Kazakhstan jails Belgian football fans for Borat mankini stunt

A court in Kazakhstan said on Thursday it had sentenced three Belgian football fans to short prison terms for dressing up as the fictional movie character Borat during a Champions League match in the Central Asian country.

A video broadcast on Kazakh television showed the trio wearing the trademark green mankinis — made famous by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s hit movie about a crude fictional TV reporter from Kazakhstan — during the stands of Tuesday’s match between Kairat Almaty and Club Brugge.

A court in the capital Astana said it had sentenced three Belgian citizens — identified only by their initials — to five days in jail on public order offences.

“While intoxicated in the stands of the Astana Arena stadium, S., D., and N. removed their clothing, remaining in their underwear, and chanted to attract attention, thereby disturbing public order,” the court said.

Jokes related to Borat are rarely appreciated in Kazakhstan, which has for years been trying to combat the image of the country presented in the 2006 comedy.

A mockumentary titled “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”, the film presents the Central Asian country as backward while implicitly criticising the United States.

The film provoked the ire of the Kazakh authorities, who had banned it but acknowledged that it had attracted more tourists to the country.

In 2024, stadium security confiscated a flag depicting Borat from a Chelsea supporter during a Conference League match against FC Astana.

Club Brugge won Tuesday’s fixture 4-1 to keep their dreams of advancing to the next stage of the Champions League alive, while Kairat languish in last place.