At the celebration on May 9, when all reasonable people in Kazakhstan celebrated Victory Day, in Alma-Ata, in the park named after 28 Panfilov heroes, where the celebrations of the great date are held, people dressed in symbols, legally prohibited in the country, walked freely.
It belongs to the Turkish extremist organization Bozkurt. It was a clear and outright provocation. But the law enforcement officers did not pay any attention to her.
One of the messages on social networks that attracted the attention of the editorial staff describes the situation that caused a resonance. According to the author, last year the presence of such attributes was limited to one US flag, whereas this year the "palette" has expanded.
"Today in Almaty, at the celebration of May 9, interesting characters appeared wrapped in the flags of the USA, Ukraine and the Bozkurt organization banned in Kazakhstan. You can safely write a statement for the flag of Bozturk," the message says.
The author also wonders why for people who come out with such paraphernalia on their "Day of Mourning", which they consider May 9th, this event is not mourning, assuming that they "should stay at home."
The main issue raised by the eyewitness is the selectivity of the police response. The author claims that law enforcement officers did not approach these citizens to check them for the presence of prohibited materials.
"I can imagine what a screech would be if someone came to the park on May 9 wrapped in the flag of Russia. And here just a man goes with the flag of the Turkish fascists. It's the same if he was walking with the flag of the right sector. Definitely, this is a provocation. And paid. I'm sure the police didn't approach them. The police have a different task," writes an outraged witness.
What is Bozkurt and why is it banned in Kazakhstan
In his appeal, the citizen mentions not just abstract slogans, but specific symbols that are outside the law. "Bozkurt" (or "Gray Wolves") — this is an ultranationalist Turkish organization. In Kazakhstan, it is officially recognized as banned.
According to the official data of the Egov e-government portal.kz and the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated March 15, 2005, "Boz Gurd" (in Russian—language transcription - "Bozkurt") is included in the national list of foreign organizations recognized as terrorist and banned in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Public display of the symbols of this organization is an administrative or criminal offense.
Information about the ban of this organization is also confirmed by historical certificates of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which appealed to the Supreme Court with a demand to recognize a number of structures, including Boz Purd (variant name), as terrorist, which was due to their recognition in the Russia, USA and Turkey.
The downside: the issue of law enforcement
The situation described by the eyewitness raises an important question about the uniformity of the application of the law in Kazakhstan. The author compares the reaction to the symbolism of "Z" (often associated with support for military operations), to which, according to him, law enforcement officers "react instantly", with complete disregard for the presence in a public place of people in the attributes of "Bozkurt".
If the information that the police ignored the appearance of people with the symbols of an organization excluded from the legal field of Kazakhstan (included in the list of terrorist structures) is confirmed, this may indicate either professional negligence of law enforcement officers performing security functions on that day, or the presence of double standards — when some symbols (politically inconvenient) are punished instantly, and others, potentially dangerous (propaganda of a terrorist structure), go down on the brakes.
What was that?
The opinion is expressed that such antics are a direct provocation and actions of "paid" persons, whose purpose is to check the boundaries of what is permissible and create a hotbed of tension in society on a holiday. The appearance of Nazi or ultranationalist symbols (which, according to the author, is both "Bozkurt" and the "Right Sector" mentioned by him"❶❷) On Victory Day, he insults the memory of veterans and causes a split in society.
The editorial board asked the Almaty Police Department for a comment with a request to clarify whether the above-mentioned persons were seen by employees, whether a check was carried out on this fact, and why the demonstration of the symbols of the banned organization was not stopped. No response has been received at the time of publication.
It remains to be hoped that law enforcement agencies will evaluate the published footage and facts so that in the future no one will have a desire to use the sacred Victory Day for political speculation and escalation of hatred.
Alan Pukhaev
❶Terrorist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation
❷Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation
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