Three men in a boat or two versions of shoot-out on the riverside

On June 26 there was a clash between the residents of Besikty village and employees of fisheries inspection. Firearms have been brought out and three criminal cases have been initiated.

But the participants of the shoot-out that took place during the hot summer evening on the bank of the Ural river have two opposite views to the incident.

Version # 1: "Inspectors have beaten my sick brother"

Kulaym Ginayatova filed a report to the police department and prosecutor's office that her brother was beaten by the fisheries inspection officers:

- It happened on June 26, in the evening at around 20.30. My husband heard that somebody fired twice from the riverside. Half an hour ago my 10-y.o. daughter accompanies by my 35-y.o. brother Zhasulan Ginayatov went to the riverside, - said K. Ginayatova.

We jumped into the car and drove to the river bank. I couldn't find my daughters anywhere, and police inspectors led by Arman Moldachev (deputy chief of operational police) were beating my brother.

From the text of the report filed with the prosecutor's office: "My daughter and brother were standing next to the young men who were catching fish with nets. Suddenly the agents from fishery department approached them: among them were Arman Moldachev, Zhanibek whose nickname is Monty (Zhanibek Ashen - comment by Z.B.) and other men whom I didn't recognize. Someone from the police officers fired from the machine-gun about 10 times in the direction of the young men who were fishing. Those young people asked my brother to help them and he tried to help, but the police has beaten him along with those young men who caught fish. Police were beating him with the gun on his kidneys. When I approached them, they were still beating him. Then I threatened the police that I will file a police report. They all left and I found 4 shot shells on the spot and took it to police department together with my report".

Barefoot and tear-stained daughter was found in tougai-forest where she escaped when shoot-out started. According to Ginayatova the poachers run away when police started to fire arms. She claims that police even fired arms in direction of her husband when he tried to stop the fight.

- When firing started a crowd of people who rested on the beach went against the police officers holding empty glass bottles in their hands. I started to scream that I will call police. At that moment the police officers got into the car and boat and left. Then, 30 minutes later the police officers returned and looked for shot shells on the bank.

Ginayatova took her brother to the hospital for survey, and her daughter is going to have a treatment from grazes and cornea cut that she received when she in panic rushed around in thick bushes.

Version # 2: "We were protecting ourselves from attacking poachers"

The initial data is the same: hot summer evening , tougai coast, the river, field police investigators. But the role of the crowd scene has cardinally changed: instead of laid-back and relaxed people sun-bathing on the beach – they turned into poachers armed with "rosettes" - jagged glass bottles used as weapon.

The chief specialist of Atyrau regional territorial inspection of forestry and fauna Aziz Nuraliev, said:

-According to operational information on June 26 we sent 2 groups – one along water and another one on the ground in the direction of Besikty village. The police officers noticed a bucket-type boat and 3 men sitting on it, one of them later filed a report. Our information was confirmed – inside the boat we found a fishing net for blocking the river and 250 kg of asp fish. We have a video of that. Poachers showed resistance, used against us physical force. After that we were compelled to make precautionary shots from office weapon.

-What type of weapon have you used?

-“Saiga" carbine.

We filed a criminal cases on this fact against the attackers as per Article 380 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan ("Application of violence against the authority"). The materials have been submitted to nature protection prosecutor's office and another criminal case as per Article 335 ("Illegal fishing") has been also initiated.