BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Kazakhstan's
National Security Committee, in coordination with the prosecution
authorities, has detained 10 people in a single operation in the
city of Atyrau as part of a pre-trial investigation conducted on
October 30, 2026, according to the committee.
"They are suspected of creating and leading an extremist group,
participating in its activities, as well as propagating terrorism
and inciting religious discord," the statement said.
According to the investigation, the members of the group
allegedly sought to violently change the foundations of the
constitutional order in western Kazakhstan.
During searches at the suspects' residences, law enforcement
officers seized firearms, drugs, religious paraphernalia,
literature, and other material evidence.
The activities of three underground educational centers
established by the group for children and adolescents were also
stopped.
Several members of the group had previously been convicted of
terrorist and other criminal offenses.
No further information is subject to disclosure in accordance
with Article 201 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Procedure Code.
The National Security Committee oversees the unified system of
Kazakhstan's national security agencies and is responsible for
intelligence, counterintelligence, and operational-search
activities, as well as the protection of the country's state
border. Its responsibilities also include carrying out the tasks of
the Government Communications Service and Special Purpose Service
A, coordinating activities across agencies in areas within its
remit, and implementing a unified policy on the protection of state
secrets.
