On November 15, 2016, one day after expressing his support for Seytkazy Matayez, and on the heels of his publishing reports critical of government officials’ business dealings, president of the Kazakh PEN Club Bigeldy Gabdullin was detained on charges of extortion. On January 24, 2017, Gabdullin pled guilty and was sentenced to five years of probationary supervision. He was released the same day. While he continues to work and advocate for people’s rights in the country, in July 2021, leaked information revealed that Gabdullin had been under Pegasus spyware surveillance since 2019.
Bigeldy Gabdullin
Is case active: Yes
Country:Kazakhstan
Region:Europe and Central Asia
Gender:Male
Status:Conditional Release