Russia: Yakut Stand-Up Comic Fined in Absentia for Joking About Forced Conversion

The Yakutsk City Court has fined stand-up comedian Nyurgun Atakov 10,000 rubles for inciting hatred and humiliating dignity based on ethnicity, Orda.kz reports, citing Yakutia.Info.

The case was triggered by a video of Atakov’s performance, shared in September last year on the Telegram channel “Torboznoye Radio.”

In the clip, the comedian reflects on discrimination against Yakuts in Russia and offers a personal critique of the country’s historical narrative — particularly regarding the forced Christianization of Indigenous peoples.

They made slaves out of Africans, almost all Indians were exterminated. And they made Orthodox people out of us. It would have been better if they had killed us,  he said in the routine.

Following the video’s circulation, the case was handed over to Yakutia’s Center for Strategic Studies. The center concluded that Atakov’s remarks contained signs of humiliating the Russian nation. The Yakutsk prosecutor’s office opened an administrative case on June 16 and found him guilty on July 3.

Atakov did not attend the hearing. He has been living and working in Kazakhstan for the past three years, where he continues performing and hosting a YouTube show exploring the culture and identity of Turkic peoples.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova