In July 2017, Larisa Kharkova, president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was convicted on botched charges related to embezzlement of trade union funds and fraud. The Shymkent District Court sentenced her to 100 hours of community service and four years of restriction of freedom of movement and imposed a five-year ban on holding a leadership position in any non-governmental organisation, including a trade union. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision in September 2017. In January 2018, Kharkova successfully challenged engaging in community service in her sentence, but other restrictions remained. On 22 May 2019, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan upheld the court decision.
In accordance with Article 44 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, state control for the entire period of the sentence was to be implemented. Kharkova has a duty to register twice a month with the authorities and must stay at home after 8 p.m. She is also prohibited from changing her permanent place of residence and place of work without notifying a specialised authorised state body; she is barred from visiting a number of designated places and venues as per the authorities’ orders; and she cannot travel outside the city without notifying of a specialised authorised state body.