The prosecutor in a high-profile trial asked a Kazakh court to convict and sentence Nurzhan Altaev, the leader of Kazakhstan's unregistered El Tiregi (People's Pillar) party, to 12 years in prison for taking a bribe, a charge the former lawmaker vehemently denies as 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.
