Photo from social media
Kazakhstan blogger Azamat Sarsenbaev, who took photographs from the site of a plane crash involving Azerbaijan Airlines at Aktau airport, has been sentenced to 10 days in detention. Sarsenbaev himself reported the arrest on his Facebook page (a social network owned by Meta, which is banned in Russia as an extremist organization).
Sarsenbaev posted on December 25, stating that he was being taken to the Aktau police station due to his filming of the crash site. He noted that his images were being used by major international media outlets.
The authorities later provided an official statement, explaining that Sarsenbaev was detained for violating public order. He had reportedly flown a drone at the scene, obstructing the work of emergency services and investigators, and failed to comply with police orders. The blogger was then taken to the police station, where appropriate legal measures would be applied.
Sarsenbaev also complained on social media about being denied legal representation and being forbidden from recording videos, with no specific charges presented against him.
As a result, the blogger was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention.
Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev commented on the situation, expressing concerns that some journalists were attempting to capitalize on the tragedy by broadcasting disturbing footage, including images of the deceased, which could be seen by their loved ones. He urged media outlets to adhere to ethical standards.
Sarsenbaev is a well-known video producer in Aktau, famous for his viral content about flamingos.
The Embraer E190AR aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines, flying from Baku to Grozny, crashed in Aktau on December 25 after being diverted due to fog. The plane carried 69 passengers, including citizens of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. According to the latest information from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health, 29 passengers survived the crash.
An investigation into the incident has been launched, and the Kazakhstan government has set up a commission to determine the cause of the crash.
