Following the viral video of judge Abinur Karabayev, who stuck his tongue out at a camera, another clip has emerged online showing the questionable behaviour of a judge from Almaty’s specialised inter-district criminal court (SMUS) — he made a handcuff-like gesture during a hearing.
In response, the Almaty courts press service stated that the judge’s actions had been misinterpreted.
The incident reportedly occurred last year. The Almaty SMUS was considering a motion to change the pre-trial detention measure for three defendants in a high-profile criminal case.
“During the court hearing, one of the participants attempted to leave the room. The judge gestured to indicate that such actions were unacceptable, as at that moment the issue of changing the pre-trial measure to custodial detention was being discussed. This gesture was intended solely to maintain order and ensure the proper conduct of the proceedings,” the statement reads.
It has emerged that, following the consideration of the motion, the court refused to apply custodial detention, and after the conclusion of the case, an acquittal was delivered.
“During the proceedings, complaints were received regarding the judge’s behaviour in court. Following their review, the Commission on Judicial Ethics issued a public reprimand for certain actions of the judge,” the statement reads.
It is worth recalling that Karabayev’s case concerned a hearing regarding the attempted murder of the deputy mayor of the city, Ruslan Berdenov. The city court reported that the judge’s actions would be reviewed for potential violations of the Code of Judicial Ethics.