Protests against China in Kazakhstan – Weekend

Catch up on the latest global events and developments this week in QALAMPIR.UZ’s Weekend program.

“Mossad” officer in Assad’s shadow

The issues left behind by Bashar Assad and the people who served his torture apparatus are likely to persist in Syria for a long time. Among them, former General Khalid al-Halabi, who held one of the highest positions in Syrian military intelligence, was reportedly detained in Austria and is facing charges for war crimes. Al-Halabi is currently on trial in Austria for crimes committed during Assad’s regime. For over a decade, he evaded investigators for war crimes while living in Paris and Vienna. According to Austrian prosecutors, at least two Western intelligence agencies had provided him protection.

It was reported that Al-Halabi has been in custody since December of last year. One key tip that helped independent investigators locate him was a photo he posted on social media from a bridge in Budapest. Austrian investigators claim that the former Syrian security officer served as a double agent for Israel’s Mossad until he fled Syria in 2013. He later went to Paris but mysteriously disappeared in 2015. According to Austrian prosecutors, Mossad and a group of Austrian intelligence officers assisted in transporting Al-Halabi by car across Europe to the Austrian border. Austrian intelligence independently monitored and escorted him to Vienna, indicating involvement of Austrian special services in his movement. However, Austria is now prosecuting him in court.

For context, victims of the old Syrian regime regard this general as a cruel sadist who participated in the torture of Assad’s opponents between 2011 and 2013. Al-Halabi, now 62, headed Section 335 of Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate in Raqqa and fled to Europe via Turkey and Jordan after the city fell. Security services in several EU countries have shown interest in him. He is considered one of the highest-ranking officials of the Syrian government suspected of involvement in torture revealed in Europe.

Zelensky’s chair is shifting

Ukraine continues to grapple with remnants of the Soviet system, including entrenched corruption. Misuse of office still challenges Kyiv today. The “Energoatom” case has become another headache for the country. Last week, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed a large-scale corruption scheme within the state-owned company “Energoatom.” According to the Bureau, the criminal organization’s main activity involved regularly obtaining illicit payments from contractors, equivalent to 10–15 percent of contract value. Contractors were allegedly required to pay kickbacks to avoid blocked payments or losing supplier status.

Investigators named financier Alexander Sukerman and businessman Timur Mindich as organizers of the scheme. The case is politically sensitive because Mindich has been a longtime close associate of President Zelensky and co-founder of the “Kvartal 95” studio. Following the revelations, on November 13, Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions against Mindich and Sukerman. The decree stripped them of state awards, froze their assets in Ukraine for three years, suspended their ability to conduct trade operations, and prohibited the purchase of land in Ukraine.

On November 10, law enforcement authorities conducted searches at Mindich’s home, at Energoatom, and at Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko’s residence. Mindich had already left Ukraine prior to these searches. On November 12, amid public discussion, the State Border Service clarified that Mindich’s departure was legal, and an internal review confirmed no breach of protocol had occurred.

The scandal is not over. Zelensky subsequently requested the dismissal of Justice Minister Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, citing a matter of trust. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was tasked with preparing the necessary documents, and deputies of the Verkhovna Rada were asked to support the decision. Hrynchuk announced her resignation on Facebook, stating that no laws had been broken during her tenure. Halushchenko also confirmed he submitted a resignation. Interestingly, both ministers had been appointed only in July 2025 and thus served for just four months.

Despite the scale of the corruption scandal, which could have hindered Ukraine’s international assistance, aid chains appear unaffected. On November 13, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Zelensky to encourage continued anti-corruption efforts, particularly reforms to strengthen the rule of law, and Germany committed another 150 million euros in support of Ukraine. An additional 150 million euros was allocated for U.S. arms purchases under a project for Ukraine.

Protests against China in Kazakhstan

In the Uyghur district of Almaty region, around 30 people held a protest, burning Chinese flags and portraits of President Xi Jinping. According to Orda.kz, the demonstrators were protesting the detention of Kazakh citizen Alimnur Turghanboy in China. One protester said Turghanboy has been detained in China for four months with no response from authorities. The demonstrators vowed to continue protesting until Turghanboy is released, emphasizing that he is a Kazakh citizen.

“He was detained without reason. The Chinese are holding our people in camps,” another participant said.

During the protest, participants addressed the public in Kazakh and Chinese before burning the flag and portrait. Police arrived and detained the demonstrators. Later, the Almaty regional police reported that 12 participants of the unauthorized protest were jailed for up to 15 days under Article 434 (minor hooliganism) of the Administrative Liability Code. Six others were fined approximately 150 dollars each. A separate criminal case was opened for incitement of hatred. Authorities warned that attacks on state symbols violate the law and urged citizens to refrain from such actions.

For context, Alimnur Turghanboy is originally from Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang, northwest China. He obtained Kazakh citizenship in 2017. Last summer, he was detained by Chinese border authorities and has had no contact with his family since. In August, Turghanboy’s wife and daughter submitted a video appeal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Almaty city administration, seeking help to bring him back to Kazakhstan.

Kazakh officials suggest that Turghanboy’s detention may relate to dual citizenship, although his family insists he formally renounced Chinese citizenship. His relatives have held multiple protests in front of the Chinese consulate and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for which they were detained and fined.