Almaty court hearing: former Orda.kz editor Gulnar Bazhkenova denies charges over alleged false reporting

Gulnar Bazhkenova, the former editor-in-chief of the online outlet Orda.kz, has denied criminal accusations against her during hearings at the Bostandyk District No. 2 Court in Almaty. The accusations include violations under three articles of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code: Article 214 ("Illegal entrepreneurship"), Article 274 ("Dissemination of obviously false information"), and Article 189 ("Appropriation or embezzlement of entrusted property by a criminal group or in especially large amounts"). The case has drawn attention from press freedom advocates because it centers on the prosecution of a journalist for published reporting.

Prosecutors say eight articles published on Orda.kz prompted the charge under Article 274. One of the contested pieces, published in May 2024, alleged that Nurlan Auganbayev, a former deputy prosecutor of Almaty and then head of the regional department of the Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Records under the Prosecutor General’s Office, had been detained on suspicion of accepting a bribe. The Almaty prosecutor’s office issued an immediate denial of that information the same day.

At the court hearing Bazhkenova argued there was no basis to label the newsroom’s reporting as "obviously false." She told the court that Orda.kz journalists had sought to verify the claims and had sent formal inquiries to both the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Almaty prosecutor’s office. Bazhkenova said that even after receiving official denials, the editors considered it their duty to report that the allegation had spread widely and therefore was itself a matter of public interest.

"Маған оның ұсталмағаны жайлы хатты алсаң да неге (ұсталған-мыс деген хабарды) жарияладың деп сұрақ қоятын шығарсыз. Біз қоғам үшін жұмыс істейміз, ол (Ауғанбаев) туралы жаппай таралған ақпараттың өзі – қоғам үшін маңызды факт. Біз сұрау салып, ресми жауап алдық және осы жайттың бәрін жариялауға тиіспіз," she said in court, defending the newsroom’s decision to publish.

Auganbayev did not attend the hearing. According to pre-trial statements reported by the prosecution, he has complained that Orda.kz continued to circulate the allegation on various platforms despite the official denial, damaging his honor and business reputation. The police statement on the case says criminal proceedings were initiated based on complaints filed by private citizens; case materials list 11 individuals as alleged victims, including OrdaMedia.kz director Maksat Ganiev and representatives of state-linked companies such as Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and KazMunayGas.

Bazhkenova has been under house arrest since December 1, 2025. She told the court she had requested legal representation from five private lawyers before the trial, but none agreed to take her case; the city bar association later appointed a defense attorney. Police say the investigation continues to be based on the complaints from the named individuals and organizations.

Rights groups and media freedom observers often warn that criminalizing the dissemination of allegedly false information can have a chilling effect on journalism and on the public’s right to receive information. Bazhkenova’s defense emphasizes that journalists play a role in documenting and explaining information that circulates widely in society, and that determining whether to publish details about such circulation is part of reporting responsibilities. The outcome of the trial is likely to draw continued scrutiny from local and international press freedom advocates, who view prosecutions of journalists as a test of Kazakhstan’s commitment to freedom of expression and an independent media environment.