Editor-in-chief of the KazTAG news agency Amir Kassenov has issued a statement regarding the criminal case in which he and the agency's general director, Asset Matayev, were named as suspects in absentia following a complaint by the company Freedom Finance and its beneficiary Timur Turlov.
According to media reports, Kassenov claims that lawyers have identified numerous violations committed during the investigation, and that the amount of damages attributed to the agency is questionable.
"I am not at liberty to disclose the exact figure, but I will note that Turlov and Freedom Finance attribute to us damages that could easily exceed the combined budget of several 'banana republics', and the protocol naming me as a suspect, compiled with numerous violations and absurd pseudo-arguments, appears to have been dictated by Turlov's representatives or Turlov himself," he stated.
The editor-in-chief said he has filed a motion to summon Timur Turlov for a face-to-face confrontation, emphasising that the businessman has previously ignored appeals from the defence.
"I hope that he will answer all the questions I have posed, not only in the interests of myself and KazTAG, but also for the entire wider public of Kazakhstan, directly at the police station under the lens of a forensic video camera," Kassenov noted.
He also intends to petition for the summoning of all investors and counterparties of Freedom Finance to verify the alleged damages. According to Kassenov, if this is refused, he will seek a compulsory summons.
Kassenov added that representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had previously promised to close the case, but it subsequently emerged that he and Matayev had been named suspects in absentia.
"A senior official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the close circle of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Yerzhan Sadenov, promised us that 'there is nothing in this case', that 'KazTAG will not be pursued', that 'the case will be closed', and asked: 'Please, just don't make a fuss, everything will be done according to the law, I guarantee it'," the editor-in-chief claims.
In turn, Freedom Holding Corp. states that it published its official position on the criminal case of a former employee twice: in February and April 2025. According to the holding's assertion, the KazTAG agency published 12 critical articles in two days, ignoring the company's official version.
Speaking at a meeting with journalists, the head of the holding, Timur Turlov, stated:
"Specifically regarding the defamation, we tried to gather absolutely all the evidence, to collect all documentary proof. We wanted to act solely within the framework of the law. The only thing we are trying to do now is to use legal methods, at least in the most prominent cases."
It will be recalled that the criminal prosecution of Asset Matayev and Amir Kassenov was triggered by a complaint from Freedom Finance, a company controlled by Russian-born billionaire Timur Turlov. The agency had written articles about alleged fraudulent schemes involving the company and its beneficiary. In turn, the journalists claim they were citing the words of the victims and their lawyers.
Incidentally, the KazTAG editorial team learned of the criminal case on 20 November from the media, although investigators had opened it on 18 August. The journalists believe the police deliberately concealed information about the criminal prosecution.