In Aktobe, a court has sentenced a 38-year-old man to 1.5 years in prison for beating a 15-year-old schoolboy at the Nur Gasyr regional central mosque, the website infohub.kz reports.
The incident took place in February 2026 during Ramadan. After evening prayers, three teenagers were heading for the exit when one of them picked up the man's shoes, showed them to his friends and said he had worn a similar pair.
The footwear owner then attacked the schoolboy. The teenager was later diagnosed with multiple bruises and a concussion.
The man faced criminal charges of intentional infliction of moderate bodily harm and hooliganism.
At the court hearing, the defendant apologized to the victim and to another teenager who was also caught up in the altercation. He said he was the sole breadwinner of his family and asked for a sentence not involving imprisonment.
The court sentenced him to 1.5 years in a medium-security facility.
Earlier, representatives of the Nur Gasyr mosque said the convicted man had no connection to the religious institution. They also said that security on the mosque grounds would be tightened following the incident. "To prevent similar incidents in the future, control over compliance with order will be significantly strengthened," the mosque said.
The Nur Gasyr mosque has previously surfaced in the news in connection with conflicts. Last year, Aktobe resident Emmanuella Nauryzbayeva reported harassment by a man at the mosque entrance. She said he offered her a "one-time nikah" for intimacy and blocked her path. Police identified the man, filed an administrative report for harassment in a public place and sent the case to court.
Later, Nauryzbayeva said she faced harassment, threats and accusations of discrediting Islam after publishing a video. She also claimed she was pressured by men associated with the mosque. Police launched a probe into the threats.