Astana, November 8. Astana’s specialised inter-district administrative court fined a stand-up comedian, referred to in the court’s statement as “citizen Q.”, 20 monthly calculation indices (MCI), or 86,500 tenge, for foul language during a performance at a venue in the city, the court said.
The case was heard on November 7. The comedian’s actions were classed as petty hooliganism under Part 1 of Article 434 of the Administrative Offences Code. As the court established, the comedian used obscene language in front of an audience, showing disrespect to those present and breaching public order.
At the hearing the comedian admitted guilt in full, repented, asked to be fined and promised not to repeat it; his defence lawyer backed that position. Case materials, including a video of the performance, confirmed the offence. The court took into account the admission of guilt, the repentance and other circumstances of the case, according to the court’s statement.
The penalty under Part 1 of Article 434 is a fine of 20 MCI or administrative arrest for 5 to 15 days, the court’s press office said in a 2024 case; the court chose the fine the comedian had asked for. The tenge amount depends on the index: in 2026 it is 4,325 tenge, so 20 MCI equal 86,500 tenge.
The same day the same court heard another case of foul language: a man who joined someone else’s live TikTok broadcast overnight between November 6 and 7 and swore was given 10 days of administrative arrest, the court said. In both cases the court classed the actions as petty hooliganism under Part 1 of Article 434 but explained the different penalties by the different circumstances of the cases.
The court did not say what the jokes were about. A regional outlet writes that the comedian joked about Astana police officers, residents of the left bank and service in venues, according to its report; these details are not in the court’s statement.
What it means: The court treated foul language in front of an audience at a venue as a breach of public order and applied to it the same provision used for obscene posts on social media: Part 1 of Article 434, 20 MCI. It linked the choice of a fine over arrest to the admission of guilt and repentance.
What we know now: The ruling has not entered into force. The court does not name the comedian, and there is no information on an appeal.
Background: Stand-up comedians have been given arrest for swearing on stage before. In May 2024 in Almaty the comedian Nurskhan Baskhozhayev was sentenced to 15 days. In July 2024 in Astana the comedian Alexander Merkul, who admitted guilt and asked for a fine, got 10 days, the court’s press office reported. The same part of Article 434 is also applied off stage. In August 2026 in Astana a foreign woman was fined 20 MCI for a video with obscene language filmed at the Triumphal Arch, local media reported. In Aktau a resident was fined 86,500 tenge for swearing on TikTok, the court said. The fine for foul language rose from 5 to 20 MCI in March 2023, a review of the legislation recalls.
