An Almaty court convicted a leading independent editor of spreading false information, embezzlement and illegal business days before Kazakhstan's snap election; her outlet then shut down
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What happened
On August 18, 2026, Almaty's Bostandyk District Court convicted Gulnara Bazhkenova, founder and former editor-in-chief of independent outlet Orda.kz, of knowingly disseminating false information, embezzlement of entrusted property and illegal entrepreneurship. It sentenced her to eight years in a medium-security prison, deferred for two years because she has a minor child, and barred her from journalism and media management roles for five years. Snap parliamentary elections were set for August 23, 2026. Bazhkenova denies the charges and plans to appeal. As of September 1, 2026, Orda.kz ceased operations; its owner Maksat Ganiyev cited financial difficulties and said there was no hidden agenda, while press-freedom groups describe the closure as the final step of a state campaign against critical media. CPJ describes the case as part of an escalating pre-election crackdown on the press.
By the numbers (1)
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
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1 source
- Fergana News Agency
sentences Orda.kz co-founder Gulnara Bazhkenova to eight years for embezzlement, illegal business, and false news
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What happened next (0)
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