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A courtroom dispute over language proficiency has emerged during the trial of bloggers Yerbolat Zhanabylov and Elmira Tolegenova, with a witness facing allegations of giving false testimony.

Language Barrier or Legal Strategy?

The controversy unfolded when witness Sara Kymbatova, a mobilographer, stated during her testimony that she could only communicate in Kazakh. This declaration immediately caught the attention of prosecutor Olzhas Kairullaev.

The prosecutor pointed out that Kymbatova's social media activity showed her communicating and posting in both Kazakh and Russian. Based on this, Kairullaev filed a motion to investigate potential violations of Article 420 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, which pertains to knowingly providing false testimony.

Witness Explains Social Media Activity

In her defense, Kymbatova explained that her Russian-language videos often garnered more views. She stated that she used translation applications and memorized scripts for these videos, admitting she was not fluent in Russian but did not intentionally mislead the court.

Defense Argues Against Allegations

Gauhar Aitzhanova, the defense lawyer for the bloggers, opposed the prosecutor's motion. She argued that the language a witness speaks is not directly relevant to the case's facts and should not be considered false testimony.

"The girl used translation programs to manage her social media. In my opinion, the witness is being pressured," stated Aitzhanova, suggesting the prosecution was unfairly targeting Kymbatova.

Judge Adilbek Baimakhanov announced that a decision on the prosecutor's motion would be made at a later date. The trial concerning the couple is ongoing at the Specialized Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana, with Ulysmedia.kz continuing to monitor the proceedings.

This incident highlights the complexities that can arise in legal proceedings, particularly concerning language use and the interpretation of evidence.

This is reported by the information agency Infohub.kz.