Suspect in Custody as Police Probe HIV Transmission Case in Atyrau

Law enforcement officials have provided new details regarding a high-profile criminal case in Atyrau, where an individual is suspected of intentionally transmitting HIV.

Sanjar Adilov, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that officers from the Department for Combating Organized Crime in the Atyrau region have established evidence of deliberate infection. The suspect has been formally charged and, following a court order, has been taken into custody.

"The investigation is ongoing," Adilov announced during a briefing at the Mazhilis. "A mandatory submission will be made to eliminate the causes and circumstances that contributed to this criminal offense."

The deputy minister confirmed that the court has ordered the suspect to be held in pre-trial detention for two months. When journalists inquired if this meant only one person was currently implicated, contrary to earlier reports suggesting multiple suspects, Adilov clarified the scope of the probe.

"We are conducting investigative and operational measures and establishing the involvement of other persons who may have been connected to the crime," he explained.

The case came to light following reports that authorities had halted the activities of two individuals suspected of knowingly spreading HIV. Previous information indicated two men, aged 23 and 28, were detained. It was reported they had been aware of their HIV-positive status and were on specialized medical records since December 2025 but allegedly continued to offer paid intimate services while presenting themselves as transgender persons.