To the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Mr. Tokayev K.K.

Dear Mr. Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich!

We, as parents, the administration, and teachers of the International School of Almaty, turn to you, as the guarantor of the constitutional rights of citizens of Kazakhstan, seeking your support and protection for our children in terms of the current situation surrounding the school.

Based on a mother's complaint, the law enforcement agency have registered a criminal case and are conducting investigative actions, including expert examinations to establish the fact of violence against a child.

We all sincerely care about the child's well-being and understand and support the parents' desire to protect them. From the very beginning, we have been assisting the investigation in providing all the necessary information to uncover the truth in this matter. With this letter, we request an objective investigation without pressure, both on the school and the law enforcement agency.

Information about this incident is being disseminated in the media and on social networks. Often, this information is premature (as the investigation is not yet complete) and even unreliable in nature. For example, statements in the press claim that the incident occurred on the school premises, even though the investigation is ongoing, and no one, especially members of the press who are not directly involved in the investigation, can reliably know where and by whom the crime was committed. The school and the administration are also unjustly accused of exerting pressure. There has been no evidence of pressure from the administration on either the investigation or the parents.

Nevertheless, the accusations being made have created a negative public perception of the school, its administration, staff, parents, and students. In the online space, a genuine campaign of harassment is being conducted against all of us. Insults, threats, including physical harm to staff, and threats of setting the school on fire are being sent to the school's email, phones, and accounts.

In fact, from the very beginning, the school community has been fully cooperating with the investigation. All surveillance camera recordings have been provided to the authorities, and these recordings have also been reviewed by a representative of the parents. Measures have been taken to inform parents and enhance the safety of the children.

We are deeply concerned that the informational and psychological pressure is having a negative impact on the health and safety of our children. We are also troubled by the pressure from such a large amount of negative and aggressive content on the course of the investigation, which cannot be tolerated, as the investigation must remain objective.

We believe that publications from unscrupulous media outlets violate the fundamental principles of their work, such as objectivity, legality, accuracy, respect for private life, honor, and the dignity of individuals and citizens.

Dear Mr. President,
We kindly request you to call on the public to allow law enforcement agencies to do their job without pressure, interference, or external influence. In this situation, it is essential to protect our children, parents, and the school community from unscrupulous media and their impact on the objectivity of the investigation.

With deep respect,

Parents, administration, and teachers of the International School of Almaty

October 9, 2023