A criminal case has been initiated in Shymkent (a city with a population of about one million) against law enforcement officers connected to the murder of Nuray Serikbay, a 21-year-old resident of the city. According to Sanjar Adilov, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, the police officers under suspicion exhibited negligence. Adilov stated that "the initiation of a negligence case implies holding accountable primarily those officials who failed to take action to register a criminal case after the victim's report of being forced into marriage. (...) The employees who did not accept the complaint and closed the case based on the victim's appeal have been dismissed," he noted.
Adilov emphasized that responsibility will primarily be placed on the staff of the district police department. A legal assessment of the actions of the leadership of the city police department will also be conducted. Recently, it became known about the dismissal of the head of Shymkent police, Nurlan Almasbekov, and his deputy, Kurmanbek Sakhov.
Nuray Serikbay tragically died on January 11 on one of the streets of Shymkent, having received multiple stab wounds. The suspect was detained two days later, 10 kilometers from the city. He turned out to be 28-year-old Sherkhan Aymakhan, who, according to Nuray's relatives, had been stalking her for a long time.
According to media reports, Aymakhan proposed to Nuray but was rejected, after which he kidnapped her. The girl's relatives returned her home and then contacted the police, but their complaint was never registered.
This case has caused a wide public outcry in Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also commented on this matter, instructing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct a legal assessment of the actions of Shymkent police during a meeting of the National Kurultai on January 20, and the Attorney General to carefully study the situation.
