Temirlan Yensebek’s Appeal Denied

On May 27, the Almaty City Court reviewed an appeal against the sentencing of Temirlan Yensebek, former author of the satirical platform Qaznews24. A panel of three judges rendered a decision: the sentence would remain unchanged. 

On April 11, the Nauryzbay District Court found Temirlan Yensebek guilty of "inciting discord" (Article 174 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan) over an Instagram post featuring Tina Kandelaki and the controversial song “Yo, Orystar.”

The court sentenced him to five years of restricted freedom.

During this period, Yensebek is barred from journalism, politics, participating in rallies, receiving grants, and even attending cultural events. He must also complete 100 hours of mandatory labor each year, and his personal equipment has been confiscated. These are only part of the 15 penalties imposed in the verdict.

On May 27, the Almaty City Court ruled on his appeal — a decision reached in just half an hour.

Online

The hearing took place online, despite a request from lawyer Zhanara Balgabayeva to hold it in person. The court cited “no necessity” for an in-person session. 

The defense filed several motions:

• Ensuring transparency — observers were included in the session
  
• Conducting the trial offline — ultimately denied
  
• Including the philologist’s conclusion — already considered in the initial trial

Zhanara Balgabayeva called for full acquittal, arguing that there was no corpus delicti and citing pressure on Yensebek and bias in the first trial. She recalled how the public was excluded from the hearings, detentions, and how the philological analysis was rushed.

Following the lawyer’s statement, Yensebek spoke, expressing dissatisfaction with being equated with criminals guilty of genocide. He raised questions: How can journalists operate, and does freedom of speech still exist in the country?

The criminal division of the Almaty City Court reviewed the appeal. Presiding Judge Arman Shamshiev, along with Judges Ilyas Sabdan and Lyudmila Bektemirova, were present. Also attending were hearing secretary Zhanar Madibek and prosecutor Aliyeva.

To leave the verdict of the Nauryzbay District Court of Almaty dated April 11, 2025, regarding Temirlan Maratuly Yensebek unchanged. Clarify and supplement the effective part of the verdict with a paragraph of the following content: 'An additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to engage in public activities was imposed on the basis of Article 50, Part 3 of the Criminal Code for a period of five years.' The prosecutor’s appeal is granted. The defense attorney’s appeal is dismissed,
 was the decision announced by the Almaty City Court.

The ruling was delivered within thirty minutes. Previously, Yensebek’s lawyer had repeatedly highlighted the speed of the initial proceedings, which spanned just three consecutive days in the Nauryzbay District Court.

On the final evening, Judge Beynegul Kaysina delivered the verdict.

Qaznews24 Without Yensebek

On May 1, a post appeared on the Qaznews24 Instagram page announcing that Temirlan Yensebek was no longer associated with the project. We reached out to the editorial team — the creators of the platform known since 2021 for publishing satirical news and memes in a “Chronicle of the Absurd” format. Since the trial of its founder, the outlet has shifted into survival mode.

Qaznews24’s current contributors requested anonymity, and the size of the team remains undisclosed. They shared how the editorial work continues. They revealed that the reduction in posts stems not from fear but from time constraints:

Qaznews24 maintains that satire cannot be selective, and their editorial stance remains unchanged:

The editorial policy has not changed. We still believe that we have no taboo topics, even if the authorities disagree. Satire and freedom of speech cannot be partial. It either exists or it does not.

Following the verdict, the team reported a surge in breach attempts. Yensebek attributes this to the court-ordered seizure of his personal phone and laptop:

There have been multiple attempts to hijack the account, and we know for sure that this is being done by the special services of Kazakhstan. There have also been attempts to block the account — we survived one such block after the trial and managed to restore access. 

Moreover, after the criminal case was initiated, advertisers withdrew, leaving the project financially unsupported, sustained now only by its core idea:

The project was originally conceived by Temirlan as a hobby and outlet for creative expression. No one supported him. There was some income from advertising, but once the criminal case began, the advertisers disappeared. We have no money. We’ll later introduce a reader donation system, though it’s unlikely this will support full-time work. The project, as always, remains a testament that freedom of speech and political satire are still possible in Kazakhstan — an island of criticism the so-called 'listening state' refuses to hear. 

Original Author: Alina Pak