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March 02, 2025 – Kazakhistan –
Oralgaisha Omarshanova, also known by her pen name Zhabagtaikyzy, was a 39-year-old investigative reporter for the independent Kazakhstani weekly Zakon i Pravosudiye (“Law and Justice”). She was last seen on March 30, 2007, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where she had traveled to cover ethnic clashes between Chechens and Kazakhs in the villages of Kazatkom and Malovodnoye. Just days before her disappearance, she had published an article identifying individuals allegedly connected to these clashes and their ties to local businesses and government entities.
In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Omarshanova reportedly received several threatening phone calls warning her to cease her investigative work. Concerned for her safety, she had purchased a rifle for self-defense. Her colleagues last saw her getting into a jeep in Almaty, and she was never heard from again.
For years, her case remained unsolved, with no significant progress from the authorities. However, in early 2022, imprisoned crime boss Serik Zhamanayev, known as “Golova,” confessed to Omarshanova’s murder. He indicated the exact burial site near the village of Kargaly in the Almaty region. Zhamanayev explained that personal hostility was the motive for the murder, and he also confessed to the murder of his rival, Botbayev, and several other serious crimes.
Omarshanova’s death highlights the challenges faced by journalists in Kazakhstan, particularly those investigating corruption and human rights violations. Her case underscores the importance of press freedom and the need for accountability in cases of violence against journalists.
For more information on Oralgaisha Omarshanova and other journalists, you can visit the Committee to Protect Journalists’ website.
Reference –
https://en.orda.kz/crime-from-2007-details-on-crime-boss-serik-golovas-confession/
