Iakov Vorontsov. Photo from social media
In Kazakhstan, a human rights expert council has declared former Russian Orthodox Church priest Iakov Vorontsov a political prisoner. The decision was reached on November 4 in Almaty, announced Bakhytzhan Toregozhina, head of the Ar.Rukh.Khaq Foundation.
Alongside Vorontsov, civic activist Gulnaz Serikbayeva from Kyzylorda and artist Nurzhan Sembayev from Semey were also added to the list of political prisoners.
The expert council includes human rights defenders and public figures Galym Ageleuov, Lukpan Akhmedyarov, Zauresh Battalova, Gulmira Birzhanova, Anara Ibrayeva, Yevgeny Zhovtis, Yerlan Kaliyev, and Bakhytzhan Toregozhina.
Vorontsov openly opposed Russia's war in Ukraine and supported the establishment of an Orthodox community in Kazakhstan independent of the Moscow Patriarchate. In 2023, authorities launched a criminal investigation against him on charges of inciting discord over social media posts that criticized the Russian Orthodox Church's endorsement of the invasion. In May 2025, that case was dropped for lack of evidence of a crime.
On February 13, 2026, following a search of his residence, Vorontsov was detained and sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. Law enforcement subsequently opened a new criminal case against him—this time for the alleged illegal acquisition and possession of psychotropic substances without intent to sell, as well as operating a drug den (the latter charge was later dropped). During his detention, he was also held in a psychiatric facility.
On October 7, the Medeu District Court of Almaty sentenced the former priest to six years in prison, which was reduced to four years under an amnesty. Vorontsov maintained his innocence. An appeal has been filed, though a hearing date has yet to be scheduled.
Gulnaz Serikbayeva is a member of the Ata Zhurt civic association, which advocates for the rights of ethnic Kazakhs in China. In March 2026, criminal charges of inciting discord were brought against her over Facebook posts. On July 2, a court sentenced her to three years in prison under Part 1 of Article 174 of the Criminal Code. Serikbayeva denied the charges, arguing she was exercising her constitutional rights to freedom of speech and criticism of state policy. A suicide attempt was reported while she was held in pre-trial detention.
Nurzhan Sembayev is an artist and civil rights activist from Semey. In January 2022, he participated in the Qantar mass demonstrations. An initial criminal case against him alleging participation in mass riots and attacks on public buildings was closed in December 2022 due to the absence of a crime. A court later ordered the state to pay him two million tenge ($4,400) in compensation for unlawful detention.
On February 3, 2026, Sembayev was arrested again, this time over Facebook posts. Authorities charged him with participating in a banned organization (Part 2 of Article 405) and financing extremist activity (Part 1 of Article 258). On July 22, a Semey court sentenced him to six years in prison and imposed a three-year ban on socio-political activities.
❗ Representatives of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Justice have repeatedly maintained that the country has no political prisoners. Human rights advocates strongly disagree. Yevgeny Zhovtis, the former head of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, previously stated that the list of political prisoners in Kazakhstan continues to grow.
