Documented cases

Yergali Kulbayev

Yergali Kulbayev, a civil activist and co-founder of the 'Uly Kosh' election monitoring fund, was sentenced on 12 February 2026 to four years in prison for extortion. The charges stem from his role as an election observer during the local administration head elections in the Kazali district in summer 2025, where he was accused of demanding money from the election commission chair. This follows a prior 2022 suspended sentence related to the 'January events' for charges of mass riots and hooliganism. Defense lawyers have expressed intent to appeal, noting that the victim did not personally receive demands from Kulbayev.