Criminal case launched against Kazakh diaspora leader in Moscow

Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal case against Polat Dzhamalov, public activist, leader of the Kazakh diaspora in Moscow, Kazinform News Agency reports.

According to the Russian Telegram outlet Vyorstka which cites an undisclosed report by Russia's Investigative Committee, the criminal case was launched on September 11, 2023 under Part 1, Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of Russia (public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation).

It is reported that the reason for launching the criminal case was Polat Dzhamalov’s publication in Facebook related to the death toll of Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine.

Polat Dzhamalov is one of the authoritative leaders of the Kazakh diaspora in Moscow. For more than 30 years, he has been engaged in public activity to preserve and develop the Kazakh culture, traditions and language in Russia. In previous years, he held senior positions in the Kazakh Regional National Cultural Autonomy of Russia, Moscow-based Kazakh Diaspora Fund and the Moscow House of Nationalities. He is now the co-Chairman of the Union of Non-Commercial Organizations on preservation and development of the Kazakh ethnic culture.

Polat Dzhamalov could face imprisonment for up to five years. Russia introduced criminal liability for fakes about the Armed Forces in March 2022 amid a wave of criticism and attempts to prevent the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. According to the country’s Prosecutor General's Office, in 2022, 187 crimes were registered under this article.