Roman Belov, a Kazakhstani citizen born in 1979 living in Baikonur, was reportedly arrested in Russia on espionage charges. Belov, working in a tattoo parlour, openly opposed Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, which had previously caused conflicts between him and a local Baikonur resident who fought for the Russian side. Presumably under the false pretext of a job offer to paint a fitness center, he was lured into Russia, where authorities detained him almost immediately.
The primary accusation against Belov is that he allegedly passed classified information to an unidentified individual. However, his wife maintains that the prosecution’s key piece of evidence is merely a screenshot of an unspecified table. She strongly asserts that there is absolutely no digital or physical proof—such as emails or messaging logs—demonstrating that Belov ever transmitted this data.
Belov is currently being held in a pre-trial detention center in Orenburg, where reports indicate he has been subjected to torture despite pre-existing health issues. This case was documented and brought to light by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), of which the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights (KIBHR) is a member.
The KIBHR has sent an official enquiry to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan to clarify the situation.
Baikonur is a town in Kazakhstan that is leased to Russia, which operates the spaceport there. For this reason, the town is governed by the laws of both countries, depending on the resident’s passport, and is administered by two authorities – the Kazakhstani and the Russian.
The physical and political trapping of Roman Belov highlights a much broader, highly delicate social friction within Kazakhstan, which became a primary sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of Russians fleeing the war. While the Kazakhstani government and local population initially extended immense hospitality and logistical support to those escaping the draft, the massive, sudden influx of Russians inevitably altered the domestic social atmosphere. The Kazakhstani government is now becoming stricter with migrants and increasingly detaining and deporting them.
