A court in Kazakhstan convicted all 19 defendants in a politically sensitive case heard behind that was linked to an anti-China protest last year near the border between the two countries.
The court on April 13 found all defendants guilty of inciting inter-ethnic discord following a protest in which participants demanded the release of an ethnic Kazakh detained in Xinjiang.
Several defendants received five-year prison sentences, while others received so-called restriction of liberty sentences, a non-custodial punishment placing individuals under state supervision with limits on movement, residence, and daily activities.
All 19 defendants were also banned from engaging in political activity for three years.
SEE ALSO:
Activist's Case Highlights Concerns Over Digital Surveillance In KazakhstanThe defendants are members or supporters of Naghyz Atazhurt, an unregistered advocacy group that works with families who have relatives missing in Xinjiang. They are charged with "inciting interethnic hatred" in connection with a November 13, 2025, protest that was filmed and posted online.
In those videos, they can be seen burning small Chinese flags and a portrait of Chinese leader Xi Jinping while chanting slogans against Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party, and calling for the release of a naturalized Kazakh citizen from Xinjiang who has been detained in China since July 2025.
The case is widely seen as a gauge of China’s influence in Kazakhstan, after evidence emerged that prosecutors acted following a diplomatic complaint from Beijing.
It highlights the tension between domestic activism over Xinjiang -- where more than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslim minorities have been sent to mass detention camps -- and the government’s strategic relationship with China.
The trial was held under restricted conditions, with journalists barred from the courtroom and following proceedings from an adjacent room via live video feed.
Outside the courthouse in Taldykorgan, around 100 relatives and supporters gathered as the verdict was announced. The scene turned highly emotional, with female relatives seen crying and one woman requiring emergency medical assistance.
Relatives told reporters they had expected acquittals or the release of the activists and appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to intervene. In comments to RFE/RL, some also alleged that the outcome reflected political pressure from China.
According to RFE/RL Kazakh Service reporters, some family members were asked to leave the courthouse premises and avoid making a public commotion while proceedings were still ongoing.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized the case, warning about fair trial concerns and the use of Article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code to prosecute protest-related activity.
SEE ALSO:
Activist Once Detained In China Faces Trial In Kazakhstan As Family Battles Closed-Door CaseThe case originated after police detained participants shortly after the November 13, 2025, protest. What began as administrative detentions was later escalated into a criminal case under Article 174 on incitement of ethnic hatred. The defendants were linked to the “Atajurt” movement, an unregistered civic group known for documenting alleged human rights abuses against ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs in Xinjiang and advocating for families separated across the China–Kazakhstan border.
The protest and the subsequent criminal proceedings drew criticism from Chinese diplomatic representatives, who described the demonstration as a provocation and urged Kazakhstan authorities to take action and prevent what they called harm to China’s national dignity and the image of its leadership.