Sergei Duvanov (born 1953) is a prominent Kazakhstani journalist who, in 2002, wrote articles that claimed President Nursultan Nazarbayev and several other Kazakh politicians had illicit Swiss bank accounts containing millions of U.S.' dollars. The scandal was labeled "Kazakhgate".[1]
In 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Kazakhgate.[1] Duvanov was arrested in October of 2002 at his datcha outside Almaty and accused of raping a 14-year old girl. The arrest occurred one day before he was going to visit the United States to speak about Kazakhstan's human rights situation.[2] In January, 2003 he was found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. As of 15 January, 2004 he is serving a released prison regime, which allows him to go to work and live at home. However, Duvanov is not allowed to go to public places (a notion undetermined by Kazakh law).[3] Duvanov, and the opposition, claim that the case was politically motivated.[2]