Lawyer and public activist Bolat Bashzhanov has sent a complaint to the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) regarding a violation of consumer rights at the capital's stadium, «Astana Arena».
On his Instagram page, he reported that on 17 August, when visiting the stadium, he was refused entry with his own food and drinks. Security cited the stadium's internal rules, which prohibit bringing in food.
Bashzhanov noted that there is no legal ban on bringing one's own food to event venues. The activist also believes that the ban constitutes imposition of stadium buffet services.
Furthermore, he pointed to similar cases involving cinemas, where the antimonopoly authority recognised such bans as illegal and held violators accountable.
Later, Bashzhanov published a recording of a telephone conversation with a representative of the state body authorised to handle such complaints. During the conversation, the man insisted on an inspection, citing video recordings and witness statements confirming the violations.
According to the activist, officials are avoiding taking action and shifting responsibility onto citizens. Specifically, the agency's representative stated that the complaints and video materials were insufficient to initiate an unscheduled inspection. She advised Bashzhanov to submit an official complaint to the stadium and, if necessary, to take the matter to court.
Bashzhanov, in turn, emphasised that it is the responsibility of state bodies to protect citizens' rights and carry out supervisory measures, rather than shifting those duties onto the complainants themselves.
During the conversation, the official frankly admitted that she feared sanctions from her superiors if she initiated an inspection without additional grounds.
«They'll refuse it, and I'll also get a reprimand from the bosses. Do I need that, please tell me?» the woman says.
Ultimately, Bolat Bashzhanov sent a statement to the head of the Department of Trade and Consumer Rights Protection for Astana, demanding the following:
- review the decision on his complaint and provide justification for the department's conclusions;
- initiate an unscheduled inspection of the stadium;
- if violations are found, take measures prescribed by law;
- if the inspection is not scheduled, provide a reasoned refusal with references to the relevant materials.