Defendants Testify in Trial of Khasan Kasymbayev and Associates in Talgar

The trial of Khasan Kasymbayev and his associates continues in Talgar. The defendants spoke at the latest hearing.

Orda.kz reports on the courtroom details. 

Five other men are also involved in the case alongside Kasymbayev: Sailau Aktanov, Daniyar Askarov, Ruslan Aliyev, Madiyar Kalymzhanov, and Nurmukhambet Sultanbekov. They are accused of kidnapping, extortion, and assault and battery. 

Talgar resident Arman Alimov has claimed he was beaten and kidnapped. The defendants say nothing of the sort happened, and that it was simply a "misunderstanding between men."

The defense claims the investigation pressured the defendants to extract the desired testimony. According to investigators, in June 2021, Alimov was beaten, intimidated, and forcibly taken away. The prosecutor claims the conflict was sparked by the words "Khasan Kasymbayev is not a respectable person for me."

Defendant Ruslan Aliyev testified in court the other day. He completely denies his guilt.

There was no kidnapping. The claim that we were wearing masks is a lie. Alimov had his phone on him, and he answered calls calmly. We didn't beat him or film him. He got out of the car alive and well, and even refused our offer of a ride.

When I was serving my sentence, they pressured me to say I knew Khasan. Then they transferred me to a maximum-security prison colony, he said.

After the Sherzat case, the prosecutor's office and units subordinate to the National Security Committee visited prisoners and urged them, 'If you testify against Kasymbayev, we'll reduce your sentence.' A separate criminal case has now been opened on this matter,noted defender Aydyngali Tabyldiev.

The defense also emphasized that Alimov had previously been convicted of robbery and drug offenses. However, the court rejected this information as evidence.

It is known that this case has already been closed and reopened twice (in 2021 and 2023).

Kasymbayev's name became widely known after the killing of teenager  Sherzat Polat in 2024. Afterward, rumors began to circulate about a certain "Khutor gang" allegedly controlling Talgar. Kasymbayev himself, in an interview with Orda.kz, claimed this association was defamation.

Orda.kz journalists continue to monitor the trial and will report details from subsequent hearings.

Original Author: Asem Zhuken