During the trial over the death of 23-year-old ambulance paramedic Uldana Myrzuan, another procedural incident occurred. Presiding judge Meruert Abayeva of the Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana issued a private ruling against the defense lawyer, Dauren Yeslambekuly, for failing to appear after the lunch break, reports infohub.kz.
According to the court ruling, on August 20, 2026, the proceedings were adjourned until 3:00 PM to continue the questioning of the victim's mother, Salima Omarova. All parties were duly notified of the resumption time. However, at the appointed time, lawyer Yeslambekuly did not appear in the courtroom and did not formally notify the court in advance. Instead, he only verbally informed the court secretary by phone that he had left for another trial.
"Without a valid reason, the lawyer disrupted the criminal proceedings. In doing so, he deliberately delays the trial and shows blatant disrespect for the court and other participants. His actions have crossed the line of legal ethics, which is unacceptable for a professional," Judge Meruert Abayeva stated in her ruling.
The court deemed the lawyer's conduct a gross violation of the Law "On Advocacy and Legal Assistance" and the Code of Professional Ethics for Lawyers. The court's ruling has been forwarded to the presidium of the Astana Bar Association and the head of the city's justice department under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan. These bodies have been instructed to take appropriate disciplinary measures against lawyer Yeslambekuly and to officially inform the court of their decision within one month.
It should be recalled that in Astana, the trial of Saule Zhubaniyazova, chairwoman of the homeowners' association (OSI) of the building, is ongoing. She is accused of negligent performance of her duties in connection with the tragedy on November 8, 2025. On that day, 23-year-old Uldana Myrzuan, an ambulance paramedic, arrived at a call in Astana when the building's brick cladding and an air conditioner mounting collapsed on her.
During a break in the court session, Zhubaniyazova spoke to journalists and outlined her position on the criminal case. The OSI chair stated that she considers herself wrongly accused and that the tragedy was caused by hidden defects in the building and years of neglect.
It is worth noting that while the court proceedings are ongoing inside, dozens of chairpersons of homeowners' associations (OSI) from Astana have gathered outside to support their colleague on trial and to highlight a systemic problem in legislation.