Additional Name(s): Дадаш Мәженовтің

Gender: Male

Current Location: ZK-169/1 Prison, Kyzylorda

Perpetrator: Kazakhstan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Sunni

Reports of Torture: Yes

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 7 Years, 8 Months' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: April/23/2018

Date of Sentencing: October/13/2020

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Online Activity

Nature of Charges: Incitement to Commit Crime & Violence Terrorism

Dadash Mazhenov

Extra Bio Info:

Dadash Mazhenov is imprisoned for posting online religious content.

On April 23, 2018, authorities arrested Mazhenov in relation to posts he made online containing religious sermons in 2015, despite deleting the content in 2017.

On November 16, 2018, the Burabai District Court sentenced Mazhenov to seven years and eight months in prison for “promotion of terrorism or public calls for making of the act of terrorism…with use of mass media or networks of telecommunications” (Art. 256-2 KCC).  It also fined him 60,790 tenges.

On January 30, 2019, the Akmola Regional Court upheld Mazhenov's sentence but reduced his fine to 1,255 tenges.

On February 25, 2019, Mazhenov's bank accounts were frozen after he was placed on the Finance Ministry's watch list.

On January 21, 2020, the Supreme Court annulled Mazhenov's conviction and ordered that he be given a new trial.

On October 13, 2020, the Akmola Regional Court upheld Mazhenov's original verdict and fined him 134,599 tenges.

Mazhenov has reportedly been tortured while imprisoned, specifically in relation to practicing his religion in prison.

Mazhenov is serving his sentence in Kyzylorda's ZK-169/1 Prison.

Mazhenov is married.