Supreme Court Acquits Wrongfully Convicted in Jambyl Region Drug Cases

Ordinary workers falsely accused of drug distribution spent years behind bars before the Supreme Court finally declared them innocent. Orda.kz reports on the stories of those who fell victim to fabricated criminal cases in the Jambyl region.

A series of judicial errors has come to light in Taraz, where six residents were wrongfully convicted of drug possession and distribution.

According to the acquitted individuals and their lawyer, the same names appeared in every case: Judge Lachin Aliyev, officers Akmagambetov and Mambetov, and the so-called “control buyer” Mirzaliyev Tursunbay.

It later emerged that the two police officers, Akmagambetov and Mambetov, were themselves convicted in the Gorbunov case for falsifying evidence. Both received seven-year prison sentences, and the investigation into Akmagambetov’s other alleged crimes is ongoing.

Nevertheless, between 2020 and 2023, courts presided over by Judge Aliyev, and with the participation of Nurmukhammat Abidov, Chair of the Criminal Division of the Jambyl Regional Court, upheld multiple sentences of 10 to 11 years in prison.

Prosecutorial oversight at the time was carried out by the then regional prosecutor, Nurgalym Abdirov.

 I Asked to Take Fingerprints

Andrey Trofimenko, one of the men later acquitted by the Supreme Court, recalls his arrest in the fall of 2021, when he was charged with drug possession.

I came home after work. They came to search my house, showed me a paper, and I signed it because I was sure I didn't have anything illegal. Then they found a pack of cigarettes with five packages in the restroom. I asked to be fingerprinted, but the court refused. Judge Aliyev didn't accept any of my 16 petitions. Ultimately, I got 11 years in a maximum-security prison.

A similar fate befell Andrei Cherepanov, who also spent three years in a penal colony before being cleared of all charges.

I was sentenced to 10 years, even though I was an ordinary construction worker. Now the Supreme Court has found me not guilty, and I want everyone who unlawfully convicted us to be held accountable.

Same Judge, Same police, Same Buyer

The victims’ lawyer, Gabit Prmagambetov, insists that the case must not be allowed to fade into obscurity.

This shouldn't happen again. The same employees, the same judge, the same buyer, and people were jailed for years. The Supreme Court proved their innocence.

According to him, these cases are far from isolated — a sign of systemic abuse within regional law enforcement and judicial institutions.

At present, an additional review of case materials is underway.

The acquitted and their lawyers are demanding that all officials responsible for fabricating evidence and violating citizens’ rights be brought to justice.

Original Author: Islambek Dastan