Police in Almaty have detained a man suspected of promoting religious extremism and inciting interfaith hatred after a lengthy investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the ministry's information media portal, officers completed extensive work to identify and document the unlawful activity of the 44-year-old suspect.
"According to the investigation, the man had been outside Kazakhstan since 2024, from where he continued to spread radical ideas. He administered closed Telegram groups, delivered online lectures and exerted ideological influence over his followers," the ministry said.
Despite the suspect's presence abroad, his activities remained under the scrutiny of law enforcement.
"A number of his audio lectures had previously been ruled extremist material by a court on grounds of promoting terrorism and inciting religious hatred. It has been established that the man received a religious education at theological institutions abroad. Using his authority among like-minded followers, in 2024-2025 he received more than 60 million tenge from them," the ministry added.
On November 11, as a result of operational search measures, the suspect was detained in Almaty. Investigative actions were carried out simultaneously in Zhambyl Region. Religious literature and handwritten materials showing signs of extremist ideology were seized during searches.
The suspect has been placed in a temporary detention facility. Ministry of Internal Affairs officers are continuing work to establish all the circumstances of the unlawful activity, possible accomplices and other persons involved.