Kazakh Comedian Aleksandr Merkul Sentenced to Jail for Jokes About Government
Kazakh stand-up comedian Aleksandr Merkul, known for his satire on the current government and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was recently sentenced to 10 days in jail for alleged hooliganism. The charges stem from a performance at a restaurant in Astana that went viral on the Internet. Merkul, 31, pleaded guilty to the charges. This incident follows a similar case in May, where another Kazakh comedian, Nuraskhan Basqozhaev, was also sentenced to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges. The sentencing has raised concerns among the stand-up comedy community in Kazakhstan, with many seeing it as an infringement on freedom of speech. To learn more about this story, you can read the original report by RFERL's Kazakh Service here.
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