An internationally celebrated fashionista in Kazakhstan has been sentenced to seven years in jail on kidnapping charges, closing the book on a case that has shocked the country.
The influential Business of Fashion website once described Lilya Rakh as a “trailblazing fashion entrepreneur” for her work behind creating the exclusive chain of Sauvage boutiques, which brought brands like Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent into Kazakhstan. The only threads Rakh will be showing off this winter season are her prison fatigues.
The saga began on July 9, when police received a tipoff about the disappearance of 33-year Hamro Suvanov, a citizen of Uzbekistan. Investigations revealed that Suvanov had been kidnapped and was being held captive in an Almaty apartment. Four people, including Rakh, were later arrested.
The news sent a ripple of excitement across media in Kazakhstan. Newtimes.kz cited an anonymous source from Rakh’s entourage claiming Suvanov was the businesswoman’s personal assistant and owed her $3 million.
The same source told Newtimes.kz that Suvanov had entered into Rakh and her friends’ confidence and began to assist them in business affairs. With time, he borrowed money from them, as well as precious possessions and jewelry that he then redeemed for cash at pawn shops.
“He led a very glamorous lifestyle. Everybody was amazed at how a simple shop assistant could get his hands on so much money. But nobody gave it a lot of importance,” the source said.
Another among the jailed quartet, boutique owner Miri Paz, had previously filed a report against Suvanov for alleged fraud. Lawyers for defendants said in court that Suvanov owed both Paz and Rakh money.
The public and fashion insiders have fallen into two camps over the case. Some believe that Rakh may have started to abuse of her influence. Guljan Yergaliyeva, former chief editor of the Svoboda Slova newspaper, wrote on her Facebook page that Rakh was running her business dishonestly and failing to show respect to her customers. Yergaliyeva later deleted her post and wrote a more temperately phrased follow-up in which she also expressed amazement at how much support Rakh was getting from some sections of the public.
Well-known blogger and public relations specialist Alisher Yelikbayev recalled his experience of cooperation with Rakh and noted that she had behaved unethically toward him and clients.
Rakh’s supporters — many of them fashion insiders — claimed that she was the target of a set-up and created a solidarity group on Facebook titled “Free Lilya Rakh.”
Madina Amanova, former chief editor of fashion magazine SNC, wrote that she has always known Rakh as a hard-working woman who made her way through life without the help of any influential relatives. Amanova caustically noted that many commentators were crowing over the businesswoman’s downfall with opinions they would never have had the courage to air to her face.
“There are some people whose hand I will refuse to shake now. And I don’t mean Lilya Rakh,” Amanova wrote.
The victim of the kidnapping, meanwhile, said in October that he had no hard feelings toward his former boss and that he would like to see the trial suspended. Suvanov also said he had forgiven the other defendants, Islam Misirov and Bahyt Shalbayev, who had paid him compensation for emotional and material damage caused. The trial went ahead all the same.
Rakh plans to appeal her conviction.
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