Arman Dzhumageldiev. Photo: social media
Former head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) department, Ruslan Iskakov, has been sentenced to 15 years and 6 months in prison in connection with the January 2022 events. The verdict was announced on January 27 in an Almaty court, according to Tengrinews.kz. Criminal authority Arman Dzhumageldiev, known as «Wild Arman,» received a 20-year sentence, while former Almaty city council deputy and businessman Kairat Kudaybergen was sentenced to 8 years.
The case involved several dozen defendants, who received varying prison terms. The trial was closed to the press after the initial sessions, during which Iskakov claimed he was acting under orders from Samat Abish, the nephew of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev. Abish oversaw the 5th KNB department, where Iskakov served as a subordinate.
According to Iskakov, Abish instructed him during the chaos in Almaty to seek help from Dzhumageldiev to restore order. Iskakov defended the order as justified, though he alleged Abish later distanced himself from the decision, leaving Iskakov and Dzhumageldiev to take the blame. Abish received a suspended sentence in the case last year.
Prosecutors argued that under Iskakov's supervision, «Wild Arman» was tasked with controlling the crowds and establishing a «people's council» to present ultimatums to the authorities. Witnesses claimed Dzhumageldiev and his associates detained, beat, and tortured protestors, resulting in one fatality.
Dzhumageldiev, however, presented a different version. He stated that Iskakov requested his help in protecting people from the city administration building, which later burned down, and in safeguarding social facilities. Responding to the plea, Dzhumageldiev claimed he attempted to calm protestors and catch looters, handing them over to law enforcement—though police reportedly refused to accept them. His defense argued that Dzhumageldiev essentially took on the role of law enforcement during the unrest.
Former deputy Kudaybergen was accused of encouraging participants to align with Dzhumageldiev during the riots. Prosecutors claimed he called on demonstrators to support «Wild Arman,» formulating unified demands for the government, and organized supporters into groups, instructing them to wear white armbands as identifiers. Kudaybergen was arrested on April 22, 2022, and has been in custody since.
Mass riots erupted in Kazakhstan in early January 2022, with participants attacking police and military personnel. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the events as an attempted coup and sought assistance from the CSTO. By January 7, the situation was brought under control. Authorities reported 230 fatalities and over 4,500 injuries.
In the aftermath, numerous former officials from the KNB and Ministry of Internal Affairs were arrested and convicted. Notably, Karim Massimov, the former head of the KNB, was sentenced to 18 years for treason and attempting to seize power.
