Court Returns 840 Hectares of Mountain Land to the State

The Almaty court has ruled in favor of the prosecutor’s office, stripping International Association of Clubs LLC of ownership rights to 840 hectares of mountain land in the foothills of the Zailiy Alatau, Orda.kz reports.

The disputed plots, valued at 54 billion tenge, are now back under state ownership.

According to prosecutors, the land in question falls under the category of water resources, which are not eligible for private ownership under Kazakh law.

Orda.kz previously reported that the transfer of the land was originally deemed unlawful by the supervisory authority. One of the parcels — totaling about 820 hectares — includes a small river. Based on this, the prosecutor’s office argued the area was part of the water fund, which in 2004 could not be privatized.

The founders of the company include Major General Pavel Novikov and the International Association of Clubs.

The land was granted for agricultural purposes, namely to cultivate Aport apples and preserve the wild Sievers apple tree. The company has denied building any cottages on the land but voiced concern that, if confiscated, the territory could be developed for luxury real estate.

Major General Novikov had earlier pledged to establish an ecological park on the site if the court ruled in his favor.

The push to reclaim the land began several years ago and was led by Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek. 

Original Author: Rustam Muratov