Makhambet Abzhan

Affiliated media: Telegram channel Abzhan News, Journalist

Incident date: January 6, 2023

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Adil Soz

Location: Kazakhstan, Astana, Astana

Additional information:

On January 6, the criminal court of Astana began a preliminary hearing on the criminal case against the author of the Telegram channel Abzhan News Makhambet Abzhan. The journalist is charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan — dissemination of knowingly false information endangering the infliction of significant harm and extortion. The victim of the process is the businessman Rashit Makhat. According to the accusation, Makhambet Abzhan extorted KZT 50 million «under the threat of spreading defamatory information in the media». Abzhan pleads not guilty. On February 3, a criminal court in Astana sentenced Makhambet Abzhan to 9 years in prison on charges of extortion and dissemination of knowingly false information.