Sultan Sarsemaliyev, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering four members of his ex-wife's family in the Atyrau region, will serve his sentence in a maximum-security facility. The sentence must first enter into legal force. Kazakhstan's only such colony is Institution No. 39 in the Kostanay region, known as the 'Black Berkut,' reports infohub.kz.
The colony is located 25 km from the city of Zhitikara. It holds over 200 inmates serving life sentences. According to the Committee of the Criminal Executive System of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, housing one inmate costs the budget more than 2,000 tenge per day, covering meals and utilities. The youngest inmate is 20, the oldest is 76. Of the 200, eight have been serving their sentences for over 25 years.
The facility houses 26 inmates whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. A moratorium on the death penalty was in effect since 2004, and it was fully abolished in 2021. Notable inmates of the 'Black Berkut' include Vladislav Chelakh (Arkankergen tragedy), Ruslan Kulekbayev (2016 Almaty terror attack), and Igor Duzhnov (shooting in the Akbulak neighborhood).
Under the law, inmates may apply for parole after serving 25 years. As of July 2026, only one person had exercised this right, but the court, after reviewing the case materials, denied the request.