Ethnic Discord Case: Qaraganda Entrepreneur Asks Court for Leniency, Citing Emotional State

Alika Mukhamadieva, a 22-year-old entrepreneur from Qaraganda, described her emotional state and asked the court not to deprive her of liberty, Orda.kz reports, citing Qaraganda Online.

Mukhamadieva pleaded guilty to inciting ethnic discord and explained that her actions were the result of emotional distress. She said she had been under severe stress: the day before the post, she was involved in a car accident, and shortly before that, her grandmother had passed away.

The defendant added that 86 days have passed since her arrest, and during that time, she has not seen her young daughter.

Mukhamadieva also shared that during her time in the pretrial detention center, she met a deeply religious cellmate who gave her a Quran and helped her reflect on her actions.

Her lawyer, Timur Solodukha, stated that the defense would seek a non-custodial sentence.

The defendant has a young child in her care. We insist on a fine or a suspended sentence. She agrees to the fine — the main thing is not to jail her,
 the lawyer emphasized.

The trial is proceeding under an abbreviated procedure, and the court has moved to closing arguments. The next hearing is scheduled for October 17.

Mukhamadieva came under investigation after making a post on Threads. Her comments about Kazakhs provoked a strong backlash among social media users.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov