A Kazakhstani man has accused SOBR officers of brutally beating him after a football match in Astana. The capital's police department has launched an internal investigation into the incident, according to infohub.kz.
The man shared his account on the social media platform Threads. The incident occurred on July 12 near the Astana Arena stadium after a Premier League match between FC Astana and FC Aktobe. According to him, he and his brother were attacked by nine SOBR officers, who repeatedly kicked and punched them in the head with boots. The assault took place in front of the victim's younger sisters. Afterward, the men were forced into a car and detained for half an hour, during which they were compelled to delete a video showing the attackers' faces.
“They beat us with fists and boots on the head, brutally and non-stop. Then they held us in the car for half an hour and forced us to delete the video with their faces,” he wrote.
The victim sought medical treatment at a hospital, where doctors documented severe bruising, a closed head injury, and a concussion. “Doctors recorded severe beatings and also gave a diagnosis of closed head injury and concussion. Later, we paid for a forensic medical examination ourselves after a police security department officer refused to open a criminal case,” the post stated. The man urged witnesses to come forward.
The Astana police confirmed that during the match, a group of fans behaved aggressively, using foul language, provoking opposing fans, and making obscene gestures. One of them tied a flag of the opposing team around his legs. Police officers intervened to prevent a conflict. The individuals involved were isolated and taken to a police bus, after which they were released.
“Nevertheless, an internal investigation has been launched into this incident. Based on its results, the actions of all those involved will be legally assessed in accordance with current legislation,” the department added.