Life sentence for Uzbek man who burned 4 fellow nationals in Kazakhstan

A 48-year-old Uzbek man has been sentenced to life in prison for setting a fire that killed four fellow countrymen in the West Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan. The verdict was reported by the "Moy Gorod" newspaper.

The incident occurred in May 2024 in the Bayterek district, where four Uzbek nationals died in a fire, and another sustained severe burn injuries. The victims were seasonal workers who lived together in a temporary shelter with 15 others.

According to court documents, the tragedy unfolded after a disagreement between the defendant and one of his compatriots.

“On May 9, one of them celebrated a birthday. The defendant drank alcohol. Despite several attempts to calm him down and taking him outside, he returned and attacked the others with an ax and a sickle. He then threatened to 'kill everyone,' went outside, retrieved a can of gasoline, and poured it on the gas stove while breakfast was being prepared,” said Judge Aslabek Dyusengaliyev.

The fire spread rapidly, as the building was constructed with flammable materials.

“Four men died at the scene from burn injuries, and another person suffered thermal burns. The deceased included two brothers, Khudoiberdiev and Namozov,” the judge added.

Relatives of the victims participated in the trial via video link. They did not file claims for moral or material damages but requested that the court impose a life sentence on the defendant. They further stated that if the defendant were to return to Uzbekistan, they would seek revenge.

The defendant partially admitted his guilt, claiming that he thought the container he used contained water, not gasoline, and therefore committed the crime unintentionally. He requested that the case be considered under the charge of reckless homicide. However, the court dismissed these claims.

In the final verdict, the defendant was found guilty of intentionally killing two or more people and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He will serve his sentence in a medium-security penal institution.

In a separate case, an Uzbek citizen previously died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a house in the village of Baskuduk, Munayli district, Mangystau region, Kazakhstan. The man, born in 1980 in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, had married a Kazakh woman, and his wife and children were citizens of Kazakhstan.