The investigative court in Almaty has extended the pre-trial detention of Sanzhar Bokayev until 18 June 2026. While the investigation establishes the circumstances of the case, the editorial team of FBRK recalls what the path of a man who built a reputation as an independent activist was really like.
TWEETS LEFT IN THE ARCHIVE
Bokayev was active on Twitter in 2013–2014 and his posts read differently today than they did then.
In March 2013 he wrote with a hint of sympathy about Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had taken short-term leave: according to Bokayev, Nazarbayev was 'working himself to the bone' and he would not want to be in his shoes.
Around the same time, he spoke warmly of Timur Kulibayev, expressing a desire to thank him in person, and commented approvingly on the work of the then Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov – according to him, he 'inspired trust' compared to the rest of the cabinet.
In June 2013, Bokayev attended a meeting of the Academic Council of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KISI) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and publicly called Mauleen Ashimbayev the strongest analyst in the country. In September – he praised the speech of the then Chairman of the Majilis, Nurlan Nigmatulin.
In April 2014, he approvingly commented on the personnel purge in the Nur Otan party under the leadership of Bauyrzhan Baibek. In May of that year – he sympathetically quoted a statement by Dariga Nazarbayeva on problem loans, calling her clever.
ADVISER AT 'KAZTRANSGAS'
These public sympathies were backed up by professional connections. According to available data, at various times Bokayev worked on the team of Akmetzhan Yessimov - the former mayor of Almaty and ex-head of Samruk-Kazyna, after which, according to some sources, he ended up in the orbit of Kairat Sharipbayev - a major entrepreneur in the gas industry.
It is this period that the investigation is currently examining. According to sources of Polites News, during his time as an adviser to the Chairman of the Board of JSC 'KazTransGas', which was headed by Sharipbayev, Bokayev may have influenced the conclusion of a contract to organise a New Year's corporate party worth over 100 million tenge. Both contractor limited liability partnerships turned out to be affiliated with his circle - one of them was linked to his mother.
AN OFFICE NEXT TO DARIGA
According to information from FBRK sources, during the time Dariga Nazarbayeva was working in the Nur Otan party, Bokayev had an office on the same floor as her and was often seen in her circle. The activist himself has not publicly commented on this information.
ACTIVISM WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
The FBRK editorial team has previously drawn attention to the composition of the NoRecyclingFee movement, with which Bokayev gained widespread fame in 2024. Among its participants were Berik Zairov - at that time Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Committee of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs 'Atameken', as well as a number of individuals affiliated with business structures in the automotive market.
The petition against the recycling fee gathered more than 50,000 signatures and, by law, the government was obliged to consider it. However, Bokayev did not attend the first meeting of the working group - and he also missed the final hearing in Almaty.
CASE STATUS
Bokayev was detained in March 2026 and is suspected of disseminating deliberately false information and fraudulent misappropriation on an especially large scale. Guilt in the alleged offences has not been proven. The final decision will be made by the court.