Zhanna Urazbakhova Spoke about Criminal Case Against Her

A well-known lawyer, Zhanna Urazbakhova, has taken to Instagram to address the criminal charges and online pressure she's facing, which she believes are attempts to force her withdrawal from a legal battle, Orda reports.

The case involves her client, Liliya Anoshina, who has been engaged in a years-long property dispute over foreign assets with her former partner, Aleksandr Belovich, one of Kazakhstan's wealthiest businessmen.

Urazbakhova notes that her client previously faced similar pressure tactics, including information campaigns and criminal charges.

A criminal case has been opened against me and my colleague Gabit Bekitayev, allegedly we have disclosed the materials of the criminal case. This is not true, the investigation is not over, we do not have any materials of the criminal case. We gave a press conference to express the position of our clients, and now we are being prosecuted for this. It seems important that in order to register cases under Article 423 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a non-disclosure agreement is required, and no one has taken such an agreement from us, wrote Urazbakhova.

She points out that her opponents freely discuss the case in media, share video statements, and release interrogation protocols.

They decided to remove us because we have already proven the complete innocence of our clients. The illegal registration of criminal cases against lawyers indirectly affects all citizens,  the lawyer stated.

Urazbakhova warned that this precedent could leave any citizen vulnerable, potentially without legal representation on fabricated grounds.

Urazbakhova, an Almaty City Bar Association member, is known for her work on high-profile cases, including representing Saltanat Nukenova's family in the Bishimbayev trial.

The criminal case against her and her colleague for alleged disclosure of pre-trial investigation information was initiated in late 2024.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova