New York, April 17, 2025—A court in the southern city of Almaty sentenced Temirlan Yensebek, the founder of the Instagram-based satirical outlet Qaznews24, on Friday, April 11, to five years of restricted freedom on charges of inciting ethnic and religious hatred. The court prohibited Yensebek from engaging in public activities, including working as a journalist, participating in rallies, or giving interviews.
The court also ordered the confiscation of Yensebek’s phone and laptop as “material evidence,” required him to cover the costs of expert examinations, and ordered him to pay 78,000 tenge ($150 USD) into the victims’ compensation fund.
“Yensebek’s conviction is a clear example of how Kazakh authorities use such measures to intimidate and silence critical journalists,” said CPJ Chief of Programs Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “We call on the authorities in Kazakhstan not to contest any potential appeal of his conviction and to ensure that journalists in the country can carry out their work without fear of criminal prosecution.”
CPJ was unable to determine whether Yensebek intends to appeal his conviction.
Yensebek has been in pretrial detention since Almaty authorities arrested him on January 17, 2025, and charged him in connection with a since-removed January 2024 Qaznews24 post featuring a two-decade-old song containing offensive lyrics about Russians, Kazakhstan’s largest ethnic minority.
In a country with few independent media outlets, Yensebek has succeeded in using satire to comment on current affairs on social media, regularly publishing spoof news stories critical of authorities.
CPJ emailed Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs for comment but did not receive a response.
Separately, police detained and questioned Kazakh journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov inthe capital, Astana, on April 10. He was held at a police station for several hours, before being released around 10 p.m. Before his detention, Akhmedyarov published a video report on Kazakh citizens in Russia allegedly coerced into signing contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense. He is now a witness in a criminal case involving charges of disseminating false information.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.