The identity of the human rights activist detained by officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) on suspicion of extorting $50,000 has been revealed — Dinara Nazarkulova. Own sources informed 24-kg.com news agency.
Dinara Nazarkulova became known as the Chair of the Committee for the Protection of Borrowers’ Rights. Under her leadership, the organization actively opposed, in the human rights activist’s words, «harsh and unfair» terms imposed by banks on loans and mortgages.
She held rallies, sought to have citizens’ debts reviewed, and criticized banks for mass foreclosures on borrowers’ homes. In the 2010s, she repeatedly stated that loan problems could escalate into a social crisis if the state did not intervene.
According to the SCNS, the human rights activist allegedly demanded $50,000 for a «favorable resolution of a criminal case,» citing her connections in law enforcement. She was caught red-handed while taking $20,000 and was subsequently placed in pretrial detention.
Investigators are looking into the involvement of Ministry of Internal Affairs officials in the possible extortion scheme.
