Chinese court upholds life imprisonment sentence against Kazakhstani Akzharkyn Turlybai
«On December 27, 2019, the Guangzhou Court announced read out the sentence against Kazakhstani Akzharkyn Turlybay accused of drug smuggling. The life imprisonment sentence remained unchanged,» the press service of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry informed.
Attorneys and Consul of Kazakhstan in China participated in the court session.
The court verdict takes effect upon expiration of 10 days.
21-year-old Kazakhstani national Akzharkyn Turlybay was detained at the Guangzhou Airport in March 2014 for smuggling 4.5kg of drugs. She was going to Malaysia to buy clothes and sell them in Kazakhstan. The girl is sure that the drugs were planted on her. Chinese court sentenced her to life imprisonment.
Later, the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors (CARICC) stated that the girl had become a victim of a Nigerian drug mafia.
On April 7, 2016 the court of appeals decided to reverse life imprisonment of Akzharkyn Turlybay and submit her case to reconsideration to the first instance court.
On November 2, the first-instance court of Guangzhou city reviewed Akzharkyn’s case.