Blogger Goes on Trial in Almaty on Extortion Charges

The trial of blogger Damir Kusheyev, accused of extortion, has started in Almaty, Orda.kz reports.

Kusheyev and several associates are charged with demanding money from a police officer and a businessman.

Investigators allege that in 2023, Kusheyev threatened district police officer Serik Utemov with damaging posts on Instagram unless he paid.

Utemov, fearing for his career, transferred 100,000 tenge.

After making sure that he was getting away with it, the blogger and his accomplices took on businessman Bakhtiyar Blayev in 2025. First, they staged a traffic accident, then they started blackmailing him with video recordings. In the end, Blayev had to pay more than 26 million tenge,
 the prosecutor said in court.

According to the indictment, another defendant, Andrei Belyansky, demanded an additional 16 million tenge and four million for equipment repairs.

The defense requested a softer measure of restraint for the accused, but the court denied it. The case will be heard with a jury.

The trial is ongoing.

Earlier, Kusheyev’s wife alleged pressure, saying her accounts had been frozen and she had been unable to meet her husband.

Original Author: Aisha Aldayar