The specialized inter-district court for criminal cases in Almaty explained the verdict regarding Arman Dzhumageldiev (Wild Arman), former head of the 5th department of the National Security Committee (KNB) Ruslan Isakov, and former deputy of the Almaty maslikhat Kairat Kudaybergen, reports Tengrinews.kz correspondent.
The court established that in 2016, Isakov, while serving as deputy head of the 5th department of the KNB, lured Dzhumageldiev into cooperation by promising protection from national security agencies.
"Dzhumageldiev, having secured the support of the KNB, began to form a criminal organization to expand his criminal influence both within Kazakhstan and beyond. He recruited individuals with whom he was previously acquainted for key roles in the organization, specifically those with psychological resilience, a lack of fear of prosecution, and good physical fitness. All members of Dzhumageldiev's criminal group were divided into organizational, functional, and territorially distinct groups that directly reported to him," the court explained.
It was noted that the KNB unit led by Isakov eliminated several organized criminal groups that were competing with Dzhumageldiev's organization. However, Isakov took no action to halt the illegal activities of Dzhumageldiev's gang.
Since December 2017, Dzhumageldiev controlled his criminal organization remotely from Turkey. He periodically held meetings with the leaders of structural units and members of the organization in Kazakhstan, Turkey, and the UAE. The group systematically sought potential victims to expand their influence and secure financial inflows. For instance, in early June 2021, members of the organization learned of a debt owed by a resident of Turkestan region amounting to 25 million tenge to his acquaintances. Dzhumageldiev's subordinates beat the victim and threatened to throw him from the sixth floor of a hotel in Shymkent, forcing him to hand over 23 million tenge, of which 12 million was appropriated by the defendants.
"In early 2022, Isakov, Dzhumageldiev, and former deputy Kudaybergen became key organizers of mass riots aimed at a violent seizure of power. For this purpose, Dzhumageldiev arrived in Kazakhstan in December 2021. During the events in January, Kudaybergen organized a headquarters at the 'Kazakhstan' hotel, where Dzhumageldiev's gang was invited to coordinate the actions of the armed group and other individuals who joined them," the report states.
The court found that on January 5, 2022, Dzhumageldiev's gang and his supporters twice gathered at Republic Square in Almaty. Their goal was to unite participants of the riots and create an unconstitutional body in the form of a "People's Council" to present demands to the current authorities.
"Subsequently, Dzhumageldiev decided to increase the number of participants in the riots. To achieve this, he called members of his gang from Shymkent to Almaty for further participation in the square. It was also reliably established that Kudaybergen illegally organized a gathering of people, including athletes and others, near the 'Kazakhstan' hotel under the pretext of assisting in the protection of business properties, with the ultimate goal of joining Dzhumageldiev's criminal group.
After the detention of KNB leadership on the night of January 5-6, 2022, Isakov, realizing the inevitable failure of the plan to organize mass riots, decided to cover up the traces of the crime. Under the pretext of stabilizing the situation in Almaty, he instructed Dzhumageldiev to abduct people and hold them in the 'Kazakhstan' and The Ritz Carlton Almaty hotels," the court reported.
According to the investigation, from January 6 to 7, 2022, under the guise of combating looters and riot participants, members of Dzhumageldiev's gang illegally detained peaceful residents. The detainees were subjected to severe beatings, searches, humiliation, and interrogations. Additionally, some were forced to confess on video to thefts and participation in the extremist activities of the DPK.
"For example, near The Ritz Carlton Almaty, about 15 members of Dzhumageldiev's criminal group, carrying out his orders, stopped a passing car and forcibly removed five citizens from it. One of the passengers was struck on the head with a hammer, causing him to lose consciousness. The victims were then forcibly taken to the underground parking lot of the hotel, where their money and personal belongings were confiscated. Subsequently, the victims were stripped down to their underwear and beaten. They were coerced into confessing to participating in mass riots and stealing others' property," the report states.
In total, 34 victims were abducted and beaten by the gang members. Subsequently, 24 of the detained individuals were illegally held in the warehouse of one of the LLPs.
Moreover, under the guise of restoring order in Almaty and creating a reliable alibi, Dzhumageldiev's gang and his supporters returned a fire truck to the Almaty Emergency Situations Department and organized security for the 12th city hospital, as well as initiated the distribution of food to residents of Almaty.
"It has been reliably established that Dzhumageldiev simulated a struggle against the riot participants, and all his actions were aimed at concealing the traces of the crimes he organized. The aforementioned criminal actions of the defendants are confirmed by consistent witness testimonies, expert evaluations, and video evidence examined in court," the court emphasized.
The court sentenced Wild Arman to 20 years in prison. Ruslan Isakov was sentenced to 15.6 years, while Kairat Kudaybergen received 8 years of imprisonment. Other participants in the mass riots, members of Dzhumageldiev's gang (a total of 13 individuals), received sentences ranging from 10 to 15.5 years in prison.
Other participants in the mass riots, who were not part of the gang, received sentences ranging from 1.5 to 7 years in prison. A proposal will be submitted regarding the deprivation of state awards for a number of those convicted.
The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.