The Almaty City Court upheld the ruling to arrest Zhanbolat Mamay

On February 20 the Almaty City Court heard the appeal on Medeu district court’s order of detention for  the editor in chief of the newspaper "Tribune. Sayasi kalam "Zhanbolat Mamay. According to Mamay’s lawyer Zhanar Balgabayeva, the court rejected to release Mamay on bail saying that this measure is not applicable to the charges such as filed against him. Thus the City Court upheld the decision of the first-instance court.

The hearings were conducted behind the closed doors, Mamay’s close relatives, colleagues and journalists were not allowed to present at the hearings.

Before the hearings began, Mamay’s supporters were standing inside the court building with a hand-made poster demanding to free political prisoners.

Searches in the editorial office of newspaper “Tribuna. Sayasi Kalam” and in the house of its editor-in-chief Zhanbolat Mamay were conducted on February 10, 2017. Later the same day Zhanbolat Mamay was detained by officers of National Anti-Corruption Bureau within the scope of investigation of the case over embezzlement of “BTA” bank funds by Mukhtar Ablyazov.

On February 11, 2017 Medeu District Court of Almaty sanctioned arrest of the editor-in-chief of  “Tribuna” newspaper Zhanbolat Mamay for two months within the frameworks of investigation of the criminal case on embezzlement “BTA Bank” funds by Mukhtar Ablyazov.

Before his arrest  Zhanbolat Mamay made a public statement:

“I, Zhanbolat Mamay, I do not plead myself guilty to charges brought against me. I have never carried out any business or financial activity. I consider this criminal proceeding to be politically motivated pressure brought upon my journalistic activity and attempt to close newspaper “Tribuna”.