(15 January 2026 | Source: courts press service)
In Almaty, a court revoked the licence of lawyer Murat Adam, who represented the interests of the editor-in-chief of the ORDA publication, Gulnar Bazhkenova. The claim was filed by the Ministry of Justice upon a submission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The court concluded that there had been gross and repeated violations of the law in the performance of the lawyer's duties.
HOW THE CASE WAS HEARD
The claim by the Ministry of Justice against Murat Adam was filed on 5 January. It stated that, in carrying out his professional duties, the lawyer had committed violations of the law.
The hearing of the case began on 12 January with a preliminary session and took five days. According to media reports, Judge Dauren Tleubayev banned live broadcasting of the proceedings and ordered journalists to be moved to a separate room.
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AS GROUNDS FOR THE CLAIM
According to court materials, the basis for filing the claim was 16 social media posts, which, according to the plaintiff, contained false information.
The posts mentioned the lawyer being denied access to the case, unlawful house arrest, torture, coercion to sign documents without a defence lawyer present, unlawful detention of the client, and a lack of oversight by investigative courts.
Murat Adam stated that he was not the author of some of these posts, but the court considered them collectively.
POSITION OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND COURT FINDINGS
The Ministry of Justice stated that public statements about torture and criticism of the judicial system were regarded as an abuse of lawyer status.
The court concluded that unreliable information had been disseminated, misleading the public, despite the existence of judicial acts confirming the legality of the investigation's actions. These actions were deemed to undermine the authority of justice and the legal profession.
The claim was granted pursuant to Article 44 of the Law "On Advocacy and Legal Assistance", which provides for licence revocation in the event of gross or repeated violations of professional duties.
PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND PROCEDURAL ACTIONS
In December 2025, it became known that Murat Adam had spoken at the UN platform in Geneva with a report on pressure against journalists and freedom of speech in Kazakhstan. During the same period, he represented the interests of a female claimant in a criminal case against journalist Oleg Gusev, initiated under Article 147 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Violation of privacy").
As is evident from open court hearings, the victim's representative petitioned for the isolation of the journalist for the duration of the trial. This contradiction — between international human rights rhetoric and involvement in the criminal prosecution of a journalist — was highlighted by journalist Gulbanu Abenova.
CONTEXT OF PREVIOUS CASES
Murat Adam represented the interests of the editor-in-chief of the ORDA publication, Gulnar Bazhkenova, against whom criminal cases were initiated. Searches were conducted at the media outlet's office, and she was placed under house arrest. The lawyer publicly described the events as the use of torture, which caused widespread public outcry.
At the same time, it was reported that Murat Adam had a criminal record: the court found him guilty in a case concerning an incident in a courthouse after a hearing, sentencing him to community service and ordering compensation.