Zaure, who lives in Astana with her husband and raises five children, shared that her husband is a cattle farmer, while she works as a teacher for children with special needs.
According to the woman, A.Zh. was detained on August 6, 2025, at the Ak-Zhol—Automobile checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border while he was on vacation at Issyk-Kul with friends.
“My husband has been in pre-trial detention for six months, and during this time, we have not been given any explanation for his detention. He is an ordinary citizen of Kazakhstan, has had no legal issues, and we do not conduct business in Kyrgyzstan. He has no connection to criminal groups,” Telemisova stated.
The woman noted that since the arrest, she has repeatedly reached out to the authorities in Kyrgyzstan regarding the legality of her husband's detention. She also mentioned that similar inquiries were sent by the Kazakh side, but no responses were received. Furthermore, Zaure has been unable to meet with her husband.
Lawyer Nurlan Toktaliyev reported that his client has been charged under Article 263 ("Knowingly False Report of a Crime") of the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan.
“The case materials state that from 2011 to 2022, my client allegedly engaged in smuggling through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. But he could not have acted alone. It also mentions his involvement in a transnational organized crime group; however, there is not a word about my client in the 2019 verdict,” the lawyer added.
Participants at the press conference urged the leadership of Kyrgyzstan to pay attention to the situation and resolve the matter fairly.
