23-year-old Woman Harassed Outside Mosque in Aqtobe, Police Identify Suspect

23-year-old Emmanuella Nauryzbayeva reported on social media that an unknown man harassed her outside a mosque in Aqtobe, suggesting a so-called “one-time nikah” for intimate relations and blocking her exit, Orda.kz reports.

Nauryzbayeva said she contacted both mosque authorities and law enforcement. Officials later informed her that the man has a mental disability, is officially registered, and carries a "yellow card" indicating limited legal responsibility.

Following public attention, Nauryzbayeva said she began receiving threatening messages, phone calls, and even unannounced visits to her home.

She expressed concern for her safety:

They should have figured things out with this man, somehow solved this problem - they just told me straight out that he is mentally unstable, mentally handicapped and there is no point in figuring things out with him. (...) Children and young girls also go to the mosque. What will happen if this man starts harassing them? No one took this into account. (...) I am an epileptic and today I have already taken more medication than usual because I am nervous and my body is already twitching. I am afraid that I will fall somewhere and get injured. And if something happens to me, I will sue everyone, the young woman said.

The Aqtobe Police commented on the situation: 

On July 25, near the exit of the Nur Gasyr mosque in Aktobe, an unknown man behaved inappropriately towards a parishioner, blocking her path and making statements with obscene connotations. The incident was captured on video and published on a number of social networks. As a result of operational and investigative measures carried out by employees of the Aqtobe Region Police Department, the man's identity was established. He was taken to the internal affairs agencies to clarify the circumstances," the PD said. 

Law enforcement held a preventive conversation with the offender, explaining that such behavior is unacceptable.

An administrative protocol was also drawn up against him under Article 449, Part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Harassment in public places."

The material will be sent to court.

Original Author: Oksana Matvienko