Karaganda Court Examines Four Disputed Claims in Orda.kz Article on Lenin Cinema
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A court in Karaganda examined four disputed assertions from an Orda.kz article about the Lenin Cinema privatization on July 28, as the trial of former editor Gulnar Bazhkenova continued. Representatives of TOO Avangard challenged claims about ex-akim Mazhit Esenbayev’s influence, corporate affiliations, and the building’s heritage status. The session delved into the details of the charges under Kazakhstan’s criminal law on spreading false information.
The Contested Claims
The plaintiff’s legal team enumerated four specific inaccuracies, which were entered into the court record. First, the article mentioned former Karaganda region akim Mazhit Esenbayev, but attorney Abdrakhmanova argued he had already left office before the privatization tender and could not have influenced it, citing an official decree on the akimat’s website. Second, the report linked the winning bidder, TOO Kausar, to the ex-akim, a connection the company denies, stating no familial or corporate ties exist. Third, TOO Avangard objected to being labeled, along with Kazakhstan Investment Company, as ‘unconscientious acquirers,’ asserting that no such legal assessment exists and no documents support it. Fourth, the heritage status of the building was assigned in 2010, not 2001 as the article claimed, according to the plaintiff’s representative.
Legal Proceedings
The hearing was part of the ongoing trial of Gulnar Bazhkenova, accused under Kazakhstan’s law on disseminating knowingly false information. The defense requested the plaintiff specify each disputed point, prompting the detailed enumeration. The case revolves around an Orda.kz publication on the privatization of the Lenin Cinema in Karaganda, one of several episodes in the charges. Bazhkenova faces criminal prosecution, and the court is systematically reviewing the evidence underlying the allegations.
What's Next
The court is expected to continue examining evidence in upcoming hearings. It remains unclear how the judge will weigh the plaintiff’s objections against the defence’s arguments, and what impact this will have on the overall case.
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Karaganda Court Examines Four Disputed Claims in Orda.kz Article on Lenin Cinema
