekova said.
She expressed hope that Melania Trump would take note of her son's situation and be able to help.
According to Toishybekova, Mukhammedkarim was convicted for defending his rights, standing by his convictions, and speaking out against injustice. She stressed that her son has not committed any serious crimes and is not an extremist.
The journalist's mother also said she has neither seen her son nor heard his voice for about two years. She said she cannot personally assess his conditions of detention but has been receiving information suggesting his health is deteriorating.
In her view, Mukhammedkarim needs a thorough medical examination and appropriate treatment.
«We are elderly parents. We don't need politics or conflict. We just need to know our son is alive and safe, to find out how he's doing, and to see his face, even for a moment,» the appeal reads.
Duman Mukhammedkarim is an opposition journalist and the author of the YouTube channel Ne Deidi. He published material on political topics and criticized the Kazakh authorities. In 2023, Mukhammedkarim ran as a candidate in parliamentary elections.
In 2024, a court sentenced the journalist to seven years in prison on charges of «financing extremism» and «participating in a banned organization,» and barred him from socio-political activity for three years. The case was linked, among other things, to Mukhammedkarim's interview with opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, head of the opposition movement Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK), which is officially recognized as extremist in the country.
In November 2024, an appellate court upheld the sentence. Later that year, the journalist was transferred to Kyzylorda.
Mukhammedkarim had earlier reported being held in a punishment cell since December 2024, saying the decision to keep him there had been repeatedly extended. He wrote about this in a letter published earlier.
