Imprisoned Former Kazakh Culture Minister Gets Additional 3 Years For Bribery

Former Kazakh Culture Minister Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, who was sentenced to eight years in prison on embezzlement charges last year, was handed an additional three years on February 13 on bribery charges. In addition, Mukhamediuly's wife, Ghalia Ysqaqova, was given six months in prison for mediating an attempted bribe, while lawyer Mustaqim Toleev was sentenced to six years and eight months. Evidence showed that Ysqaqova gave Toleev $460,000, to be used to bribe the judges in Mukhamediuly’s case. Mukhamediuly’s arrest in 2022 came amid President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev's campaign to remove his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbaev, and his associates from the political scene. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.