Against the backdrop of the recent death of a conscript soldier in Aktau, concerned citizens have created a petition calling for the abolition of compulsory military service.
The authors of the petition believe that abolishing conscription in Kazakhstan is becoming a pressing issue, especially in light of tragic incidents involving the deaths of military personnel.
In their view, arguments in favour of abolishing conscription include problems of hazing and violations of regulations, the low skill level of conscripts, a lack of adequate medical supervision, psychological pressure and cases of suicide, as well as the absence of personal motivation and meaning in military service for those drafted.
"A transition to a professional army would not only improve safety and service conditions but also raise the level of qualification of military personnel, reducing the number of tragic incidents," the petition states in conclusion.
It should be recalled that on 7 September, in military unit No. 25744 of the regional command "West" in Aktau, a conscript soldier died as a result of a shot fired by the officer on duty.
A video is currently circulating online in which the father of the deceased claims that his son was shot in the face, and that this was allegedly done by an officer.
"I'm on my way to the military district of Aktau. Here, my son was shot in the face with a pistol. Now they say it was an accident — the officer was playing around with the pistol and it supposedly went off by itself. This is no accident," the man says.
The Ministry of Defence noted that this case is being given special attention and promised to punish those responsible.
"The leadership of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan expresses its deepest and most sincere words of sympathy and condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased serviceman, and also reports that comprehensive assistance will be provided to his family and loved ones," the ministry added.
Military unit No. 25744 in Aktau has long had a "bad reputation". For example, in September 2015, during a maritime exercise, four servicemen from this unit drowned.
In May 2022, the command of unit No. 25744 noticed strange behaviour in a conscript soldier. He displayed an inexplicable reaction to his surroundings and talked to himself. After he was returned to his family, his parents stated that "he doesn't recognise anyone, doesn't know where he is, or what he's doing".
Furthermore, in September 2023, a 20-year-old serviceman from unit No. 25744 died at a training ground. Following the explosion of an unknown substance, he sustained various injuries and died on the way to the hospital.
Meanwhile, in May 2023, it was reported that 13 military personnel from unit No. 25744 in Aktau were accused of stealing fuel and lubricants worth more than 55 million tenge — the theft involved ranks from sergeant to colonel. Those convicted later received sentences ranging from three and a half to eight years in prison.
In March of this year, we reported that a serviceman from this same military unit beat new recruits on the head with a stool and a truncheon. A criminal case was opened against him, but it was later dropped due to a reconciliation between the parties.
It is also worth recalling the recent story of National Guard soldier Yerbayan Mukhtar, who was in a coma for more than six months. He suffered serious injuries in the army, where according to the official version, he fell in the toilet, hitting his head.
However, the young man's parents do not believe this. According to them, he was brutally beaten; many injuries were found on Yerbayan's body that could not have been sustained from a fall from his own height.
Furthermore, his father believes the beating may have been financially motivated — the young man often called from the army asking his family for money. What he might have spent it on is unknown.
It is reported that the young man requires expensive treatment abroad. As of the end of August, concerned Kazakh citizens had already raised more than 140 million tenge for Yerbayan.