Kazakhstan detains followers of extremist religious movements VIDEO

Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) has announced the arrest of several individuals linked to destructive religious movements.

In November, six people were detained in Almaty, Aktobe, Konaev, and Shymkent on suspicion of promoting terrorism, including through social media platforms, the KNB said, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media.

Investigators reported that the suspects encouraged religiously motivated attacks and murders and openly opposed the country’s secular system.

During searches, authorities seized firearms, bladed weapons, and a large quantity of religious literature. With court approval, the detainees were taken into custody. The KNB noted that no further details were available for public disclosure.

In a related case, a resident of the Aktobe region was sentenced on November 3 to seven years in prison for distributing materials calling for terrorism, with the sentence now in effect.

Since the beginning of 2025, the KNB reported that a total of 83 people have been detained and 97 convicted for terrorist and extremist activities in Kazakhstan.

By Sabina Mammadli