Restrictions on holding lavish graduation events in Kazakhstan are not accompanied by special police raids on restaurants and other venues. Officers of the internal affairs bodies only respond when information about a potential offence is received.
WHAT THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS REPORTED
According to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Sanzhar Adilov, officers of the internal affairs bodies are not conducting special operations to find violations related to graduation ceremonies.
“Officers of the internal affairs bodies will not specifically visit and inspect any venues. Police only respond when they receive a report of an offence having been committed,” he said.
WHEN POLICE TAKE ACTION
As the Deputy Minister reported, upon arrival of the patrol, authorised officers assess the situation. If signs of an administrative offence are identified, those responsible are held accountable in accordance with the law.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stressed that the police’s powers are limited to responding to specific violations.
CONTEXT
The topic of school graduations has been actively discussed in Kazakhstan in recent weeks. Previously, a resident of Almaty reported collections of up to 200,000 tenge per student for holding a graduation party.
Furthermore, on the eve of the last school bell, officers of the Almaty City Police Department disrupted a motorcade involving graduates from one of the schools. The parents of 21 minors were held accountable, and several cars were placed in a specialised impound lot.