Photo: still from a video
A court in Kazakhstan’s Akmola region has acquitted former officers of the Atbasar correctional facility in a high-profile case involving the torture of activist Timur Danebayev and other inmates, KazTAG reports.
The trial, which included a jury, saw 12 defendants facing charges under Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (“Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, Torture”). The prosecution had sought prison sentences ranging from six to seven years.
“Following deliberations, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty by majority vote,” stated Ibrahim Alkenov, the judge of the Akmola Region Specialized Interdistrict Criminal Court.
As a result, three individuals who had been in custody were released. The acquitted defendants are now entitled to seek compensation for “unlawful criminal prosecution,” according to the ruling.
The verdict may be appealed within 15 days.
In 2023, footage of Timur Danebayev’s brutal torture surfaced online. The video showed a prison officer asking the inmate if he would clean the toilets. When Danebayev refused, another officer ordered the use of “special measures,” after which he was beaten with a rubber baton on his lower back and legs. At the time, the press service of the Criminal Executive System Committee (KUIS) of the Interior Ministry stated that prison staff were responding to “noncompliance with the lawful demands of the administration.” However, the agency acknowledged that the officers had exceeded their authority, which led to the investigation.
Later, the Interior Ministry announced that 11 prison staff members had been dismissed due to misconduct.
The trial began in July 2024. Three correctional officers were held in custody, while the others were released on bail. Case files listed a total of 44 inmates as victims.
