Kazakhstani woman arrested for behavior on day of mourning
Tengrinews.kz — A blogger in Petropavlovsk has been sentenced to 10 days in custody for provocative comments and dancing during a live broadcast on September 25, a national day of mourning declared following the deaths of 14 servicemen in the Mangistau Region.
The resident of the North Kazakhstan Region identifies as a blogger and has approximately 100,000 followers across her accounts. She is known for her dance videos and for appearing on the popular TV show "Let’s Get Married".
On September 25, during Kazakhstan's national day of mourning for the fallen soldiers, the blogger went live to sing and dance. She explained her actions by saying she was bored and wanted to cheer herself up. Following criticism from viewers, she stated that it was not her personal tragedy and that she had no intention of pretending to mourn.
"My life goes on; I’m living my life. To suffer for someone, it would at least have to be my son, my husband, or close friends. I don't know these people at all," the blogger stated.
Outraged residents of North Kazakhstan subsequently demanded that the blogger be punished, with several individuals filing police reports. Law enforcement authorities responded to the incident.
"Police identified a 42-year-old resident of Petropavlovsk, Citizen A., who on September 25—the national day of mourning—engaged in actions during a social media livestream that have now received a legal assessment. Following an investigation, the police compiled the case materials and submitted them to court. On September 29, the court sentenced the woman to 10 days of administrative arrest for disorderly conduct," the regional police department's press service reported.
Photo: North Kazakhstan Regional Police Department
According to the ruling from the Specialized Administrative Offense Court of Petropavlovsk, the blogger admitted guilt but explained that she was unaware that September 25 had been declared a national day of mourning.
"She does not deny making those statements, but claims she was not referring to the fallen servicemen, but rather speaking generally about world events. She regrets her actions and understands she was wrong. The court finds that the content of the statements, the circumstances, and the timing of the video posts and livestream demonstrate a lack of respect for others, including those who viewed the footage," the court ruling noted.
Tengrinews.kz also learned that following the scandal, the woman was forced to resign from her job. She had been working as a nursing assistant at a local hospital.
This is not the woman's first involvement in a scandal. This summer, she and a partner were fined for violating several traffic regulations while filming a social media music video.
Tragedy in the Mangistau Region
On September 24, during naval exercises in the Mangistau Region, servicemen were swept into the Caspian Sea. They were performing training missions on the coast when weather conditions suddenly deteriorated with high winds. Initially, 19 servicemen were reported missing, though local authorities later clarified the number was 17. The tragedy resulted in 14 deaths, while three individuals were rescued.
A government commission, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, was established to investigate the tragedy. A pre-trial investigation into the deaths of the servicemen has been launched.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and declared September 25 a national day of mourning in Kazakhstan.
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