Charged
Marat Abiyev was accused of creating and leading a public association, whose activities are associated with inciting citizens to commit illegal acts (Part 1, Article 404 of the Criminal Code), as well as disseminating deliberately false information that creates a danger of disturbing public order, committed during public events (paragraph 2 parts 4 article 274).
Installed
The court report notes that in 2019, Marat Abiyev founded a company with the activity of developing agriculture, growing legumes and oilseeds, including seed production. In May-June 2020, he brought seeds of agricultural crops from Canada, which he sowed in the fields in Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions.
In August 2020, before the harvest, without knowing the actual yield, Abiyev made the film “Architects of the Future” in order to cause a social outburst and give citizens a false impression of the efficiency of his company.
“In this film, deliberately false information was voiced about the colossal results of the wheat harvest in the amount of 35-50 centners per hectare, which is 400 percent higher than the yield in Kazakhstan. However, the actually harvested wheat crop in 2020 amounted to only 11.44 to 20.4 c/ha.
In September 2020, Abiyev, realizing that the information he disseminated in the specified film is false, published it on YouTube,” the court said.
Moreover, in October 2020, the businessman applied to government agencies with a demand to provide arable land for the implementation of his company’s project. In these appeals, he also indicated deliberately false information about the yield he achieved on the basis of seeds from Canada, which is 4 times higher than in Northern Kazakhstan.
“Further, in January 2021, Abiyev founded the Genezis community (Fund Architects of the Future) without legal registration, opening more than 15 branches in Kazakhstan.
As part of the activities of this association, A. organized the collection of signatures on a petition demanding that the government provide 5 million hectares of land. In total, they misled about 300,000 people who signed the petition,” the statement said.
On May 8, 2022, in order to hold a rally under the guise of a free concert, he attracted members of the Genezis association from all over Kazakhstan to Astana. The event did not take place.
After, on November 26, 2022, A. gathered more than 300 people in a nightclub in Astana, where, having publicly demonstrated the film “Architects of the Future”, he addressed the audience with a call to go to a rally in the direction of Akorda demanding approval of his project.
Participants of the illegal action were detained by law enforcement agencies.
The guilt of the defendant was proved by the testimony of witnesses, the conclusions of specialists, the examinations, physical evidence and other materials of the criminal case.
Punishment
By a court verdict, A. was found guilty of committing crimes under paragraph 2 of part 4 of article 274, part 1 of article 404 of the Criminal Code, and on the basis of a combination of criminal offenses he was sentenced to 7 years in prison with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the creation and management of public associations for a period of for 5 years.
The court recognized the presence of young children and the absence of a criminal record as mitigating circumstances for criminal liability and punishment.
No aggravating circumstances were found by the court. The verdict has not entered into force.
In November 2022, Marat Abiyev organized an illegal rally with 300 people in Astana and was later arrested for 2 months.
