Khasan Kasymbayev Denies Charges, Calls ‘Khutor Gang’ a Myth as Trial Nears Verdict in Talgar

The trial of Khasan Kasymbayev and his associates is nearing its conclusion in Talgar, where the main defendant delivered his closing statement, Orda.kz reports.

During the previous hearing, Prosecutor Yerlan Kulanbayev requested that Kasymbayev be found guilty of assault and battery and kidnapping and sentenced to 15 years in prison, while asking for nine-year terms for the other defendants.

The argument escalated, forcing the judge to call the courtroom to order several times.

The mother of victim Arman Alimov told the court that her son contracted tuberculosis after the attack, but the defendants disputed this claim.

Physical assault doesn’t cause tuberculosis. Arman was a drug addict and admitted to selling drugs himself. We’re not to blame for his illness,
 one defendant said.

I never thought I’d end up in the dock. My fate shouldn’t be sacrificed for the sake of public pacification.

There’s no proof of my guilt. Only the victim’s lies. I never saw him or spoke to him. I had no reason to harm him,
 Kasymbayev said.

I wasn’t involved in any gang. When the case became public, they needed someone to blame, and I was chosen. The victim called me the ‘leader of the Khutor gang,’ but there never was such a gang in Talgar or the Almaty region. Even the police didn’t confirm it.

His lawyer, Yerlan Mendeshev, said the case was unlawful and driven by public pressure.

After Sherzat Nurymov’s death, his father emotionally accused Kasymbayev and mentioned a supposed ‘Khutor organized crime group.’ Those words spread on social media, and the investigation was carried out under pressure from public outrage rather than the law. 

As the hearing ended, residents of Talgar gathered outside the courthouse to voice their support for Kasymbayev and to protest the prosecutor’s sentencing demand.

Original Author: Zhuken Asem