Zhovtis, the head of the NGO Bureau for Human Rights, was convicted of hitting and killing a man with his car and sentenced to four years in prison by a district court last month.
Rights activists and opposition leaders in Kazakhstan say the authorities have used the case to retaliate for Zhovtis's professional activities defending human rights in Kazakhstan.
An RFE/RL correspondent reports that Zhovtis' s supporters and journalists were not allowed in the courtroom on the day the verdict was announced. Zhovtis was not present either.
The mother of the victim was allowed to testify. She repeated that she had forgiven Zhovtis for her son's death and wanted him released as soon as possible.
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