Kyrgyz Citizen Fined in Kazakhstan for Carrying Banned Book Across Border

A man from Kyrgyzstan has been fined in the Jambyl region for attempting to bring prohibited literature into Kazakhstan, Orda.kz reports.

The incident occurred in May 2025 at the Turksib railway station, where border service and transport police officers found a book in the man's possession during an inspection. Authorities say the material contains calls for the violent overthrow of Kazakhstan’s constitutional order and for violating the country's territorial integrity.

The book is classified as mass media material containing content that promotes or incites the violent overthrow of the constitutional system and the violation of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kazakhstan. At trial, [the defendant] admitted guilt and stated he was unaware of the ban,
the court’s press service stated.

The Merken District Court found the man guilty under Article 453, Part 1 of Kazakhstan’s Administrative Code and issued a fine of 78,000 tenge. The book was confiscated.

Original Author: Zarina Fayzulina