Falconer Convicted Over 35 Protected Birds, Spared Punishment Under Amnesty

A Karaganda court convicted Ospankulov of illegally acquiring and keeping 35 protected birds of prey. He received a non-custodial sentence but was exempted from the main punishment under an amnesty, Orda.kz reports.

The case was heard by Karaganda’s Kazybek Bi District Court. According to the court, Ospankulov created a social media page about traditional hunting with birds of prey in 2017.

Investigators established that between 2017 and February 2026, he acquired 35 birds without the required permits from people who were not identified.

The birds included 31 saker falcons, one peregrine falcon, two golden eagles and one northern goshawk.

He was sentenced to 18 months of restricted liberty and banned for one year from activities involving rare or endangered animals. The restriction of liberty was lifted under the amnesty adopted following Kazakhstan’s new Constitution. The verdict has not yet taken effect.

The case became public after Financial Monitoring Agency officers found the birds at Ospankulov’s home. Investigators said he had operated an illegal bird facility there since 2017.

The Kusbegilik Federation previously said Ospankulov had been expelled from the organization and Kazakhstan’s national falconry team in February 2026. It condemned the capture, sale and commercialization of protected birds.

Original author: Saule Abdykamit

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