The nephew of Nursultan Nazarbayev, former first deputy chairman of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Samat Abish, has been sentenced to 8 years suspended.
The verdict was handed down on 26 February, but it has only become known now. It should be recalled that Abish's trial was held behind closed doors. This was reported by Majilis deputy Yermurat Bapi, citing the publication "Dat – Public Position".
"In Kazakhstan, no one has ever been sentenced to 8 years suspended before. Instead, some concerned individuals deceived the public with a punishment of '8 years', but in reality, Samat Abish was released from prison. In this way, the sole culprit of the January incident was shielded by a high-ranking official of the government. Clearly, this is a sign that the main director of this 'comedy' is Nursultan Nazarbayev," journalists write.
It should be recalled that a pre-trial investigation had previously been conducted into Samat Abish regarding abuse of power and official authority during the "January events". The case was then sent to court.