The funeral prayer (janaza namaz) for Yerbayan Mukhtar, a soldier who returned from compulsory service in the National Guard paralyzed and died after a long struggle for life, was held in the capital. Relatives, close friends, and loved ones bid him farewell at the "Sheikh Kunta Kazhy" mosque. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
About a hundred people gathered for the farewell ceremony. During the ritual, the presence of police officers and patrol cars was noticed near the mosque building. The deceased's relatives refused to give any comments.
The family's lawyer, Inga Imanbay, also attended the farewell. She told Kursiv.media journalists that Yerbayan's death would be a serious blow to the reputation of the Armed Forces and would negatively affect Kazakhstani citizens' attitude towards military service.
"I have two sons, and I would like them to grow up as patriots and defend their Homeland. To do this, they need to serve in the army. But to send them there, I must trust the state. After the case with Yerbayan, the state is obliged to change something," Imanbay stated.
The human rights defender added that if citizens completely lose trust in law enforcement agencies and stop sending their sons to serve, this would directly create a threat to Kazakhstan's national security.
Recall that Yerbayan's resonant story caused widespread public outcry and sparked a new wave of discussions about the safety of conscript soldiers in the Kazakh army.