Almaly District Court has found the general director of the news agency KazTAG, Aset Mataev, and the editor-in-chief, Amir Kassenov, guilty in a consolidated criminal case relating to the agency's publications and a separate episode of hooliganism.
WHAT DECISION THE COURT MADE
Aset Mataev was found guilty of negligent performance of duties and hooliganism. He was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of restriction of liberty, with a ban on engaging in journalistic activity for a period of 3 years. Taking the amnesty into account, the term of restriction of liberty was reduced to 1 year and 3 months.
Amir Kassenov was found guilty of disseminating knowingly false information. Taking the amnesty into account, he was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months of restriction of liberty, as well as a ban on journalistic activity for a period of 5 years.
Another defendant in the case, Zhanna Kaparova, was also found guilty. Due to the application of the amnesty, her sentence was reduced to zero.
WHAT THE CRIMINAL CASE WAS ABOUT
The proceedings concerned a series of publications by the news agency KazTAG about the brokerage company Freedom Finance. A separate episode of the case was linked to a conflict near Dostyk Plaza in March 2026, for which Aset Mataev was found guilty of hooliganism.
WHAT ADDITIONAL DECISIONS THE COURT MADE
The court ordered Aset Mataev, Amir Kassenov and Zhanna Kaparova to jointly pay 165.4 million tenge in material damages to Freedom Finance.
In addition, the court warned Aset Mataev and Amir Kassenov that failure to comply with the earlier ruling to remove the disputed publications could incur criminal liability.
