Jasaral Mınajadinūly Quanyşälin (; 7 April 1949 – 18 May 2023) was a Kazakh politician, journalist, and activist, who served as a member of the Supreme Council of Kazakhstan from 1994 to 1995.
Throughout his political career, Quanyşälin worked in the opposition, being involved in various opposition movements for which he faced arrest in 2006 after criticizing President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Quanyşälin was elected to parliament in 1994 and has participated in the 2004 legislative election, as well as attempting to contest the 2011 and 2022 presidential elections, where he was unable to conduct campaigning or secure the necessary presidential nomination, respectively. Notably, he founded and led the Azat Civil Movement from 1991 to 1994, and in more recent years, he founded and led the unregistered Alğa, Qazaqstan! party from 2022 before stepping down in 2023 for health reasons shortly before his death, after making unsuccessful efforts to officially register the party.
Early life and career Born in the village of Qarabutaq (now Qosy Batyr) in Bayzak District of the Jambyl Region, Quanyşälin attended Vocational School No. 7 in Aqtöbe from 1966 to 1967, where he learned truck crane operation. Quanyşalin then pursued his higher education in Alma-Ata (now Almaty) at the Faculty of Philology in the S. M. Kirov Kazakh State University, studying from 1972 to 1978 and graduating with a degree in "teacher of Russian language and literature". Additionally, in 1998, he obtained a law degree from the same university through distance learning.
After completing his studies at Aqtöbe Vocational School No. 7, Quanyşälin started his professional career as a truck crane operator at the Stroymekhanizatsiya Aqtöbe Trust. In 1968, he worked as a driver at the Qarabutaq Sanitary and Epidemiological Station shortly before enlisting in the Soviet Army that year, where he served until 1971. From 1971 to 1975, Quanyşälin worked as an instructor at the Qarabutaq District Executive Committee. Following that, he held the position of an instructor at the board of the Kazakhstan Voluntary Society of Book Lovers from 1978 to 1979. Between 1979 and 1986, he served as the executive secretary and editor of the widely circulated Pedagog newspaper at the Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. During this time, he also worked as a lecturer at the Department of Kazakh Literature at the institute from 1981 to 1993. In 1993, Quanyşälin became a leading researcher and the head of the Laboratory of Socio-Medical and Demographic Studies at the Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University.
Early political career Quanyşälin became actively involved in political activism, beginning with his membership of the Azat Civil Movement of Kazakhstan in 1990, where he played a crucial role in opposing the actions by a group of Cossacks who sought to establish a pro-Russian breakaway state in Kazakhstan. This conflict unfolded in Oral on 15 September 1991, during a period of significant turmoil and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Quanyşälin's participation in the Azat party reflected his dedication to upholding Kazakhstan's sovereignty and independence during the pivotal time.
At the party's 1st Congress held on 6 October 1991, Quanyşälin emerged as a prominent figure and was elected as the first deputy chairman of the Azat Civil Movement. Later, in late 1992, Quanyşälin assumed the role of acting chairman presumably due to health issues faced by the party's leader, Mikhail Isinaliyev. This solidified his position as a driving force behind the Azat movement, highlighting his instrumental role in steering the course of the movement towards the establishment of a democratic, multiparty, and independent Kazakhstan. Afterward, Quanyşälin resigned from his leadership position in Azat, paving the way for a new phase in his political career as he transitioned to a role as a deputy after being elected in the 1994 legislative election for the Äiteke Bi electoral district.
During his tenure as a member of the Supreme Council of Kazakhstan, where he served in the Committee on Constitutional Legislation and Human Rights, Quanyşälin made significant contributions to the legislative process. One of his notable achievements was raising important concerns regarding the Jeltoqsan events, from which he actively participated in a successful hunger strike alongside fellow lawmakers, advocating for the establishment of a parliamentary commission to investigate the events. However, his efforts were cut short by the dissolution of the parliament in 1995 by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, prematurely ending his impactful tenure and leaving the issue unresolved.
Post-parliamentary career and return to opposition Quanyşälin's post-parliamentary career briefly encompassed various roles of administrative and managerial nature in the Aqtöbe Region. From 1998 to 1999, he served as the deputy head of the Aqtöbe Regional Department for Demography and Migration. In 1999, he assumed the position of director at the Aqtöbe Regional Archive. His expertise in information management and public communication led to his appointment as the head of the Aqtöbe Regional Department of Information and Public Consent that year. However, on 1 August 2003, he made a bold move by submitting a resignation letter accompanied by a political statement addressed to President Nazarbayev and the Minister of Culture, Information, and Public Consent, where he expressed his decision to decline prestigious awards and his intention to rejoin the political opposition.
2004 legislative campaign In the 2004 legislative election, Quanyşälin sought to return to the parliament by running as an independent candidate for the lower chamber Mäjilis, aiming to represent the voters' interests of the District 12 for which his bid was ultimately unsuccessful. During his campaign, Quanyşälin in an interview to Navigator, openly voiced his concerns about the Kazakh authorities' disregard for the law and the potential ramifications, in which he highlighted the issue of a "manual parliament", referring to a rubber stamp legislature, and raised the possibility of a subsequent color revolution challenging President Nazarbayev's authority in the lead-up to the upcoming presidential election for 2006.
2006 arrest Following the 2004 legislative elections, Quanyşälin served as a member of the opposition alliance For a Just Kazakhstan, which was formed ahead of the snap 2005 presidential election in support of a candidate Zharmakhan Tuyakbay. During the campaign, Quanyşälin made a public call for the prosecution of President Nazarbayev on charges of treason during a press conference on 5 October 2005 due to Nazarbayev's controversial remarks in August 2005, for which he formally submitted an application to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Supreme Court, requesting the prosecution of Nazarbayev for "high treason and national betrayal". As a result, Quanyşälin was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of "public insult or other infringement upon the honour and dignity of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the use of the mass information media" under Article 318 of the Criminal Code by the Medeu District Court of Almaty on 31 July 2006, to which Quanyşälin appealed the court's decision was released under amnesty.
Sanyraq trials In 2007, Quanyşälin became one of founders of the Şanyraq – Kazakhstan public association, which aimed to advocate for the legal rights and protection of landowners and tenants facing eviction in Kazakhstan, address issues of land dispossession and violations of legal procedures, and push for systemic changes in the power structure. The public association was formed in the aftermath of the Şanyraq unrest in July 2006, to which Quanyşälin later linked the incident to the "events of Jeltoqsan or Oral."
Throughout the course of that period, Quanyşälin served as one of the defense attorneys in the Almaty City Court, representing individuals accused of committing crimes during the Şanyraq unrest, with Quanyşälin slamming the court's decision in charging the defendants as a "truly draconian verdict based on the perjury of the Ibragimov brothers."
Nağyz Aq Jol membership and the following departure Quanyşälin was a member of the opposition party Nağyz Aq Jol, founded in 2004 after its split from Aq Jol during the same period when Quanyşälin served as an editor of the newspaper Apta.kz, which was later closed down by the Kazakh government in late 2005.
In early 2008, it was revealed that the Nağyz Aq Jol underwent a significant change as it was renamed to Azat, which coincided with the name of the Azat Civil Movement that Quanyşälin was previously actively involved in. Following the change, Quanyşälin announced his intention to leave the party's ranks on 11 March 2008, citing the reason for his decision as the party's renaming, which he regarded as a "fundamental mistake in general", further expressing dissatisfaction with the way the Nağyz Aq Jol party's leadership handled the situation surrounding the renaming process and their lack of resolve in upholding the party's principles which ultimately influenced his decision to leave.
Later, Quanyşälin became one of the main representatives of the unregistered Alğa! party. In 2009, he continued his activities as the chairman of the Alğa, Azattyq! public association.
On 1 May 2010, together with members of the unregistered Alğa! party, Quanyşälin went on a hunger strike in Almaty, where he demanded the release of all political prisoners, fair elections, a fair trial, free media, as well as Nazarbayev's resignation. The hunger strike lasted for more than two weeks until 14 May, and in result led to Quanyşälin being briefly hospitalized.
2011 presidential election
On 3 November 2010, Quanyşälin announced his intent to participate in the presidential elections initially scheduled for 2012 from the Jasa, Azattyq! public association and would run for president in a "political tandem" with the leader of the unregistered Alğa! party, Vladimir Kozlov, while not ruling out the possibility of withdrawing his candidacy for Kozlov depending on race polling. He also voiced his support in changing Kazakhstan from presidential to a parliamentary system in a similar reform fashion as it was carried out in Kyrgyzstan. Quanyşälin's announcement took place following brief attacks on Kozlov with eggs by other opposition activists to which Quanyşälin described the incident as an "ugly, shameful act". During that period, a referendum in extending Nazarbayev's presidential term to 2020 was proposed to be held instead of a presidential election, to which Quanyşälin voiced opposition against the controversial move. Following his criticism, a lawsuit against Quanyşälin was filed by a pensioner Seitkerim Qojanazar to the Medeu District Court of Almaty, who accused him of previously slandering him in an August 2006 Epoch newspaper article, an allegation which Quanyşälin denied as being politically motivated. On 12 January 2011, Qojanazar filed another case against Quanyşälin due to his counterclaims on the alleged slander. This resulted in Quanyşälin in not ruling out possibility of withdrawing from the race, citing legal issues if he were to lose the court case against Qojanazar as well as public calls for election boycott by the opposition in which he also announced his support for.
On 11 February 2011, Medeu District Court of Almaty the court ruled in favour of Quanyşälin, where he announced his refusal to participate in the "illegal and absurd elections", citing the impossibility of campaign preparation time of which he blamed Nazarbayev for interference.
Post–2011 activities