Atbasar Prison Torture Trial Ends in Acquittal
Photo: screenshot of video from colony
A jury in Kazakhstan's Aqmola region has acquitted 12 former prison employees who were charged with torture at the Atbasar correctional facility, Orda reports.
The defendants faced charges under Article 146 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Code for "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and torture."
The trial, which began in July 2024, was conducted openly with a jury.
Three of the 12 defendants were held in custody, while the others were released on bail.
The case involved 41 recognized victims, including public activist Timur Danebayev.
During the hearings, Danebayev provided detailed testimony about his experience.
He described being beaten unconscious, forced to clean restroom floors, and subjected to degrading treatment, including having his head forced into a toilet as punishment for refusal.
He reported at least 20 instances of abuse.
The case gained public attention in September 2023 when videos showing inmates being beaten, including footage of Danebayev, circulated on social media.
The Penal Enforcement System Committee (KUIS) subsequently announced the dismissal of 11 prison employees connected to the incidents.
Latest news
- Kazakhstan’s Planned Route to Mongolia Will Pass Through Russia
- Almaty Starts Testing a Low-Emission Zone in the City Center
- Senate Calls for Safety Audit of Almaty Metro
- Large Banks in Kazakhstan Lose Profit While Smaller Ones Grow
- Kazakh Suspects Linked to Fraud Scheme Targeting Deaf People in Kyrgyzstan
- Suicides in Kazakhstan Rise Again After Two Years of Decline
- Kazakhstan May Sharply Increase Fines for Animal Cruelty
- National Bank to Track Official Exchange Rates for More Foreign Currencies
- Traffic Is Driving Almaty’s Air Pollution Crisis
- Kazakhstan Moves to Expand the List of State Secrets
- Poll Shows Kazakhstanis Trust the President More Than Other Institutions
- Kazakhstan Proposes Extending Medical Training by One Year
- Teachers in Kazakhstan May Be Freed From Extra Work
- Oskemen Airport Fined and Stripped of Monopoly Income
- Senate Sends Bill on Stray Animals Back for Revision
- Banks Were Not the Source of Data Leaks in Kazakhstan, Ministry Says
- “Dead Souls,” Ruined Slaughterhouses and a Lower Locust Threshold: What the Agro-Industry Audit Found
- Astana Leads Kazakhstan in Regional Economic Growth
- Tengizchevroil Fined Over Excess Emissions in Atyrau Region
- Kazakh Citizen Detained in Germany on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
