Almaty Hostel Fire Trial Reopens to Press Coverage

Journalists have been permitted to resume reporting on the Almaty hostel fire case, reports Orda.kz.

The trial has been ongoing since September, but from December 5, journalists were prohibited from reporting witness testimonies.

A judge imposed the ban when one witness referenced media publications. On February 6, witness questioning concluded, and journalists regained their right to cover the proceedings.

The February 6 session primarily focused on questioning the victims - in this case, relatives of those who died in the hostel. Some recalled the fatal day of November 30, 2023, while others used the opportunity to express their views on the prosecution's fairness.

Two of the victims expressed positions aligning with hostel owner Adilbek Mukhamedyarov's lawyer, Asylbek Abdraimov. They all believe the fire was caused by arson committed by former resident Yerkin Tanzharikov.

Tanzharikov was recently convicted of theft and is being transferred to a colony. He will only be questioned after his arrival.

The victims also agree with Abdraimov that representatives of Kusa Halyk company - a subsidiary of Halyk Bank that owns the hostel premises - should be among the defendants.

The victims' relatives believe that if company representatives knew about residential rooms in the basement, they were aware of violations but took no action to rectify the situation.

As an example of premises owners being charged, Sergey Pluzhnik, one victim's father, cited the Russian Crocus City Hall terror attack investigation, where the owner of the apartment rented by the terrorists is also a defendant.

The Almaty Hostel fire occurred on November 30, 2023, claiming 13 lives. 

There are two defendants: Adilbek Mukhamedyarov, the hostel owner, and Alexander Pekelnik, the head of the company, who installed fire alarms on future hostel premises a year before the incident.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin