Sherzat Polat: Next Hearing Scheduled for April 17

On April 10, a preliminary hearing was held in the high-profile case concerning the homicide of Sherzat Polat in Talgar, Orda reports.

Judge Yerzhan Zhanuzakov, head of the Specialized Criminal Court of the Almaty Region, ruled that the trial will proceed without a jury. Prior to this, he had asked the defendants if they wished to involve jurors, but they declined.

Nurbulat Ibrayev, one of the lawyers representing Sherzat’s family, requested that the trial be moved to Kaskelen.

The judge denied the motion, citing the absence of a pre-trial detention facility in that area. Instead, hearings will now take place in Taldykorgan every Thursday and Friday. 

At that upcoming hearing, family lawyer Meirman Shekeyev is expected to file another motion — this time requesting the trial be moved to the Qarasay District Court, as the defense team has difficulty traveling to Taldykorgan.

Nine defendants are on trial. Shynasyl Abzal is charged with homicide and hooliganism. Ravil Sakiyev faces charges of attempted homicide and hooliganism. Shyngys Belgozhayev, Darkhan Askentay, Ilyasov, Nurbol, and Azamat Toktaubayev, and Didar Kaliyakhmet are charged with hooliganism.

A minor, Duman Iskak, is charged with failing to report a severe crime.

According to the prosecution, the conflict began over a beer purchase at the "Qamajay" store. The payment was incomplete, and the suspects returned to resolve the issue.

 A verbal exchange escalated into a physical fight.

Karzhaubay tried to sort things out with one of the suspects and raised his voice. Sherzat saw someone insulting his father and then hit Darkhan Askentay twice in the right eye. Then Karzhaubay, coming out of the store and seeing what had happened, made a remark to his son and brought water to clean Darkhan’s wound. Karzhaubay apologized and said he would cover the damages, but Darkhan Askentay refused. Instead, he called his acquaintances to the store, and a fight broke out,
 prosecutor Yerzhan Kurakbayev read from the indictment.

During the fight, according to investigators, Shynasyl Abzal delivered the fatal stab wound to Sherzat. The teenager tried to run but collapsed after only a few meters.

Shynasyl struck the minor with particular cruelty,
 the prosecutor stated.

The group then allegedly turned on Sherzat’s uncle, Nurganat Gaipbayev.

Gaipbayev committed suicide at the end of last year.

Karzhaubay Nurymov rushed his wounded son to a Talgar hospital, but Sherzat passed away.

Original posts: Post 1, Post 2