Kazakhstan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan to Crack Down on “Gray” Smartphones

Starting March 24, 2025, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry will require telecom operators to verify the IMEI codes of smartphones and disconnect illegally purchased devices. According to ministry officials, the new regulation will apply only to phones purchased after March 24, 2025. Under the new system, all smartphones in Kazakhstan will be categorized into three lists based on their IMEI codes: White List: Legally purchased smartphones. Gray List: Devices with suspicious IMEI codes, such as duplicates. Owners will have 30 days to confirm their device's legitimacy. Black List: Stolen or counterfeit phones, which will be blocked from network access. “The goal of these new regulations is to combat the circulation of illegal devices,” said Dias Tolegenov, head of the Monitoring and Development of Wireless Projects Department at the ministry’s Telecommunications Committee. Phones imported before March 24, 2025, will not be affected by the new rules. Buyers can already check a device’s IMEI code on a dedicated government portal to avoid purchasing illegal or counterfeit smartphones. Azamat Seriktaev, another ministry representative, noted that blocking stolen phones through IMEI registration will help reduce mobile device theft. Meanwhile, the regulations are expected to curb the flow of illegally imported or fraudulently registered devices. According to Mazhilis deputy Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva, 64% of mobile devices in Kazakhstan’s market are imported through illegal or “gray” schemes: “In 2024, the state lost nearly 100 billion tenge (approximately $196 million) in unpaid value-added tax (VAT) due to these illegal imports.” She outlined several common fraudulent practices, including: Customs Evasion: Phones are imported without proper customs clearance. Mislabeling: High-end smartphones are registered as budget models to reduce tax liabilities. IMEI Duplication: Fraudsters copy the IMEI numbers of legally imported devices and assign them to multiple smuggled phones - sometimes up to five or six per code. “Often, people check a new phone’s IMEI and find out that, according to the system, it was manufactured 10 years ago,” Smyshlyaeva noted. To further tighten control, Smyshlyaeva suggested: Integrating IMEI registration with customs data to detect fraudulent imports. Automatically cross-checking IMEI numbers with the Customs Register of Intellectual Property Objects. Limiting personal imports to two smartphones per year per individual to prevent bulk smuggling. Separately, Mazhilis deputy and former Education Minister Askhat Aimagambetov have proposed restrictions on children’s use of smartphones in schools. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kyrgyzstan is considering similar measures in schools and universities.

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In Azerbaijan, Anger Toward Russia Simmers After Plane Crash Report

Commentators in Azerbaijan have reacted to a preliminary report on the Dec. 25 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane with another round of scathing criticism of Russia, which Azerbaijan accuses of accidentally firing on the aircraft from the ground. The report that was released on Tuesday by Kazakhstan, where the passenger plane crashed after diverting from a planned landing in Russia, did not clear up whether Russia had fired on the plane, saying only that objects that were not part of the plane had struck it and caused significant damage. While a full report is in the works, that could take many more months, during which time tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia are likely to stew or escalate unless Azerbaijan gets the full apology and accountability that it demands. Some analysts in Azerbaijan are already fuming about what they characterize as an evasive statement by Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsiya about the preliminary report on the crash that killed 38 out of the 67 people on the plane. The Russian statement on Telegram noted that the report “does not contain conclusions about the causes of the incident” and acknowledged that the plane was damaged by external impacts. “However, the report does not indicate that the Kazakh side identified foreign objects inside the aircraft, while the Russian Federation has not yet had the opportunity to examine these elements, as they have not been handed over for expert analysis,” Rosaviatsiya said. The statement also notes that the crew of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane on the Baku-Grozny route “independently” decided to divert to Aktau, Kazakhstan, even though Russian air traffic controllers had proposed other Russian airports for landing. Lastly, it says the pilots of the Embraer 190 aircraft told Russian air traffic controllers that there had been a bird strike and an oxygen cylinder explosion on the plane, theories that have been widely attributed to the pilots’ confusion at the time and have since been almost entirely discredited. “This means that the Russian side is still clinging to the crew's assumptions as a lifeline. While Baku does not accuse Moscow of deliberately downing the aircraft, it is strongly urging Russia to take responsibility,” Samir Veliyev wrote in an analysis on Caliber, a Baku-based news organization. “The situation as it stands today clearly shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Russian side to deny its involvement in the incident. So why drag this out? Baku will not back down from its already stated position, which is based on irrefutable facts,” Veliyev wrote. Another news outlet in Azerbaijan, aze.media, said Russia knew about the investigation results in advance and could have acknowledged its alleged role. “But instead, the Kremlin, as always, chose the ‘we know nothing’ tactic and decided to simply ignore the obvious,” aze.media said in an opinion piece. Numerous aviation and security specialists have said damage to the plane’s fuselage is consistent with shrapnel marks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in a phone conversation. However, the...

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“Mayday! Mayday!” Kazakhstan Releases Report on AZAL Plane Crash

A preliminary report on the Dec. 25 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Kazakhstan contains details that could be consistent with widespread assertions that the aircraft was damaged by ground fire during an earlier attempt to land as planned in Russia. But the report, released on Tuesday by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, leaves many questions unanswered about the crash that killed 38 out of the 67 people on board the plane and sharpened tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia. [caption id="attachment_28337" align="aligncenter" width="923"] Image: Department for Investigation of Accidents and Incidents in Transport preliminary report[/caption] An investigation is ongoing and a final report will be prepared on the disaster just outside the Kazakh city of Aktau, meaning that more information could emerge on Russia’s alleged culpability in the case. While the preliminary report helps to fill out a picture of the chaos and confusion that unfolded on the Embraer 190 plane on the Baku-Grozny route, it is unlikely to satisfy Azerbaijan, which accused Russia of a coverup and demanded accountability. The report on the politically sensitive case says its purpose is to focus on aviation safety and not to establish anyone’s guilt. Assigning blame could come in criminal cases that were opened by Azerbaijani and Kazakh prosecutors, though holding those responsible to account, especially if they are in Russia, will be a challenge. [caption id="attachment_28338" align="aligncenter" width="851"] Image: Department for Investigation of Accidents and Incidents in Transport preliminary report[/caption] The report says parts of the plane were hit by objects from outside the plane and photos show portions of the fuselage riddled with holes, but the analysis doesn’t confirm that they were the result of missile shrapnel as some security and aviation analysts have said. “The initial inspection of the surviving fragments revealed numerous through and non-through damages of various sizes and shapes in the tail section of the fuselage, vertical stabilizer and stabilizer, elevator and rudder. Similar damages were found on the left engine and left wing of the aircraft, as well as on the units and components of the aircraft. In some places, the damages have a regular rectangular shape,” the report said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in a phone conversation. However, the Russian leader did not acknowledge that the aircraft had been accidentally hit by Russian fire before diverting to Aktau. Russia has said the area was under attack by Ukrainian drones at the time. Kazakhstan has led the investigation, which includes representatives from Azerbaijan, Russia and Brazil. The Canada-based International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that oversees aviation safety, is also involved. The preliminary report provides a picture of the flight and subsequent crash that is consistent with past accounts of survivors and other sources of information, though it also offers gripping detail from the data and cockpit voice recorders that were recovered and analyzed in Brazil, where the plane model is made. At one point, the sound of a boom is recorded. Citing the...

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Kazakhstan Proposes Polygraph Testing for Law Enforcement Officials

Kazakhstan’s General Prosecutor’s Office has drafted a decree proposing the use of polygraph examinations when appointing law enforcement officers to senior positions. Previously, there had been discussions about requiring all government job applicants to undergo lie detector tests. According to the proposal, polygraph testing could be applied to candidates for leadership roles in all law enforcement agencies, state protection services, and the State Courier Service. “The main objectives of the test are to identify hidden negative motives for seeking employment in law enforcement agencies, including affiliations with banned public associations, criminal organizations, and terrorist groups,” the draft states. Additionally, polygraph tests would aim to detect potential issues such as alcohol or drug addiction, gambling problems, concealed illnesses, suicidal tendencies, undisclosed income, dual citizenship, or the use of forged documents. Candidates may also be questioned about corruption-related offenses, unauthorized disclosure of classified or official information, and abuse of power. “The examination of an employee from a law enforcement agency, civil protection agency, or the State Courier Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan will be conducted when they are nominated for higher managerial positions - whether as part of regular or unscheduled attestation or through a competition for a leadership role. It may also be used during official investigations, with the individual's consent,” the draft decree states. The proposal, published on the Open NPA portal, is open for public discussion until February 14, 2025. Kazakhstan established a legal framework for polygraph use late last year. However, this is not the country’s first attempt to introduce lie detector tests for civil servants. In 2010, members of the Nur Otan party proposed using polygraphs to screen government officials involved in financial matters. At that time, the plan covered all government departments - both law enforcement and civilian - though it faced greater resistance from the latter. Ultimately, the proposal was not implemented in the civil service. Now, 15 years later, discussions have resumed, though with a narrower focus on law enforcement personnel. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kazakhstan also has plans to establish a register of corrupt officials.

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Wild Arman Sentenced: From Thief-In-Law to Coup Plotter

On January 27, another high-profile trial related to the January 2022 events concluded in Almaty. More than 40 individuals were in the dock, but the main figures in the proceedings were three individuals: former Almaty city council deputy and popular blogger Kairat Kudaibergen, former head of the Fifth Department of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee Ruslan Iskakov, and crime boss Arman Jumageldiev, better known by his criminal nickname, 'Wild Arman.' Harsh Sentences Most of the defendants received short sentences and were released due to time already served. However, for the main figures in the case, the court handed down the following punishments: Kairat Kudaibergen, former deputy and entrepreneur, received eight years in prison. He was also banned from appearing on social media, organizing rallies, debates, and events, and publishing in the media. Ruslan Iskakov, the former head of the Fifth Department of the National Security Committee, was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison. Arman Jumageldiev (Wild Arman) was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was prohibited from participating in organizations, organizing events, and publishing in the media or on social networks. In addition to this trio, two other lengthy sentences were handed down: former financial police agent Talgat Makhatov received 15 years, whilst journalist Berdakh Berdymuratov was sentenced to seven years. During the trial, two of the four charges initially brought against Kairat Kudaibergen were dropped. Meanwhile, Arman Jumageldiev, who was originally charged under eleven articles of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, faced eight charges by the end of the trial. The 40-year-old crime boss, who along with his defense team has long denied his ties to organized crime, will be released close to the age of retirement should his sentence remain unchanged after his appeal. Under Surveillance Senior Prosecutor of the Almaty Regional Transport Prosecutor’s Office, Mukhit Rysbekov, provided detailed comments on the verdict for Wild Arman (Arman Jumageldiev), revealing the defense’s strategy during the trial. "The court deliberated on the case for about a year. During this time, Jumageldiev’s defenders tried to present him to the court and the public as a patriot, a national hero who helped and protected citizens during the tragic January events. Despite the active campaign organized by Jumageldiev and his defense to rehabilitate his image, we managed to prove the opposite. We proved that back in 2016, long before those events, Jumageldiev led a criminal organization, an armed gang, which included the same representatives of the criminal world,” said Rysbekov. Commenting on Jumageldiev’s sentencing, political analyst Daniyar Ashimbaev noted that the trial had addressed one of the key facets in a broader scheme. "It is clear that the National Security Committee (KNB) was ‘tracking’ this organized criminal group (OCG), which during the January events was supposed to take on the role of establishing 'public governance,' subduing looters, presenting 20 pre-captured individuals as instigators, and ultimately calling for power to be handed over to a 'people’s government' led by the coup organizers," Ashimbaev stated. "This was evident as early as the...

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Criminal Charges Against MEP Maria Arena Spark Renewed Debate on Central Asia Influence-for-Hire

In the latest chapter of a slow-burning story, on January 18, 2025, Antonio Panzeri’s successor as head of the European Union’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), Maria Arena, was charged with participating in a criminal organization concerning the Qatargate scandal. As far back as December 2022, shocking revelations had exposed collaboration between Panzeri, EU officials, and certain NGOs. This alliance turned their human rights advocacy into a self-serving commercial enterprise, yielding them €2.6 million and their clients favorable motions and resolutions in the European Parliament. The roles of Arena and Panzeri in commercializing their office by curating human rights targets and taking protective measures for monetary exchange warrant closer scrutiny. After leaving DROI, Panzeri continued to operate behind the scenes, having “almost 400 telephone calls” in ten months with Arena. As reported by Politico, her ties to the NGOs Fight Impunity (FI) and No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) raised concerns about transparency and influence within DROI, especially as key figures from these NGOs faced corruption and money laundering charges in the EU’s Qatargate scandal. Arena’s leadership has also been criticized for allowing unbalanced hearings that favored Qatar’s interests while sidelining its critics. The scope of corruption extends beyond Qatar, with both Morocco and Mauritania mentioned as attempting to influence European Parliament decisions through bribery. All three countries — Qatar, Morocco, and Mauritania — deny any involvement. Germane to Central Asia, Maria Arena reportedly penned a letter to the Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Brussels calling for the release from prison of Karim Massimov, the former head of Kazakh intelligence who was sentenced to long-term imprisonment in his homeland for high treason, attempted coup and abuse of power. Journalists’ investigations have documented Massimov’s alleged links to major corruption, and he was closely associated with the authoritative regime of former President Nazarbayev. Arena’s push coincides with social media postings on 8 November 2022 by FI and NPWJ calling for Massimov’s release. Francesco Giorgi, an ex-parliamentary staffer at Fight Impunity and Panzeri aide who admitted partial guilt in the Qatargate bribery scandal, retweeted the post. A broader investigation suggests further malfeasance similar to Qatargate, in which Panzeri, Arena, and other EU officials collaborated with Mukhtar Ablyazov, a known criminal with judgments against him exceeding $4.8 billion dollars in the U.S. and British courts. Ablyazov is facing potential deportation from France following his evasion of a 22-month UK prison sentence for contempt of court. Despite this high-profile conviction in the UK, under DROI’s leadership, a faction of European politicians, including prominent names from the S&D including Panzeri and Maria Arena, along with their legislative partner Renew Europe, continued to align themselves with Ablyazov. An analysis of Ablyazov's supporters in the European Parliament, PACE, and national legislatures reveals a discernible pattern. During his time in Strasbourg, Ablyazov met with Panzeri – a figure labeled by The Spectator as one of Ablyazov’s “most diligent lawyers and active supporters.” Alongside Ablyazov was his daughter, Madina, who is married to Ilyas Khrapunov - found by a federal judge in...