A Kazakh activist spent nearly 24 hours in police custody after posting a photo on social media expressing opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Kazakhstan.
Marat Zhanuzakov published the image on May 27 — the day Putin arrived in Astana — showing himself holding a placard against a backdrop of Kazakhstani and Ukrainian flags. The sign read: «Hey, scum! Get the hell out of Kazakhstan! Glory to Ukraine!» While the message named no one explicitly, its timing left little room for ambiguity.
Zhanuzakov's daughter reported his detention the same day. He was released late that night and confirmed the news himself on Facebook. He said police asked him to delete the post, to which he replied he would «think about it.» As of publication, the photo remains online.
This is not Zhanuzakov's first run-in with authorities over similar protests. During Putin's previous visit to Kazakhstan in November 2024, he and two associates — Baurzhan Baltashev and Ualikhan Negmetov — took to the streets carrying Kazakhstani and Ukrainian flags alongside a placard reading: «Your Excellency, get the hell out of Kazakhstan!» — an apparent riposte to official banners around the capital that welcomed Putin with the words «Your Excellency, Mr. Vladimir Putin, welcome to Astana!» A court subsequently convicted all three of petty hooliganism for using profanity in a public place, fining each the equivalent of roughly $100.
