Open Dialogue Foundation
Kazakhstan · ODF
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryKazakhstan
Age / Sexmale
Occupation—
Arrested in—
Held at—
CategoryJournalism
StatusConvicted
Sentence9 years
Kazakhstan · context
184documented cases
59 urgent · 21 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
21
Cultural
1
Religious
2
Social Media
7
Case Summary
Abzhan, a journalist, was sentenced to 9 years for alleged extortion and spreading false information, accused of threatening to spread defamatory information about President Tokayev's nephew. He was arrested on July 5, 2022, and convicted on February 3, 2023.
Native-Language SummaryRU • Original
Абжан, журналист, бопсалау және жалған ақпарат тарату айыбымен 9 жылға сотталды; оған жала жабумен қорқытып ақша талап жасады деген айып тағылды. Ол Президент Тоқаевтың жиенінің болжамды активтері туралы ақпарат жариялаған.
02Charges
Charges
02 count- 01Article 194 of the Criminal Code (extortion)
- 02Article 274 of the Criminal Code (dissemination of knowingly false information)
03Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
July 5, 2022
Sentence served
4y 0mo / 9 years
04Related
Related Cases
Module 01 · Solidarity Matcher
Cases like Makhambet Abzhan’s that ended in release.
The closest historical cases in our archive whose subjects walked free — the playbooks that worked for someone in a comparable situation.
05Sources
Data Source
Source vs. TD analysis
ODFCase facts, charges, dates, and status.
TD analysisRisk, surveillance & sentence estimates — probabilistic, not the source's reporting.
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Cite this case
The Detained. (2026). Case file: Makhambet Abzhan (TD case cmrppcwl, record version 2026-07-21). Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://thedetained.org/prisoners/cmrppcwlx000exi5epjeuz75z. Original data from Open Dialogue Foundation (https://en.odfoundation.eu/a/727640,political-repressions-and-political-prisoners-in-kazakhstan/#makhambet-abzhan).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.
