Kazakhstan sentences 17 for terrorism and extremism since start of year

Kazakhstan has sentenced 17 individuals to prison terms for terrorism and extremism-related offences since the beginning of the year, following investigations conducted by the National Security Committee (KNB), according to official data cited by local media.

The convictions stem from a series of criminal cases involving both domestic and international activities linked to terrorist organisations and extremist propaganda.

Among those sentenced is a resident of Almaty who left Kazakhstan in 2017 to take part in hostilities abroad alongside international terrorist groups. He was arrested outside the country in 2025 and subsequently transferred back to Kazakhstan, where a court handed him an eight-year prison sentence.

Another case involves a resident of Kokshetau who relocated abroad in 2013 and engaged in online propaganda promoting terrorism and religious extremism. He was convicted and sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for inciting religious hatred and spreading extremist content.

Authorities also reported the detention of six individuals described as religious radicals in multiple locations, including Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, as well as the Akmola and Ulytau regions.

In parallel, four additional suspects already serving prison sentences have been formally charged with disseminating terrorist propaganda and inciting religious discord among other inmates.

Pre-trial investigations into these cases are ongoing under Articles 174 and 256 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, which address incitement of social, national, or religious hatred and the promotion of terrorism.

By Tamilla Hasanova