On Friday, September 18, political activist Sanjar Bokayev was transferred without prior notice from the National Security Committee’s pre-trial detention center in Almaty to Astana, just 10 days before his first hearing.
Bokayev was arrested in March 2026 and charged with disseminating knowingly false information, shaping negative public opinion, and fraud, after posting videos accusing Almaty authorities of destroying healthy trees to access funds allocated for felling, and of running a similar scheme involving public paving.
Bokayev is known for his opposition to the authorities’ plans to cut down 11,000 trees in the Baum grove in Almaty in 2025. While the municipality claimed that nearly half of the trees were unsuitable, he disputed this, counting only 66 trees that genuinely needed removal due to their poor condition. According to him, the grove was in excellent condition: mass felling was unnecessary, and targeted sanitary pruning would suffice. He accused the local authorities of destroying healthy trees to access the funds allocated for felling, recalling past instances where trees had been cut down under the pretext of sanitary cleaning. He also threatened to organize protests and demand the resignation of the Akimat’s (municipality) leadership should the felling proceed “unlawfully.” The Akimat denied his accusations, as well as his claims of a paving scheme in which contractors and officials, under the guise of landscaping work, allegedly removed nearly new paving stones from the streets and diverted them to private facilities.
Bokayev was arrested on March 18th of this year, immediately upon his return to Kazakhstan. According to the investigation, Bokayev had posted videos on social media depicting individuals illegally cutting down trees in a public park and stealing property from construction sites; the authorities allege that he organized and financed these acts himself, recruiting low-income individuals whom he paid to carry out the felling and theft. They also suspect Bokayev of embezzling funds on an especially large scale through fraud.
The only known witness in the case, who had previously accused the activist of illegal felling, was later filmed stating that he had been forced to incriminate Bokayev under torture. This video was shared by journalist Vadim Boreyko, who says it was sent to him by Bokayev’s wife.
On Friday the 18th, Bokayev’s lawyers announced that their client had been transferred, without prior notice, from the National Security Committee’s pre-trial detention center in Almaty to Astana, on the eve of the case’s first hearing, scheduled for September 28. Bokayev’s videographer, Ulan Nussipkozha, was also transferred under the same circumstances. Although the Almaly District Court has assured that defendants will be returned to Almaty for the hearing, the defense will be unable to meet with Bokayev to prepare for trial. The lawyers believe that transferring the defendants to another location could hinder their preparation for the trial and their participation in the proceedings.
