On 19 August 2022, when a drafted recruit committed suicide in the Sholdala Border-Patrol Station (Zhambyl Province), there were not only Border Rangers, but also 42 Military Engineers there.

The Taraz Military Investigation Directorate decided to identify the owner of the sperm found by forensic team on the victim’s clothes and in his mouth.  Those peculiar details became publicly known in the last of January 2023, when Advocate Serzhan Praliyev summoned a high-profile press-conference, at which he reported biased investigation and willingness of the above-mentioned body to submit to the court a dossier with rather “muddy” contents.

After Advocate’s press-conference, on 30 January, the court prescribed the mandatory molecular-genetic testing of samples taken from 88 fellow-soldiers.  On 15 February – the same procedure was issued in regards to 42 more soldiers.  The results shall be known in the last of March or April, most likely.

Advocate of the suspect, Serzhan Praliyev reported the following –

…I found that out recently, that on 19 August 2022 (the day when the suicide took place), there were 42 Military Engineers in the Border-Patrol Station.  Those were contractual soldiers, drafted recruits and officers dealing with the repairs of the border engineering systems and infrastructure.  All in all, some 130 individuals are now being checked…

Now, we need to highlight that the two forensic laboratory tests have not identified the DNA markers of the immediate commander of the victim – Sergeant Aibek Nurtayev, which individual is now being charged with four crimes. 

But the test identified the DNA of three fellow-soldiers of the victim – on the victim’s underwear, T-shirt and trousers.  Within the framework of the ongoing investigation, those three are witnesses.  Experts have found the DNA of “two and more individuals”, who are yet to be identified.  Mr Praliyev said, that the investigation was working to identify those “two and more”.