Trial of Qaznews24 Creator Temirlan Yensebek Continues

April 11, Almaty — The Nauryzbay District Court continues proceedings against Temirlan Yensebek, creator of the satirical Instagram page Qaznews24, accused of inciting ethnic discord, Orda reports.

Attendance was notably lower today, likely due to the detentions during yesterday’s hearing. The first portion of today’s hearing lasted three and a half hours.

Although the court formally approved an open trial, only five observers were allowed in, citing limited seating. The rest were turned away, drawing criticism from the defense.

Defense lawyer Zhanara Balgabayeva filed a motion to enforce previously promised access for observers. Judge Kaysina dismissed it, stating there was "no need to file a motion for this."

Yensebek continues to participate remotely and cannot see who is testifying. The court attributes this to technical limitations.

The defense has made requests for his in-person attendance.

The first witness questioned could recall little about Yensebek’s arrest. The second failed to appear, prompting the prosecutor to propose proceeding without them. The defense objected, arguing testimony could not be duplicated.

Maria Kochneva, Yensebek’s partner who documented his arrest, also testified. She claimed police forcibly took his apartment keys and returned them only after six to seven hours.

After testifying, she was not allowed to stay in the courtroom.

During the second half of the session, the court reviewed case materials. The defense’s request to summon an investigator was denied after the prosecutor opposed.

An expert linguist testified next. She admitted she did not conduct a psychological analysis and was not involved in the case. Her conclusion focused solely on the song “Yo, Orystar,” which appears in the case files.

The defense then requested additional preparation time following the expert’s testimony. The court denied this, along with two other motions.

Responding to a defense remark, Judge Kaysina reiterated:

The defense team for Temirlan Yensebek later filed a motion to recuse the presiding judge, citing what they describe as “bias” against the defendant. The motion also points to procedural violations during the hearings.

Following the motion, Judge Beynegul Kaysina exited the courtroom and was temporarily replaced by a colleague.

Zhanara Balgabayeva, the lawyer for Temirlan Yensebek, disagreed with the new court composition, noting that the court secretary remains the same.

The defense's recusal request was ultimately denied.

Yesterday, April 10, six activists, including Kochneva, were detained after demanding a public trial. According to the Department of Police, they “violated public order” in the court building and ignored lawful requests to disperse.

Tensions continued throughout the hearing, with Judge Kaysina repeatedly reprimanding Balgabayeva for alleged delays and leading questions. Yensebek, appearing via video from pretrial detention, complained about poor connection and lack of notice about the hearing.

Today’s session is expected to remain tense.

Orda.kz continues to follow developments.

Original Author: Alina Pak