The investigative court of Almaty has extended the detention of public figure Sanzhar Bokayev until 18 June 2026. This was reported by his lawyer Radmir Utepov.
WHY THE COURT EXTENDED THE DETENTION
As lawyer Radmir Utepov reported on Instagram, the investigative court of Almaty extended the period of custody for Sanzhar Bokayev until 18 June.
Earlier, Bokayev was detained in Almaty as part of an investigation into a criminal case.
WHAT SANZHAR BOKAYEV IS SUSPECTED OF
According to the General Prosecutor's Office, Sanzhar Bokayev is suspected of disseminating deliberately false information with the aim of forming negative public opinion. The investigation claims that video materials about illegal tree felling and thefts at construction sites were published on social media, which may have been staged in advance.
There are also suspicions of embezzlement of financial funds on an especially large scale through fraud. According to the investigation, people with low incomes, who were offered financial compensation, may have been involved in organising certain episodes.
WHAT SANZHAR BOKAYEV IS KNOWN FOR
Sanzhar Bokayev gained widespread recognition as one of the initiators of the campaign against the vehicle recycling fee and as the author of the petition for the ‘NoRecyclingFee’ movement. The petition collected more than 50,000 signatures and was subject to mandatory consideration by the government.
In 2022, Bokayev also announced the creation of the digital party Namys. In the 2023 elections for the Mazhilis, he ran as an independent candidate but did not make it into parliament.
In 2025, Bokayev published videos about violations in the urban infrastructure of Almaty, including material about the removal of granite slabs from the city's embankment. After one such video, the Akim of Almaty issued reprimands to district akims, and the Deputy General Prosecutor reported the initiation of a criminal case.
Later it became known that in February 2026, Bokayev was in the USA, where, according to him, he was conducting business. After returning to Kazakhstan, he was detained in Almaty.