Open Dialogue Foundation
Kazakhstan · ODF
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryKazakhstan
Age / Sex—
Occupation—
Arrested in—
Held at—
CategoryJournalism
StatusConvicted
Sentence9 years
Kazakhstan · context
176documented cases
66 urgent · 14 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
21
Cultural
1
Religious
2
Social Media
7
Case Summary
A journalist prosecuted for publishing information regarding the assets of the President's nephew. He was accused of extortion related to his reporting.
02Charges
Charges
02 count- 01Article 194 of the Criminal Code ('extortion')
- 02Article 274 of the Criminal Code ('dissemination of knowingly false information')
03Analysis
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorUnknown
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
July 5, 2022
Sentence served
4y 0mo / 9 years
05Sources
Data Source
Source vs. PPW analysis
ODFCase facts, charges, dates, and status.
PPW analysisRisk, surveillance & sentence estimates — probabilistic, not the source's reporting.
View all data sources →§ Updates
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Cite this case
Political Prisoner Watch. (2026). Case file: Makhambet ABZHAN (PPW case cmmcdnrt). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmmcdnrta000f1v3g6epe7vk9. Original data from Open Dialogue Foundation (https://en.odfoundation.eu/a/726864,tough-year-for-human-rights-48-political-prisoners-in-kazakhstan-political-repression-and-total-censorship-instead-of-reforms/#the-list-of-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.
