On August 18, the Bostandyk District Court of Almaty delivered a verdict against Gulnar Bazhenova, the former editor-in-chief of the publication Orda.kz. She was found guilty of illegal entrepreneurship, dissemination of false information, and embezzlement of entrusted property.
According to court documents cited by Tengrinews, from November 2024 to December 2025, Bazhenova, as head of the LLC "O", used her official position to transfer 88,144,127 tenge (approximately $191,000) from the company's accounts to her own individual entrepreneur account, disguising the transfers as payments for fictitious advertising, professional, and scientific services.
Additionally, she paid for her son's tuition at a private international school using these funds. Without being registered as an individual entrepreneur, Bazhenova engaged in buying and selling apartments in Almaty, earning 121.2 million tenge, from which no taxes were paid.
During the hearing, prosecutor Kuanysh Kanapyanov requested an 8-year prison sentence with a two-year deferment, as well as a 5-year ban on journalistic and managerial activities.
Judge Yelena Kvan found Bazhenova guilty and sentenced her to 8 years of imprisonment, with the sentence deferred for two years. She will serve the term in a medium-security facility. She was also banned from journalism and mass activities for 5 years.
The sentence is set to begin on February 1, 2026. The convict did not admit any of the charges. If Bazhenova evades child-rearing responsibilities or violates public order, after two warnings, the deferment may be revoked, and she will be sent directly to a colony.
She was ordered to report to the probation service within 10 days for registration. Under Article 73-1 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, if the convict does not receive disciplinary sanctions for a year, the unserved portion of the sentence may be conditionally reduced by one month.
Before the verdict was read, Bazhenova requested an amnesty declared in connection with the adoption of the new Constitution this year. However, the judge refused, stating that her criminal article does not fall under the amnesty.
The trial of the former editor of Orda.kz began on July 2. She had been under house arrest since December 1, 2025. In 2024 and 2025, Gulnara Bazhenova was included in the Forbes Women Kazakhstan rankings of the most influential women, taking 14th and 11th places.
Source: www.gazeta.uz