A court in Astana on November 21 sentenced Nurzhan Altaev, the leader of Kazakhstan's unregistered El Tiregi (People's Pillar) party, to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of bribe-taking, a charge the former lawmaker vehemently denies and calls politically motivated. Altaev, who quit the ruling Amanat party in 2021 and has accused the Justice Ministry of refusing to register his party, was arrested in June and went on trial last month. In April, a court in Astana sentenced Altaev to 15 days in jail on a charge of violating regulations for holding public gatherings. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Kazakh Court Sentences Opposition Politician Altaev To 10 Years In Prison On Charge He Calls Political
Nurzhan Altaev, leader of the unregistered El Tiregi party, addresses supporters at a rally in Almaty in 2021.