Popular streamers who insulted Kazakh women could face up to 10 years in prison

Tengrinews.kz – Two foreign bloggers who were arrested in Almaty for 15 days over insulting remarks about Kazakh women on social media may also face criminal charges.
Journalists asked Deputy Prosecutor General Galymzhan Koigeldiyev about the scandal during a briefing in the Mazhilis.

“They have been held accountable for petty hooliganism – 15 days of arrest. At the same time, I can say that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation under Article 174 for inciting interethnic hatred,” Koigeldiyev said.

Article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code covers incitement of social, national, tribal, racial, class or religious hatred. Part 2 of the article states that if such actions are committed by a group of people, by prior conspiracy, repeatedly, with violence or threats of violence, through abuse of official position, or by a leader of a public association, including with the use of funds from foreign sources, the punishment is 5 to 10 years in prison.
Koigeldiyev clarified that this concerns a separate case.

“That one is administrative, this is another,” he said.

Context
A scandal involving foreign streamers broke out in Kazakhstan after, during a live broadcast, they made insulting statements about Kazakh girls. The clips spread quickly across social media.
After a wave of public outrage, local residents reportedly confronted the bloggers and demanded a public apology. Later, law enforcement became involved.
Almaty police conducted a review, and a court placed the two foreigners under 15 days of administrative arrest for petty hooliganism committed online.