In the Zhambyl District of the Almaty Region, an attack occurred on a staff member of an animal shelter run by volunteer Natalia Sulzhik.
On her Facebook page, the woman stated that unknown individuals entered the premises at night and brutally beat a worker. According to her, the attack is linked to an ongoing dispute over a plot of land.
According to Natalia Sulzhik, around three o'clock in the morning, two masked individuals armed with metal rods broke into the shelter grounds.
The attackers did not say a word and beat the lone employee, who looks after the animals daily.
Sulzhik reported that the victim is currently in hospital with broken arms and legs and is undergoing surgery. She expressed fears for his life, as well as for the safety of the animals at the shelter.
According to her, the attack may be part of pressure related to attempts to deprive her of the land plot.
The shelter's director noted that there has been an "open war" over the land in recent months. The alleged opponents — local officials and sham public activists — are supposedly trying to create an artificial uproar in order to force her to give up the plot.
She also stated that the shelter is on the verge of collapse: there are no kennels, proper enclosures, or fences. Sulzhik appealed to compassionate people for help.
For context, Natalia Sulzhik had previously published a statement about attempts to deprive her of the land plot. According to her, local officials and a group of "activists" are seeking the eviction of the shelter, citing alleged misuse of the land, even though the plot is being used for its intended purpose.
She said she was not invited to the meeting where the land issue was discussed, and was then summoned to the akimat [local administration] and informed of the decision to evict her.
The woman also links the events to the activities of a former deputy of the Amanat party. According to her, the official's organisation carried out substandard repairs on the Kniyazhevskaya Dam, which breached in 2021 and flooded part of the shelter site. Animals died at that time, but the investigation, Sulzhik claims, was "hushed up".