In April and May 2026, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) investigated dozens of terrorism- and extremism-related cases, resulting in prison sentences for 13 individuals.
In one case, a resident of Astana used social media to promote terrorist ideology and encourage people to join armed conflicts abroad. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
In another case in Shymkent, a local resident allegedly called on his associates to establish a theocratic state in Kazakhstan in which religious leaders would hold political power. He was also accused of spreading terrorist ideology and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
A separate case involved an extremist network operating across several regions of Kazakhstan, including the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent, as well as the Atyrau, Aktobe, Zhambyl, Karaganda, Turkestan and Abay regions. According to authorities, 11 individuals, including two foreign nationals, distributed extremist materials online, encouraged travel to territories controlled by terrorist groups and called for violence against those who did not share their beliefs.
