The main trial in the criminal case between the company Freedom Finance and the news agency «KazTAG» did not take place in Almaty due to the absence of the defendants. The hearing has been adjourned until 15 June, with the court warning the participants about possible measures if they fail to appear again.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE REASONS FOR THEIR ABSENCE
The case was scheduled to be heard at the Almalinsky District Court of Almaty. However, the editor-in-chief of the KazTAG International News Agency, Amir Kassenov, and another defendant, Zhanna Kaparova, did not attend the hearing.
Amir Kassenov's lawyer, Salimzhan Musin, stated that the defence team had relied on the previously indicated court date of 15 June.
According to the lawyer, the participants had planned their actions based on this information, and Kassenov himself had purchased tickets in advance and was unable to attend the hearing after the date was changed.
WHAT THE COURT DECIDED
Following the failure of some participants to appear, the hearing of the case was adjourned until 15 June.
At the same time, the participants were instructed to ensure their attendance at the court hearing. According to information provided during the proceedings, if they fail to appear again without a valid reason, legally prescribed measures to secure attendance may be applied.
THE ESSENCE OF THE CRIMINAL CASE
The criminal case is being considered under Article 274 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan («dissemination of knowingly false information»).
It relates to publications by the KazTAG International News Agency concerning former employees of Freedom Finance, Temirlan Bekov and Vitaly Svetovoy. The company has previously stated that the published information is not true and damages its business reputation.
For their part, representatives of KazTAG have repeatedly stated that the materials were based on citizens' appeals and were prepared as part of journalistic activities.
IS A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES POSSIBLE?
Previously, representatives of Freedom Finance stated they were ready for reconciliation on condition that the dissemination of false information was acknowledged and retracted. At the same time, agency representatives continue to contest the charges brought against them.
At present, the case is at the stage of judicial review. The court will have to assess the parties' arguments and the evidence presented.
CONTEXT
The legal dispute between Freedom Finance and the KazTAG International News Agency has long extended beyond the confines of the judicial process. Throughout the investigation, both sides have regularly made their positions public through statements, interviews, and media publications.
Representatives of Freedom Finance insist that this is not a dispute with the media as such, but rather about protecting the company's business reputation. In particular, the company's lawyer, Nazerke Rizabekova, in a comment to «Kursiv», stated that the agency's actions, in the broker's view, bore signs of a targeted and massive information attack, and that the published information had already become the subject of legal proceedings.
KazTAG has previously rejected such assessments, stating that the materials were based on citizens' appeals and were prepared as part of journalistic activities.
Against this backdrop, every procedural action—from investigative measures to court hearings—becomes a matter of public discussion. However, the court will ultimately have to assess the parties' arguments, the evidence presented, and the circumstances of the case.