Kazakhstan Court Case: Defendant's Instagram Photo Links Him to Alleged 'Khutor Gang'

A murder trial in Talgar, Kazakhstan, has taken a dramatic turn with the refusal of defendant Nurkiyas Iliyasov to answer questions about his alleged involvement in a gang known as the "Khutor gang." The prosecution presented a photograph from Iliyasov's Instagram account, dated June 23, 2016, showing a Kalashnikov assault rifle with the word "Khutor" written in bullets. This evidence directly links Iliyasov to the gang, whose alleged involvement in a fatal stabbing on October 4, 2024, is under investigation. "We don't recognize you? We are Khutor guys," claimed Nurbol Toktaubaev, according to Sherzat Polat's father, Karzhau Bai Nurimov, in an earlier testimony. However, other defendants have denied any knowledge of the gang. The case continues, with the accused facing potential sentences of 5-20 years in prison.