Kazakhstan: Court Toughens Sentence in High-Profile Homicide Case After Supreme Court Review

The Ulytau Regional Court on July 16 issued a new verdict in the case of Medet Islam, a resident of Jezkazgan who was brutally killed in 2022. The revised decision came after Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court ruled that the initial sentence was too lenient, Orda.kz reports.

Under the new ruling:

• Kairat Zhumanbeguly Zamangozhin was found guilty of homicide under Article 99 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to 17 years in prison
  
• Ayzamat Ibragimuly Baltabay received 2.5 years
  
• Rysbek Duisekuly Sovet received 2.5 years
  
• Temirlan Muratovich Abylgaziyev was sentenced to 2.5 years, but the term was reduced to 1 year and 3 months under an amnesty
  
• Ayzamat Mukhameduly Marazarov also received 2.5 years, half of which was covered by the same amnesty
  
• Azat Bekzatuly Bektas was sentenced to 2.5 years, with 1 year and 3 months to serve post-amnesty

The lawyer representing the victim’s family, Inga Imanbay, commented on the outcome:

The original charge for Zamangozhin was Article 106 — intentional infliction of serious bodily harm — even though he admitted to stabbing the victim. He got nine years for that. Now, the court finally applied Article 99 and gave him 17 years for homicide. But they still didn’t recognize it as a group killing. Just like in the Sherzat Polat case — they pinned the homicide on the one who confessed to using a knife. 

Relatives of Medet Islam and local human rights advocates continue to insist that the killing was a coordinated group assault and should be legally treated as such. Despite the evidence and repeated appeals, the court once again refused to qualify the actions of all those involved as a homicide committed by a group with prior conspiracy.

The incident occurred two years ago outside a café in downtown Jezkazgan. According to the victim’s family, at least 12 men were involved in the attack. Surveillance footage shows Islam being assaulted, stabbed, and left to die on the sidewalk.

Despite the brutality of the crime, only five participants were initially charged, and just one of them — Zamangozhin — received a substantial prison term.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov