Kazakh citizen detained in Almaty while trying to leave for Syria

Officers of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan detained a previously convicted Kazakh citizen at Almaty airport. He planned to travel to the conflict zone in Syria. This was reported by the press service of the department.

“The National Security Committee officers detained a citizen of Kazakhstan who was planning to travel to foreign terrorist zones when he was attempting to leave the country, on December 22, 2023, at the airport in Almaty,” the message says.

The man had previously been convicted of theft, rape and murder. “After release from prison, he fell under the influence of radical narratives and decided to go to the combat zone in Syria to join the terrorist groups. He is also suspected of financing terrorist activities,” the intelligence service representatives clarified.

A pre-trial investigation is underway under Article 258 of the Criminal Code “Financing terrorist or extremist activities and other ways of aiding terrorism or extremism.”