Appeal in Alina Zholzhan Case Delayed as Defense Lawyer Fails to Appear

Today in Aqtau, the first session of the appeal panel was to take place in the case of five men convicted of kidnapping and assaulting 29-year-old athlete and fitness trainer Alina Zholzhan, Orda reports.

Relatives and friends came to the court to support her family.

However, the session was postponed because the defense's lawyer did not show up. They waited for him for two hours.

The family seeks harsher sentences for those convicted in the case.

Alina committed suicide in June 2024 when she jumped from a ninth-floor apartment.

Her friend Asel, who was present during Alina's final moments, shared her account:

She was talking to her brother on the phone. She seemed to be in a good mood, we were discussing future CrossFit training. Then she went to the kitchen, and when she came back, she was upset. Alina told me that she had just told her brother what had happened to her. We hadn't told him all the details before. I told her that there was no need to rush, we would tell him later. At some point, she gave me the phone, and as I was locking the door, Alina jumped out of the window,  Asel said.

Asel revealed that Alina struggled with fears of public judgment and, most significantly, felt unable to face her parents and brothers.

The case stems from a May 2024 incident when five Aqtau residents abducted Alina from the street as she was returning home from work.

The attackers physically assaulted her, forced her into a vehicle, and drove around the city until morning.

A medical examination confirmed the physical and sexual assault.

Before releasing her, the perpetrators coerced her into taking out an online loan and cashed the money.

The initial verdict:

Nurgeldy Seitkaliyev, the primary defendant, received 20 years for multiple charges:

• Illicit drug handling
• Kidnapping
• Unlawful confinement
• Inducement to use narcotics
• Violent acts of a sexual nature
• Sexual assault
• Extortion
• Driving to suicide

 The others received shorter sentences:

• Merey Aralbay, Zhalgas Usengaliyev, and Darkhan Kulbas: seven to eight years for kidnapping and illicit drug handling 
• Yerkebulan Amankos: seven years for unlawful confinement and extortion

The Mangystau Region Prosecutor's Office has filed an appeal seeking life imprisonment for Seitkaliyev and increased sentences of 15-16 years for his accomplices.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva