The prosecutor's office of Zhambyl Region has established a link between the extortion of money from schoolchildren and the deaths of three minors. An informal structure known as "The System", with its own hierarchy and punishments, was operating in the village of Karakemer. Seven defendants have appeared before the court in the criminal case.
HOW THE SCHOOL "SYSTEM" OPERATED
According to the Zhambyl Region prosecutor's office, an informal structure with specific rules of conduct, subordination and punishments was operating among school pupils in the village of Karakemer, Korday District.
The head of the first department of the regional prosecutor's office, Berik Toleuov, reported that the evidence gathered by the investigation points to a causal link between the extortion and the deaths of the three teenagers.
Journalists at Hronika.kz examined screenshots of the correspondence published by the prosecutor's office. The messages describe a system of status promotion with criminal designations — "baryga" (4th level), "blatnoy" (5th) and "svoyak" (6th).
To advance to the next level, certain tasks had to be completed. In particular, participants were asked to attend three "polyanas", two lectures and two training sessions, and to deposit 12,500 roubles into the fund.
The mention of Russian currency in the correspondence may be explained by the origin of these rules. According to the journalists' assumption, the organisers of the school "System" may have borrowed the hierarchy from the mobile role-playing game BLACK RUSSIA, which is set in Russia's criminal underworld. In the game, participants also raise their ranks by completing tasks. The sums in roubles may therefore relate to copied game conditions rather than to actual monetary demands in Kazakhstan.
Other messages, however, contain demands to collect money for alcohol and cigarettes. In one of the exchanges, a reply to such a demand says that there is no money on Kaspi and there is no one left to ask. The interlocutor continues to insist, using obscene language.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TEENAGERS
On 25 February 2026, a 14-year-old seventh-grade pupil at Secondary School No. 14 named after Abir Nusipbayev died in the village of Karakemer.
Less than two months later, on 15 April, the bodies of two ninth-graders were found in the shed of a private house. The teenagers attended different schools but were friends.
According to information published earlier, on the eve of their deaths they exchanged messages with their peers and said they missed their deceased friend very much.
The investigation linked all three cases to extortion among schoolchildren. It was precisely these circumstances that formed the basis of the charges of driving minors to suicide.
WHO IS CHARGED AND WHAT MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN
Two of those involved were charged under points 1, 2 and 3 of part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Extortion") and part 3 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Driving to suicide"). Both have been remanded in custody.
Five others were charged with extortion under the same article. Other preventive measures were applied to them.
On 23 October 2026, the criminal case was sent to the Specialised Inter-District Court for Juvenile Cases of Zhambyl Region.
The prosecutor's office reported that the activities of "The System" have been stopped. The guilt of the seven defendants is to be established by the court.
HOW THE AUTHORITIES RESPONDED
Prosecutors also gave a legal assessment of the actions of the competent authorities and submitted representations on eliminating the causes and conditions that contributed to the offences. These documents are currently under consideration.
Earlier, after the beating of a 14-year-old teenager in the village of Birlesu-Yenbek on 31 October, the akim of Zhambyl Region, Yerbol Karashukeyev, issued severe reprimands to the akim of Korday District, Begzat Bolatbekov, and his deputy, Nurbolat Satymkul.
The head of the region also ordered that measures be taken against the head of the district education department and sent a proposal for the punishment of the head of the police department.
