The military court of the Aktobe garrison has sentenced the commander of a logistics platoon of the medical company of military unit 25744.
According to Zakon.kz, in March 2024, during a clean-up of the unit's grounds, a sergeant, upon finding cigarette butts on the floor, forced two conscripts to eat them. Following the incident, one of the privates reported to the unit's medical centre with symptoms of food poisoning. During the court hearing, the victim confirmed the fact of coercion.
The second soldier, who also experienced nausea and vomiting, stated in court that he had been poisoned by a sandwich and had no complaints against the commander.
According to the case materials, the sergeant, dissatisfied with the disorder in the room, later inflicted several blows to one of the soldiers' chest areas. It is noted that after the soldier fell, the suspect continued the beating and forced him into a push-up position.
It is reported that after the incident, fearing for his safety, the victim contacted his father and sent photographs of the injuries sustained.
During the court hearing, the accused did not plead guilty, claiming that he had limited himself to a verbal reprimand directed at the conscripts who were cleaning ahead of the new unit commander's arrival.
The court found the sergeant guilty of exceeding authority or official powers and sentenced him to two years of restriction of liberty. In addition, the sergeant was sentenced to compulsory labour for 100 hours annually for the entire duration of his sentence.
It should be recalled that military unit No. 25744 in Aktau is known for a number of tragic incidents. For example, in September 2015, during a training exercise at sea, four servicemen from this unit drowned.
In May 2022, the command of unit No. 25744 noticed strange behaviour in a conscript. He displayed an inexplicable reaction to his surroundings and talked to himself. After he returned home, his parents stated that "he doesn't recognise anyone, doesn't know where he is or what he is doing".
Furthermore, in September 2023, a 20-year-old serviceman from this unit died at a training ground. After the explosion of an unknown substance, he sustained various injuries and died on the way to the hospital.
In May of the same year, it was reported that 13 soldiers from unit No. 25744 in Aktau were accused of stealing fuel and lubricants worth more than 55 million tenge. Servicemen from the rank of sergeant to colonel were involved in the crime. Those convicted later received sentences ranging from three and a half to eight years' imprisonment.
In March 2024, it became known that a serviceman of the aforementioned unit was beating new recruits on the head with a stool and a baton. A criminal case was opened against him, but it was later dropped due to a reconciliation between the parties.
In September, a conscript died in military unit No. 25744 of the 'West' regional command as a result of a shot fired by the camp duty officer. Later, a video was circulated online in which the victim's father claims that his son was shot in the face and that an officer was allegedly responsible.
In October, in the Mangystau Region, the senior sergeant of the fire support company of the 1st assault battalion of military unit 25744 found himself in the dock for beating conscripts. The accused pleaded guilty, but managed to avoid punishment.