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Kazakhstan Engaged in Legal Disputes with 20 Foreign Companies

Kazakhstan is currently involved in 20 legal disputes with foreign companies, a decrease from 26 cases in 2023, according to Yerlan Musabayev, Acting Director of the Department for the Protection of State Property Rights under the Ministry of Justice. “As of now, the Ministry is handling 20 cases involving claims totaling more than $7.5 billion,” Musabayev stated during a briefing in Astana. Of these, 13 are under review in international arbitration, five are in foreign courts, and two are in the pre-litigation stage. The reduction in the number of disputes reflects progress made over the past year, he noted. Among the Ministry's recent successes, Musabayev highlighted a key ruling by the High Court of Justice in London in favor of Kazakhstan in a case filed by Canadian uranium company World Wide Minerals (WWM). The dispute originated from Kazakhstan’s 1997 decision to deny WWM an export license for uranium and terminate a trust management contract for the Tselinograd Mining and Chemical Plant (now the Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Plant). The High Court ruling, issued on February 28, 2025, overturned a 2024 decision that had awarded WWM approximately $65 million. “Under the 2025 decision, the Republic of Kazakhstan has no obligations toward World Wide Minerals. It’s worth noting that the bar for appeals in UK courts is exceptionally high, fewer than 2% succeed,” Musabayev said. Another legal victory came in a case involving the Kazakh-Italian construction joint venture Todini Impregilo Kazakhdorstroy. The company had sought $20 million in claims, but the International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Court in Paris dismissed all demands and ordered the joint venture to reimburse $277,000 in legal costs. Enforcement of the ruling required compulsory measures. “The Ministry of Justice is actively working to further reduce the number of disputes with foreign entities. Through coordinated efforts with other state bodies and the Government’s legal advisors, we’ve saved considerable budgetary resources, preserved Kazakhstan’s investment attractiveness, and strengthened the country’s international reputation,” Musabayev concluded. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan resolved a long-standing legal battle with Anatolie and Gabriel Stati’s Tristan Oil in 2024, following protracted litigation over the nationalization of oil assets. Meanwhile, early reviews of certain production-sharing agreements in the oil sector could lead to new legal proceedings in the near future.

Anti-Corruption Masimov Prison Massimov Justice Nazarbayev January 2022 Corruption

Former Justice Minister From ‘Old Kazakhstan’ Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

Former Minister of Justice Marat Beketayev has been sentenced to nine years in prison with confiscation of property for crimes linked to large-scale corruption. Beketayev is widely regarded as a representative of the "Old Kazakhstan" of the first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, a term widely used to describe officials removed from power in the wake of the January 2022 unrest and associated with systemic corruption. Verdict Handed Down The Anti-Corruption Service of Kazakhstan announced on June 30 that Beketayev was convicted of fraud, embezzlement on an especially large scale, and illegal participation in entrepreneurial activities. Details of the case remain classified. The charges were formally submitted to the court in March 2025. Beketayev served as Minister of Justice from 2016 until early 2022. Following the January unrest, he was appointed as an advisor to the Prime Minister but was quietly dismissed in December 2022, a fact that only became public knowledge in February 2023. He was detained in October 2023 while allegedly attempting to flee the country. According to investigators, he abused his office by lobbying for the interests of an affiliated company and awarding it annual contracts for unnecessary services, actions that reportedly inflicted significant financial damage on the state. Fallout from the January Events Beketayev’s dismissal came immediately after the events known in Kazakhstan as "Bloody January" (Qantar), when protests initially triggered by rising liquefied gas prices escalated into nationwide unrest. From January 3-7, 2022, major cities were engulfed in chaos. Government buildings, law enforcement agencies, and military units were attacked; 238 people were reportedly killed, including children and police officers. The worst violence occurred in Almaty, where protesters stormed the city administration, the president’s residence, and the airport. Order was restored on January 8 with the intervention of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), at the request of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Open-source information and official investigations suggest the unrest was orchestrated by supporters of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had stepped down in 2019 after nearly 30 years in power. In the aftermath, many high-ranking officials were removed or prosecuted. Among them was former Prime Minister and National Security Committee (KNB) Chairman Karim Massimov, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for orchestrating what authorities describe as a coup attempt. Nazarbayev’s nephews, Samat Abish and Kairat Satybaldy, also faced charges. Abish received an eight-year suspended sentence due to his "sincere repentance," while Satybaldy, accused of economic crimes, paid approximately 700 billion tenge ($1.5 billion) in restitution and was released. The post-Qantar purge extended to numerous grassroots organizers and ordinary citizens involved in the unrest. In political discourse, the divide between Tokayev's supporters and the remnants of Nazarbayev’s influence is often described as a split between "New Kazakhstan" and "Old Kazakhstan." Beketayev’s Legacy and Links to Major Scandals Beketayev is considered an ally of Massimov and thus part of the old power structure. He was also involved in one of Kazakhstan’s most controversial international legal disputes, the case involving Moldovan businessmen Anatol and Gabriel Stati. In 2017, $22...

Convicts amnesty Draft Law Justice

Kazakhstan to Grant Amnesty to More Than 15,000 Inmates and Offenders

Kazakhstan’s Senate has passed a bill granting amnesty to more than 15,000 individuals in connection with the 30th anniversary of the country’s Constitution. The draft law, which has been approved by both chambers of parliament, will take effect once it is signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to the bill, approximately 4,100 individuals currently serving sentences will be fully released from criminal liability, while the sentences or penalties of an additional 11,000 convicts will be reduced or softened. However, only a small fraction of those covered by the amnesty, fewer than 1,000, are expected to be released from prison. As explained by MP Abzal Kuspan, 632 of those eligible for full release are currently incarcerated. The remaining 3,500 individuals to be released are to be placed under the supervision of the probation service and are serving non-custodial sentences. The amnesty targets individuals convicted of minor or moderate offenses, particularly those who have not caused harm or who have compensated for any damage caused. It also applies to socially vulnerable groups. Among those eligible are 833 women, of whom 109 will be released and 724 will have their sentences reduced. Only four of the 75 convicted minors in Kazakhstan will be granted amnesty, due to the fact that most underage offenders are serving sentences for serious or particularly serious crimes. “The reason is that minors in our country are mostly convicted of serious and particularly serious offenses,” Kuspan explained. The amnesty explicitly excludes individuals convicted of serious or particularly serious crimes, including corruption, terrorism, extremism, crimes against the sexual integrity of minors, torture, repeat offenses, and those serving life sentences. Currently, 624 people in Kazakhstan are imprisoned for corruption-related crimes, 294 for terrorism, 96 for extremism, and 48 for torture. In total, over 40,000 individuals are held in the country’s criminal justice system, which includes 63 penal institutions and 16 pre-trial detention centers. Of these, approximately 33,000 are convicted prisoners, while 7,000 are awaiting trial. In recent years, the Kazakh authorities have introduced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the protection of the rights of detainees and convicts. These efforts are part of a broader push to improve transparency and accountability in the justice system.

Humans Mobile Ltd Arbitration case Bilateral Investment Justice Uzbekistan

Humans Group Files Arbitration Against Uzbekistan Over Alleged Investment Violations

Humans Mobile Ltd, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based Humans Group, has initiated arbitration proceedings against Uzbekistan at the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The case, registered under ARB/25/24, alleges that Uzbekistan violated a 2003 bilateral investment treaty between the two countries. According to an official statement published by Bilaterals, Humans Mobile seeks compensation for damages it claims were caused by the actions of several Uzbek state authorities. The company argues that these actions disrupted its operations and compromised the rule of law in the country. “We have always believed in Uzbekistan and its citizens,” said Vladimir Dobrynin, CEO and founder of Humans Group. “But transformation efforts must be supported by fair and predictable rules. Arbitration is a standard process to protect investors against unfair treatment.” Dobrynin added that the arbitration aims not only to secure compensation but also to promote legal stability and strengthen the investment climate in Uzbekistan. Humans Group operates in the United States, Uzbekistan, Poland, Singapore, and Germany. Its Uzbek venture, Humans.uz, functions as a “super app” combining financial services, mobile communications, grocery delivery, and online retail. Market Dispute with Uzbektelecom In a separate but related development, Humans filed a complaint on May 8, 2025, with Uzbekistan’s Antimonopoly Committee, requesting an investigation into the state-owned telecom operator Uzbektelecom. The company accuses Uzbektelecom of abusing its dominant market position by maintaining high internet prices. As a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Humans relies on Uzbektelecom’s infrastructure under a contract signed in May 2020. According to the complaint, while global internet prices have declined since 2021, Uzbektelecom has not adjusted its rates accordingly. Humans argues that despite lowering its own prices to stay competitive, unchanging infrastructure costs now account for 58% of its total service costs, making its business model unsustainable. “There is no economic reason to maintain such high prices. Uzbektelecom is receiving unjustified profit at the expense of infrastructure users like us,” the company stated in its complaint, as quoted by Spot. Humans also revealed that it has incurred significant debt due to what it describes as “monopoly-level pricing.” In a March 27, 2024, warning letter, Uzbektelecom demanded repayment of 532 billion Uzbek soums, comprising 361 billion in outstanding payments and over 170 billion in penalties. The company warned that internet speeds would be throttled starting March 1, 2025, with full disconnection by June 1 if the debt remains unpaid. Legal action may also follow. Uzbekistan’s Track Record in Arbitration This is not the first time Uzbekistan has faced international arbitration. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Uzbekistan won a case brought by Turkish textile firm Bursel Tekstil, which had sought $700 million in damages over alleged breaches of cotton pricing and tax policy commitments. The tribunal ultimately ruled in favor of Uzbekistan and ordered Bursel to pay legal costs. In another high-profile case reported by The Times of Central Asia, the ICSID ruled in May 2024 that Kyrgyzstan must return four resorts to Uzbekistan. The tribunal found that Kyrgyzstan...

public reaction Independent Media independent journalist Rukhshona Khakimova Family Justice

Parents of Imprisoned Tajik Journalist Rukhshona Khakimova Urge Rahmon to Intervene

The parents of Rukhshona Khakimova, a Tajik journalist sentenced in February 2025 to eight years in prison on charges of treason, have issued an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon, urging him to reconsider their daughter’s case and facilitate her release. Family Appeals for Clemency A copy of the letter, signed by Khakimova’s parents, Zokir Khakimov and Makhsuda Sharopova, was published on social media on May 3. In the letter, the couple described their daughter’s upbringing in a family of educators committed to national values, patriotism, and humanism. Khakimov, a former school director in Kanibadam, and Sharopova, a retired teacher, emphasized their daughter’s achievements. “Our daughter graduated from school and university with honors, received a presidential scholarship, and always worked honestly and within the law,” they wrote. “We can say with complete confidence that Rukhshona could not have committed treason.” They appealed to Rahmon to intervene, especially considering that Khakimova is the mother of two young children. “We respectfully request and implore you, as the supreme leader of the nation, to take steps for her release,” the letter states. Background on the Charges Khakimova, 31, was convicted under Article 305, Part 2, Paragraph “c” of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, “treason using her official position.” She was sentenced to eight years in prison following a closed trial. Human rights groups claim the charges were linked to her journalistic investigation into China’s influence in Tajikistan. Complicating the case is the fact that Khakimova is reportedly the niece of an opposition figure sentenced to 18 years for attempting a coup. Prior to her arrest, she had been placed under house arrest, her documents were confiscated, and on February 5, she was detained in the courtroom immediately following the verdict. An appellate court upheld the decision. Subsequently, about 230,000 somoni, savings intended for purchasing a home, were withdrawn from her bank account. On April 22, she was transferred from a pre-trial detention center in Dushanbe to a women’s correctional facility in Nurek. Public and International Reaction Khakimova’s sentencing has sparked condemnation both domestically and abroad. Journalists and human rights advocates described the case as emblematic of worsening conditions for press freedom in Tajikistan. Activists claim she faced repeated threats prior to her arrest. Earlier this year, a group of women and civil society activists also submitted a letter to Rahmon requesting leniency. International organizations including Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, and The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders have called for her immediate release. Despite multiple appeals, Tajik authorities have yet to respond, and the sentence remains in effect.

Justice Arbitration case Bursel Tekstil Uzbek government

Uzbekistan Wins Arbitration Case Against Turkish Textile Company

On October 10, 2024, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) announced its decision in the case between Turkish company Bursel Tekstil Sanayi ve Dış Ticaret A.Ş. and Uzbekistan. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Justice, the tribunal rejected all claims made by Bursel Tekstil. The dispute began in July 2017, when Bursel Tekstil accused the Uzbek government of breaching promises related to cotton pricing and tax policies, actions the company claimed had led to its bankruptcy. Bursel Tekstil sought approximately $700 million in compensation. However, the tribunal ruled in favor of Uzbekistan and ordered Bursel Tekstil to cover the country's legal costs. Bursel Tekstil had invested in Uzbekistan’s textile industry in the early 2000s, helping to build a textile plant in Tashkent with funding from the OPEC Fund for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. By 2011, the company operated three factories in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan was represented in the arbitration by the Ministry of Justice and the American law firm White & Case. Under ICSID rules, the tribunal’s decision is final and binding. Previously, The Times of Central Asia reported on another ICSID decision in May 2024, ordering the return of four resorts in Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan. In that case, Uzbekistan successfully argued that Kyrgyzstan had violated a 1992 agreement among former Soviet Union countries, which stipulates that property belonging to one country but located on the territory of another remains the property of the original owner.