Kazakhstan courts imprison five activists for alleged coup plot and explosives

In a closed-door hearing in Almaty, five men between 56 and 62 years old received sentences ranging from five to five-and-half years for allegedly promoting a violent overthrow of the Kazakh government and planning mass unrest, including an attempt to seize the presidential palace, Akorda. Kaisar Ozbek and Talgat Ashirov were also convicted of illegally acquiring and storing explosives, offenses for which prosecutors had sought eight-year terms.

Defense lawyers argued the defendants were ordinary citizens manipulated by provocateurs and decried the lack of transparency. The verdict adds to a pattern of cases, such as the “tractor case” and a 2024 nuclear-referendum protest, that have placed at least 17 activists in prison since 2024. Human-rights groups, including the Kazakhstan International Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law, question the impartiality of the judiciary and view the trials as a tool to silence opposition. The sentences underscore ongoing concerns about political repression in Kazakhstan.