First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Marat Kozhaev, disclosed details of the arrest and detention of journalist Daniyar Adilbekov on April 18, 2024. According to Kozhaev, an investigation is currently underway regarding the journalist. The arrest was prompted by multiple citizens who alleged that Adilbekov had spread false information about them, including accusations of serious corruption. Expert analyses were conducted on Adilbekov's publications, leading to the conclusion that he had disseminated unverified and inaccurate information, causing significant harm to citizens' rights and interests. Additionally, his actions were deemed as falsely reporting corruption offenses.
Kozhaev explained that the pre-trial investigation was initiated based on complaints, media publications, and other information available to law enforcement agencies. When asked about the recent increase in criminal cases against journalists in Kazakhstan, Kozhaev stated that such cases are not very common and that the proportion of crimes committed by journalists is minimal.
On April 1, 2024, it was reported that Kazakh journalist Daniyar Adilbekov was detained in Astana. The Astana Prosecutor's Office confirmed that a criminal case had been opened against Adilbekov for spreading knowingly false information about a crime, leading to his arrest.
