Kazakhstan's Supreme Court on June 5 rejected an appeal filed by Marat Zhylanbaev, the chairman of the unregistered Algha Qazaqstan (Forward Kazakhstan) party, against a seven-year prison term he was given in November on a charge of taking part in the activities of the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) movement and its financing. Zhylanbaev's lawyer, Meiirzhan Dosqaraev, said they will appeal. The DVK, led by the fugitive opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, was labeled extremist and banned in the Central Asian country in March 2018. International and domestic human rights organizations have urged Astana to release Zhylanbaev. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Kazakh Opposition Leader's Appeal Denied By Supreme Court
Marat Zhylanbaev appears in court in Astana in October 2023.