Russian rapper Navai arrested in Kazakhstan; Russia sends official note to Kazakh foreign ministry

The Russian Consulate General in Almaty has sent a diplomatic note to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs after a two-month arrest was ordered for Russian rapper Navai (Navai Bakirov), a member of the popular duo HammAli & Navai, according to Sputnik Kazakhstan. In the note, Russian diplomats requested official clarifications and comments from the Kazakh side about the detention of the Russian citizen and said they were ready to provide the artist with necessary consular assistance.

The Jambyl Region Police Department opened a criminal case against Navai under articles related to illegal possession and attempted smuggling of narcotics. The musician was detained overnight on 13 October 2026 at the Kordai border checkpoint while entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan.

A court sanctioned a two-month arrest for Navai Bakirov, and he is currently in a pretrial detention facility. Because of the incident, his concert in Astana scheduled for 14 October was cancelled, and ticket sales for the rapper's entire autumn tour were suspended. The artist's defence plans to appeal the preventive measure and seek release on bail.