Kazakh Court Hears Charges in Kolesnikov Kidnapping and Murder Case

August 24, 2026 at 08:31 PM2 min

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A court in Kazakhstan on August 24 began preliminary hearings in the case of six men charged with kidnapping and murdering Vasily Kolesnikov. The defendants face charges including murder with special cruelty, kidnapping, and attempted murder. The judge rejected a defense motion to close the proceedings to the media.

Key Facts

Six defendants were brought to the preliminary hearing on August 24 under guard: Maksut Arysbayev, Rauan Inkarbekov, Darkhan Kyzbalayev, Bekasyl Zhumanazar, Alikhan Yerimbet, and Zhandilda Kuandykov.
The defendants are charged with murder of Vasily Kolesnikov with special cruelty, kidnapping, attempted murder of Maksat Koshkenbayev, and hooliganism with a knife.
A seventh suspect, Marat Daulasov, has been declared wanted, and an accomplice known as 'Bakha' remains unidentified.
The judge rejected a defense motion to bar media and photography, citing public resonance, but ordered that faces of defendants, lawyers, and witnesses who refuse video recording not be filmed.
Prosecutors allege the events of January 20 were preceded by a January 4 conflict on the Shymkent–Samara highway near Temirlan village, where a Toyota Land Cruiser carrying Arysbayev and Kyzbalayev was shot at and damaged.

The Charges

The six defendants face charges under several articles of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan. They are accused of hooliganism committed by a group with a knife (Part 3, Article 293), attempted murder of Maksat Koshkenbayev (Part 3, Article 24 and Part 2, Article 99), kidnapping of Vasily Kolesnikov (Part 2, Article 125), and his murder with special cruelty (Part 2, Article 99). Five of the defendants have prior convictions, and all are in custody.

Prosecution's Version

Prosecutor Mukhtar Arystanov read the indictment during the preliminary hearing. According to the prosecution, a conflict on January 4, 2026, on the Shymkent–Samara highway near Temirlan village preceded the events of January 20. A Toyota Land Cruiser carrying Arysbayev, Kyzbalayev, and an acquaintance was pursued by several cars, and occupants opened fire from an unidentified weapon, damaging the SUV. Investigators believe Arysbayev and Kyzbalayev then formed intent to take revenge on participants in the conflict or their close acquaintances. Vasily Kolesnikov was a close friend of Olzhas Sakhimov and Maksat Beisenov, whom investigators link to the January 4 events.