Page 448 – The Times Of Central Asia

21 Apr 2025

Central Asia, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Featurees

Half of Marriages in Kazakhstan End in Divorce; Deputies Propose State Alimony Fund

April 21, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Nearly half of all marriages in Kazakhstan ended in divorce by the close of 2024, prompting renewed calls for the establishment of a state-backed alimony fund. Justice Minister Yerlan Sarsembayev addressed the issue during a recent speech to members of Parliament, citing the breakdown of family values and widespread failure to support children as key social concerns.

“Unwillingness to support their children and evasion from paying alimony are consequences of the crisis in family and marital relations,” Sarsembayev said. “The values that were once inherent to our people are being lost, unfortunately. As a result, families suffer and, above all, the children.”

As of early 2024, Kazakhstan recorded over 283,000 enforcement orders related to child support payments, with around 12,000 cases, roughly 4%, categorized as problematic. The main obstacles to enforcement, according to Sarsembayev, include lack of stable income, absence of property, and in some cases, the deliberate concealment of earnings by one parent.

To address the issue, the state has attempted to find employment for debtors without permanent income. However, more severe measures have also been implemented: in 2024, 4,642 individuals were held administratively liable, while 461 cases were brought to court under Article 139 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Of these, 391 resulted in convictions.

“Nevertheless, we believe that these punitive measures alone cannot fully resolve the issue of non-payment,” Sarsembayev added. “If a person does not understand the value of family and responsibility toward their children, no punishment will help.”

Proposal for a State Alimony Fund

During the same government session, Mazhilis deputy Magerram Magerramov once again proposed the creation of a state alimony fund to address chronic payment failures. The country’s total child support arrears now exceed 16 billion tenge (approximately $30.5 million), and the amount continues to grow.

Magerramov’s proposal has been floated before but failed to gain traction. The Ministry of Justice previously objected to the idea, citing concerns about the financial burden on the state and the risk of encouraging dependency.

“This idea has not been supported in the past because it would place a strain on the national budget,” Sarsembayev explained. “Moreover, establishing such a fund could promote a sense of dependency among those obliged to pay alimony, who might assume the state will cover their obligations.”

As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, a survey conducted last year revealed that 78% of young Kazakhs believe in the importance of officially registering a marriage, a statistic that reflects a continuing societal emphasis on formal family structures despite rising divorce rates.

21 Apr 2025

Central Asia, Uzbekistan, International Affairs, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Uzbekistan Named Among Users of Controversial Pegasus Spyware

April 21, 2025
By Sadokat Jalolova

In a recent U.S. court hearing, a lawyer representing NSO Group, the Israeli maker of the notorious Pegasus spyware, named Uzbekistan as one of the governments that deployed the tool during a 2019 hacking campaign. Mexico and Saudi Arabia were also cited. This marks the first time NSO Group has publicly identified its clients.

Pegasus is a powerful surveillance software developed by the Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group. Once installed on a smartphone, it allows operators to secretly access messages, listen to calls, track locations, and remotely activate the camera and microphone, without the user’s knowledge.

The revelation stems from a lawsuit filed by WhatsApp, a Meta-owned messaging platform, which accused NSO Group of exploiting a vulnerability in the app to target approximately 1,400 users between April and May 2019. Many of those targeted were journalists, human rights advocates, and members of civil society.

Digital rights watchdog Citizen Lab, which collaborated with WhatsApp, helped identify more than 100 victims across multiple countries. NSO’s lawyer acknowledged that at least eight governments were using Pegasus at the time, but only three – Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan – were named during the hearing.

Uzbekistan’s inclusion raises concerns about the country’s surveillance practices. While the court hearing mentioned just three countries, earlier disclosures suggested that Pegasus had been deployed in as many as 51 nations, including India, Morocco, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Interestingly, Saudi Arabia, named in the court hearing, did not appear in prior reports, suggesting that some NSO clients may have used the spyware beyond their own borders. A 2017 investigation by Citizen Lab indicated, for example, that Mexico used Pegasus to surveil individuals located in the U.S.

NSO Group insists that it licenses Pegasus only to governments approved by Israel and that the software is intended for counterterrorism and law enforcement. Nevertheless, the company has faced sustained criticism for enabling authoritarian regimes to spy on dissidents and journalists.

The U.S. court has not yet confirmed which clients were behind the specific attacks outlined in the WhatsApp case. The presiding judge noted that much of the available evidence originates from media investigations rather than direct disclosures by NSO Group. The company has declined to comment publicly.

WhatsApp has stated it looks forward to the trial, where it hopes to secure damages and prevent NSO from using its infrastructure to target users.

Over the years, groups like Amnesty International and Citizen Lab have documented Pegasus’s deployment in numerous countries, including Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, and now, potentially, Uzbekistan. Many of the targets were professionals carrying out legitimate work, raising serious questions about digital privacy and unchecked state surveillance.

TechCrunch, which obtained the court documents, has contacted the embassies of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan for comment. As of this writing, none have responded.

21 Apr 2025

Central Asia, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan Aims to Double Oil Refining Capacity by 2040

April 21, 2025
By Dmitry Pokidaev

Kazakhstan plans to double its oil refining capacity to 38 million tons by 2040, according to the country’s Minister of Energy, Yerlan Akkenzhenov. The announcement came during a recent meeting with executives from the national oil company KazMunayGas and representatives from the country’s four main refineries: Atyrau, Pavlodar, Shymkent, and the Aktau-based Caspi Bitum plant.

Akkenzhenov said the goal is enshrined in Kazakhstan’s new Oil Refining Industry Development Concept for 2025-2040, which aims to significantly boost the share of refined oil, improve resource efficiency, and increase the production of value-added petroleum products.

Key objectives of the strategy include:

Increasing the depth of refining to 94%, aligning with global best practices;
A full transition to high environmental standard fuels, such as K5 gasoline and Jet A-1 jet fuel;
Expanding the production of petrochemical products for both domestic and international markets;
Enhancing the technological sophistication and operational efficiency of Kazakhstan’s refineries.

“We must not just supply the domestic market with fuel today but lay the foundation for technological sovereignty and sustainable development for decades to come,” Akkenzhenov said. “The successful realization of this concept depends on our ability to work efficiently, make bold decisions, and take responsibility for them. There is no time for hesitation, the country expects concrete results: modern plants, quality products, and reliable power supply.”

As part of the initiative, the minister urged the accelerated development of a feasibility study to double the capacity of the Shymkent refinery and called for swift agreement signings with potential partners. He also stressed the need for the Pavlodar petrochemical plant to begin work on its next expansion phase.

Meanwhile, the Atyrau refinery is to focus on implementing approved projects while preparing for further capacity growth. The Caspi Bitum plant has been tasked with completing post-modernization commissioning and ensuring stable operations.

Kazakhstan’s three major oil refineries are located in:

Pavlodar (northeast);
Atyrau (west);
Shymkent (south).

As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the national antimonopoly agency proposed in March to privatize state stakes in the Pavlodar and Atyrau refineries, a move that could reshape the sector’s ownership landscape.

21 Apr 2025

Home, Tajikistan International Affairs, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan International Affairs, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, International Affairs, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Uzbekistan International Affairs

Central Asian Leaders To Join Putin at Moscow’s WWII Parade

April 21, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, or CIS, will attend the 80^th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in Moscow on May 9, Russian state media have reported.

The CIS, a regional group that was set up as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, includes the Central Asian countries that were Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Those leaders have traditionally attended the Moscow parade. But the event drew more international scrutiny in the last few years as Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to showcase diplomatic contacts in the face of Western efforts to isolate him, and display Russian military might as the war in Ukraine dragged on.

“I am happy and pleased, just like you, to announce that all heads of state of the CIS will be at the celebrations in Moscow on May 9,” CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev told the council of the group’s inter-parliamentary assembly. He was quoted by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency. The Russian news outlet TASS issued a similar report.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said more than 20 heads of state and government are expected to join Putin at the victory parade in Moscow.

Some Central Asian countries, whose ancestors fought for the Soviet Union against Germany in WWII, hold their own events around the anniversary of the end of the war against the Nazis. Kyrgyzstan, for example, plans a parade on May 8 in the capital of Bishkek, allowing President Sadyr Japarov to catch the Moscow parade on the next day. Similarly, the Kazakh capital of Astana will host a military parade on May 7 after canceling several previous commemorations.

21 Apr 2025

Home, Justice, Kazakhstan Justice, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Open Wounds: Why a Murder Trial in Talgar Has Gripped Kazakhstan

April 22, 2025
By Andrei Matveev

In recent years, Kazakhstan has begun broadcasting high-profile criminal trials online in a move toward greater transparency in the justice system. The trial of former Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, sentenced to 24 years for brutally beating his wife Saltanat Nukenova to death, marked the beginning of this new judicial openness. Now, another trial has captured the public imagination: the case of the killing of teenager Sherzat Bolat in a street fight involving adult men.

The tragic events in Talgar, a small town near Almaty, have resonated across the country, exposing what many see as a long-standing culture of impunity and complacency within law enforcement.

The Talgar Tragedy

While the full chronology of events is still being established in court, several key details were released early in the investigation. Video footage suggests that Sherzat Bolat may have initiated the confrontation, allegedly striking a man he believed hadn’t paid for beer outside a store rented by his father.

The man then summoned reinforcements. A group of eleven men reportedly responded to his call, sparking a violent altercation. During the melee, Bolat was fatally stabbed in the heart. His uncle, who rushed to defend him, was also stabbed and beaten.

The incident occurred on October 4, 2024, in Talgar, a town with untapped tourism potential and historical roots tracing back to the medieval city of Talhiz. But for many, Talgar symbolizes not cultural heritage, but bureaucratic neglect. The town’s overgrown archaeological remnants mirror what residents say is the indifference of local authorities.

When no swift action followed his son’s death, Sherzat’s father, Karzhaubai Nurymov, staged a protest on October 7 alongside several residents. Nurymov demanded a transparent investigation and an open trial, appealing directly to Prosecutor General, Berik Asylov, and calling for visits from senior officials, including the Akim of the Almaty Region. Demonstrators threatened to block roads unless their demands were immediately addressed.

The protest prompted action. With the Minister of Internal Affairs taking the case under his control, the authorities began reviewing the family’s allegations.

Intimidation and Escalation

Just days later, on October 12, Sherzat’s family home was set on fire while relatives gathered at his grandmother’s house for a memorial. Police opened a criminal case for arson and placed the family under protection. According to the family’s lawyer, Askar Kaymakov, they had requested protection a day earlier after receiving threats.

The next day, National Guard units were deployed to patrol Talgar amid rumors of entrenched organized crime networks operating with the complicity of local officials and police. While the government has denied the existence of a “Talgar mafia,” the incident triggered a wave of dismissals in the local police force and administration, seemingly validating public suspicion.

Despite initial skepticism, the investigation appears to have been thorough. Authorities conducted 40 forensic examinations, questioned around 200 witnesses, and recreated the crime scene with the suspects. Confrontations and other legal procedures were carried out, and eight videos were analyzed. The criminal case now spans 62 volumes.

A Nation’s Unresolved Trauma

The Talgar case has reopened psychological wounds for many Kazakhstanis, especially in Almaty, where memories of another brutal killing still linger. On July 19, 2018, Olympic silver medalist Denis Ten was stabbed to death during a confrontation with thieves who had stolen his car mirrors. Despite the incident occurring in broad daylight in central Almaty, no police arrived in time to save him.

Ten’s death sparked national mourning and a wave of anger over the state’s inability to protect its citizens. His funeral drew thousands, transforming into a silent protest. A monument now marks the spot where he died, and his death helped catalyze political changes in 2019.

Today, the trial over Sherzat Bolat’s killing serves as another litmus test for Kazakhstan’s justice system. It is not just a legal proceeding, it is, in the eyes of many, a test of whether the promises of reform, transparency, and accountability have truly taken root.

21 Apr 2025

Silk Road Treasures, Home, Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan, Features, Kazakhstan Featurees

Video: Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Modern Kazakhstan

April 21, 2025
By Ilyas Otan

From factory workers to female boxing champions and long-distance lorry drivers, The Times of Central Asia explores the growing challenges to long-held gender stereotypes in modern Kazakhstan, as women feel more emboldened than ever to follow their dreams.

This video was made by UNFPA Kazakhstan with the financial support of the UK Government. All views expressed in the video do not reflect the official position of UNFPA or the UK Government.