A construction company in Almaty, LLP «Etude-Ybyrai», is demanding 71 million tenge from journalist Vadim Boreyko, accusing him of spreading false information that damaged its business reputation. All of Boreyko's bank accounts, including his pension card, have been frozen.
Boreyko discovered the freeze accidentally on April 27 when he checked his banking apps. Later, he received an SMS with the name of a bailiff, who informed him of a civil lawsuit filed by the construction company. According to a notice from the Bostandyk District Court, the hearing is scheduled for May 19.
The plaintiff is Bakyt Kassybaev, a representative by proxy of LLP «Etude-Ybyrai», which is building the Premier residential complex in the 12th microdistrict of Almaty. The lawsuit claims that Boreyko systematically disseminated deliberately false information that caused significant property losses.
Boreyko explained that on his YouTube channel «Hyperborei», he covered the construction of the Premier complex seven times. Initially, he showed videos of residents from the 12th microdistrict who were outraged by the construction. The residents initially identified the developer as LLP «Everest Development» because apartment sales were advertised on its website. However, LLP «Etude-Ybyrai» was called «Everest-Ybyrai» until January 2025, after which it was re-registered.
On January 6, the journalist, together with Mazhilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek, visited the 12th microdistrict. The deputy invited representatives from Almaty city departments and the developer. Officials stated that the expert review of the project documentation had been annulled and the notice of commencement of construction work had been removed from the registry. The developer countered that the information was outdated, the review had been repeated, and there were no obstacles to construction.
«During the report, I did not express my own opinion; I approached all speakers with a microphone. At the end of the meeting, I invited anyone interested to speak on the channel,» Boreyko said.
After the raid, construction was briefly halted but quickly resumed. At the end of January, Bakyt Kassybaev, head of the legal department at LLP «Etude-Ybyrai», appeared on air, confirming that the company had all necessary permits. Now the developer claims that Boreyko's publications caused downtime at the construction site and reduced apartment sales.
Earlier, in November 2025, all of Boreyko's Instagram posts were deleted. A similar situation occurred with the accounts of activist Sanzhar Bokayev and journalist Askhat Niyazov. According to Boreyko, social networks had previously deleted his old posts, citing «mythical violations».
