Brother of former Ablyazov lawyer jailed on graft charges in Kazakhstan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 October 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Brother of former Ablyazov lawyer jailed on graft charges in Kazakhstan, 23 October 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5c34a6f44.html [accessed 30 October 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2018-10-23
By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Iskander Erimbetov
ALMATY – Kazakh businessman Iskander Erimbetov, whose sister is a former lawyer for fugitive tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov, has been sentenced to seven years in prison on corruption charges that his supporters contend are politically motivated.
A court in Almaty convicted Erimbetov and three associates of financial fraud late on October 22. Two of the other defendants were sentenced to four years and two months in prison, while the third was handed a suspended three-year sentence.
Erimbetov and his associates were arrested in November 2017 and charged with embezzlement and with laundering money allegedly stolen by Ablyazov. The latter charge was later dropped.
Relatives claim that Erimbetov's arrest was a politically motivated effort to put pressure on his sister Botagoz Jardemalie, a lawyer who formerly represented Ablyazov. Jardemalie has been granted political asylum in Belgium.
Ablyazov, a former head of Kazakhstan's BTA bank who lives abroad, is a prominent opponent of President Nursultan Nazarbaev. He is wanted by Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine on suspicion of embezzling some $5 billion.
Ablyazov denies the accusations, saying they are politically motivated. Several politicians and activists have fled Kazakhstan in recent years, fearing for their safety or anticipating politically motivated prosecution.
Opponents and rights groups say that Nazarbaev, who has held power in the Central Asian nation since before the 1991 Soviet breakup, has taken systematic steps to suppress dissent and sideline potential opponents.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
