Sergei Duvanov is a prominent Kazakhstani

Kazakhs

The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....

 journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

 who, in 2002, wrote articles that claimed President

President of Kazakhstan

President of Kazakhstan is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Kazakhstan. The authorities of this position are described in special section of Constitution of Kazakhstan....

 Nursultan Nazarbayev

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...

 and several other Kazakh politicians had illicit Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 bank accounts containing millions of U.S.' dollars. The scandal was labeled "Kazakhgate

Kazakhgate

Kаzаkhgаtе refers to the scandal surrounding James Giffen, an American businessman and former advisor of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev...

".

Controversy

In 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Kazakhgate. Duvanov was arrested in October of 2002 at his datcha outside Almaty

Almaty

Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...

 and accused of raping a 14-year old girl. The arrest occurred one day before he was going to visit the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to speak about Kazakhstan's human rights situation

Human rights in Kazakhstan

The human rights situation in Kazakhstan has been an area of concern for many outside governmental and non-governmental observers. Observer group Freedom House ranks this former Soviet state with a 6 in Political Rights and a 5 in Civil Liberties , denoting it as "Not Free."The website of the US...

. 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). Duvanov, and the opposition, claim that the case was politically motivated.