Kazakhstan: Former independent editor sentenced to eight years in prison

An Almaty court sentenced Gulnara Bazhkenova, former editor-in-chief of independent media outlet Orda, to eight years in prison on August 18 on multiple charges including disseminating false information. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Federation of Equal Journalists in Kazakhstan (FEJK), condemn the use of draconian criminal laws to silence independent journalism and call for an immediate end to Kazakhstan's media crackdown.

Former Orda Editor-In-Chief Gulnara Bazhkenova was sentenced by the Bostandyk District Court to 8 years in prison on August 18 over multiple charges including disseminating false information. Credit: Instagram

The Bostandyk District Court sentenced Bazhkenova to eight years in prison but delayed the sentence for two years because she has a young child. Prosecutors found her guilty of disseminating false information, embezzlement, and illegal entrepreneurial activity. Bazhkenova was also subject to a five-year ban on practising journalism or holding leadership positions within media organisations.

Bazhkenova had been under house arrest since December 2025 after armed police raided her home and Orda offices, detaining multiple staff members for questioning. The police advised the investigation was in response to multiple allegations of disseminating false information. During the raid, authorities seized devices, staff salaries, and refused entry to Orda's lawyers. The raid follows months of reported cyber and hacking threats against the outlet.

During the legal proceedings, authorities disbarred Bazhkenova's lawyer for criticising the police searches and judicial violations in her case. Multiple human rights organisations, in a joint statement, have condemned the judicial harassment of Bazhkenova and her lawyer, describing it as a tool to stifle independent journalism.

The government has intensified its crackdown on independent media ahead of the recent Kurultai elections. Online journalists and media outlets have reported widespread cyberattacks alongside various instances where content was removed or blocked. In July, the Almaly District Court charged KazTag editor-in-chief and the outlet's director, Aset Matayev, with prison sentences for negligence and knowingly spreading false information. In a recent report, The International Partnership for Human Rights noted that authorities increasingly used 'false information' cases to target journalists.

The FEJK said:"We are deeply concerned by the severe sentence handed down against Gulnar Bazhkenova. The sentence and reporting injunction once again set an extremely dangerous precedent for Kazakhstan's media sector. The FEJK call on the higher courts to review this verdict immediately."

The IFJ said:"The sentencing of journalist Gulnara Bazhkenova highlights an intensifying crackdown on media in Kazakhstan. Journalists must be able to report independently without facing censorship or judicial harassment. The IFJ calls on the Kazakh authorities to withdraw the charges, lift her five-year media ban, and uphold its commitment to a free media."